Memories 
/ Will Greenwood / 09 February 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Will in action for England at the Stadio Flaminio in 2002
Will Greenwood reveals his enduring affection for Italy and explains why he's more comfortable watching England beat the Azzurri from the sidelines than running in multiple tries...
I lived in Italy for six years as a kid when my old man was playing for Rugby Roma and based on that I could have qualified to play for the Azzurri. I still have a lot of affection for the country and I often dreaded playing against them at Twickenham. Had Clive Woodward left me out for those games, I would not have been disappointed.
I remember nearly losing to Italy in a World Cup qualifier in 1998 but in Six Nations matches I did not enjoy beating them by a big score. Running in multiple tries, we were like a schoolyard bully or a cat toying with a mouse.
Italy are tough, technically strong and the way for England to beat them on Saturday is to have three backs looking for space with three more being confrontational and getting in their opponents' faces. Italy often freeze at Twickenham and hopefully that will be the case this time. Now that I've retired, I'm a lot happier for England to beat them emphatically.
I always enjoyed away matches in Rome. My dad made great friends during his playing days there and they would all be at the Stadio Flaminio when I was playing for England. I'd see them after the match and they'd be pinching my face in that fond way that Italian men do, saying, "Little Willie! Little Willie!" I was about 34-years-old at the time so it was a bit embarrassing. Lovely people though.
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