Che Jones fosse legato a Giovanelli è noto da tempo.
Nel 2005 ha scritto il seguente articolo (
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 420343.ece):
March 6, 2005
Italy fail to build on Giovanelli’s solid foundations
He is the greatest player to pull on an Italian jersey, but political in-fighting has left him on the outside to pursue a career as an architect. By Stephen Jones
MASSIMO GIOVANELLI picked up Italian rugby about a decade ago in two meaty hands and threw it into the Six Nations championship. Giovanelli, captain and flanker for Italy, is without doubt the greatest and most influential player his country has produced and in his heyday he was arguably the finest openside flanker in the world, fierce and piratical.
It was deeply inappropriate that he should have to retire through injury in the very year that Italy finally ascended into the Six Nations in 2000, because it was the team that he captained which put Italy on the world rugby map. It is also a crying shame that Giovanelli is sidelined, manoeuvred out of the picture by the politics of Italian rugby, at that precise point when he is most needed.
Italy always seemed to be making steady progress, but this season their lack of victories and their lack of obvious improvement in the key areas is causing anxiety in the country and outside.
Giovanelli was in charge in 1994 when Italy came within an ace of beating a powerful Australia team in Brisbane. They were leading Australia by 17-13 and near the end, Italy missed an eminently kickable penalty that would have surely given them the match. They lost to a late Tim Wallace penalty only four minutes from time for a final score of 23-20. But the boost from this marvellous performance saw them beat Ireland in Treviso on the eve of the 1995 World Cup and in that tournament they rescued themselves from a poor opening with an epic victory by 31-25 over Argentina in East London.
Between 1996 and 1997, they won four more matches against major countries, the highlight being a win over France in Grenoble that came only a week after France had completed a Grand Slam. “We had grown up together and we were really keen to show the world our potential,” says Giovanelli. “It all began with work on the physical aspects and then we improved step by step in the technical areas. We had brilliant youngsters such as Mauro Bergamasco and experienced old heads like Massimo and Marcello Cuttita. We had outstanding coaches and we had a momentum going into the Six Nations.”
After his retirement Giovanelli was first touted for a major role in the union, but he fell foul of its long-serving president, Giancarlo Dondi. “There is no role in the union for me and this is a clear political choice by the president. He doesn’t want me because he is ill at ease with people who have personality. He is scared of his own shadow. He has surrounded himself with yes men. We have the money and the background to improve, but our progress is running extremely slow.”
Giovanelli almost dismisses the most recent Italian victories in the Six Nations, against Scotland and — last season — against Wales. “At the time these two teams were easy to play against. Our last great game was against Scotland on the first day of our existence in the Six Nations in February 2000. After that, I am afraid to say that there has been no progression.”
Giovanelli’s inspirational qualities have been sadly missed. He points to a lack of continuity in the planning for the team and in coaching, and he to a lack of grace and tribute to the past of Italian rugby.
“Here is one example. Ivan Francescato was killed some years ago. We have the finance in our game, but we have nothing dedicated to the memory of such a great player. Does this sound correct to anybody? We must change so much and we must strike a new deal in the technical and political areas, if there is to be a new era in Italian rugby.”
Giovanelli has returned to his original career as an architect. “My aim is to try to work in London. There is a chance to further this ambition very soon.” It would be far better for Italian rugby and for the Six Nations if the failed men in charge in Rome, those playing the endless political game, would stand aside and allow him his head in the national union. To have the greatest figure in the game and the conscience of Italian rugby exiled to England would practically kill off any hopes of an Italian revival.
Italy appear to be suffering from a brutal shortage at fly-half and midfield, so that the work of a fine pack is often wasted.
It is a far cry from the years with Diego Dominguez, who scored nearly 1,000 points for Italy, was orchestrating a fine back line, and from the time when Giovanelli was powering his country along on the rugby fields of the world. “We play in the championship and after that, no one talks about rugby,” he says.
A crying shame for a rugby nation that is far more powerful than it appears on the field at present."
Qui (
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... =12&page=2 ) invece il recente articolo citato "Forza Italia?".
E' chiaro che la posizione di Jones è partigiana, ma certo non si può imputare a Giovanelli di aver parlato chiaro ed in tempi non sospetti di alcune gravi mancanze della FIR.