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There is a lot for Italian rugby fans to be happy about after Conor OSheas first outings at the helm of the national team.The rejuvenated Azzurri lost in Argentina despite playing a solid game, then won (ugly) against the U.S. and Canada to at least end their first tour under their new head coach with a positive record. Winning is key, of course, but there is more to it than that.Over the past three weeks, Italy has welcomed back its scrum -- comfortable even against a Rugby Championship-ready Pumas side -- regained those abrasive drives from mauls and, finally, rediscovered the fierce defence that was a foundation of the historic results of 2013, when they beat Ireland and France to finish fourth in the Six Nations.Without some of his most valuable senators (Alessandro Zanni, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Francesco Minto, Michele Rizzo and, crucially, captain Sergio Parisse) and with other key elements of the group out through injury, OShea apparently found what his predecessors couldnt spot: new raw talent to start moulding for international rugby.The group is widening at an impressive rate and thats the real plus for a nation left at its lowest ebb of the professional era after last years Rugby World Cup.OShea introduced some youngsters in Maxime Mbanda, Sami Panico, Sebastian Negri, Tommaso Boni and Tommaso Castello and they all made their debuts in admirable style. Props Andrea Lovotti and Pietro Ceccarelli, and hooker Ornel Gega - all called up in the last part of the Jacques Brunel era - were instrumental against Argentina and in the much-needed wins in North America. The dynamic Lovotti, in particular, seems to be the real deal that Italy was waiting for since the retirement of beloved former international looseheads Andrea Lo Cicero and Salvatore Perugini.Add to the above the performance at the recent Under-20 World Championship of skipper Marco Riccioni -- a kid that has the potential to be Italys next Martin Castrogiovanni - and things look bright for OShea in the front row for the foreseeable future.Fly-half Carlo Canna is rapidly growing in personality and awareness and is now the stable first choice at No.10. Reliable from the tee - unlike Tommaso Allan, especially in decisive phases of matches - and increasingly keen on exploring the gaps he finds in the opposition lines, he was a key part of Italian tour success. At 23, it is amazing he was introduced so late in the national setup.But there remains a lot of work for OShea and his staff, too, specifically with ball-carriers and the tactical kicking game.Apart from South African-born duo Dries Van Schaklwyk and Quinti Geldenhuys, both in their thirties, Italy is missing big, powerful, industrious back rowers who can break the line simply by running straight. Think Billy Vunipola with England or Wales Taulupe Faletau as just two examples from Six Nations rivals. Some 6 feet 6 inches, 110 kilogramme-plus locks would not go amiss either. Size does matter, but there is nobody of that ilk at present in Italian rugby at any level.The other hole (and it is a huge one) is the tactical kicking game. It created a lot of problems under former coaches Pierre Berbizier and Nick Mallett, it was one of the top urgencies when Brunel came on board yet it remains an unresolved problem.With the recent retirement of Andrea Masi, things got even more complicated. At the moment Luke McLean is the only player in the entire 40-man senior group to have the skills required by an international No.15 -- and his best performances came at wing. His positional sense and kicking range assure him of a place in the starting XV as there is no-one close.David Odiete is not yet an international winger. He is learning the fullback position he occupied at juniors level but still needs to grow in tactical wisdom and reliability. The electric Under-20 Matteo Minozzi seems to have skills and potential but may pay a huge price to the physical challenge required in modern rugby.The first thing OShea pointed out when appointed in March was that Italian players were not fit enough to compete at international level. It manifests itself physically and mentally. If the Azzurri are to contest every match against the top nations, they must execute properly for the full 80 minutes. Consider that this is a country that historically lives on passion and invention, and you can see why every coach before OShea has come up short.So, yes, fitness is the first step. But it is consistency that has to be the ultimate goal. After all, the risk of getting hammered by a fast-growing Tier 2 nation has never been so high. John Roseboro Dodgers Jersey . "Were just throwing s--- at the wall hoping something sticks," said Tortorella about the possible line combinations for Fridays game against Columbus. The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference. Stitched Dodgers Jerseys .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. https://www.cheapdodgersonline.com/2165h-billy-grabarkewitz-jersey-dodgers.html . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. Steve Garvey Jersey . He just needed to be his best twisting, turning acrobatic self. "I didnt need to be anybody else, I just needed to be myself and be aggressive," said Burks, who scored a career-high 34 points to spark the Utah Jazz to a 118-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. Raul Mondesi Dodgers Jersey .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open.OAKLAND, Calif. -- Manager Bob Melvin shuffled the Athletics batting order and got the type of production he was looking for from the top of the lineup. Chris Young and Alberto Callaspo, hitting in the No. 6 and 8 spots, provided a nice boost as well. Young and Callaspo homered in the fifth inning and Oakland beat the Cleveland Indians 7-3 on Sunday. "Thats always nice when you get contributions all over," Melvin said. "We feel like we have just as good a chance to score down in the lineup as we do up in the lineup." Jed Lowrie, batting leadoff for only the third time this season, had two hits and scored twice for Oakland. Josh Donaldson drove in three runs as the As pulled within a half-game of AL West-leading Texas. One day after being held to a season-low three hits in a 7-1 loss to the Indians, the As jumped on Cleveland starter Scott Kazmir early. Lowrie singled and scored in the first, then doubled and scored in the second. Derek Norris added two hits and reached base four times while Donaldson had a pair of RBI singles and also drove in a run on a groundout in the first. "Thats when were at our best, when we have equal parts and we can trust everybody up and down the lineup," Lowrie said. "Thats been our key offensively. I dont think Im a prototypical leadoff hitter but I get on base a lot." Young hit his 11th home run off Kazmir (7-6) to break a 3-all tie in the fifth. Three pitches later, Callaspo followed with his sixth homer and first since being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels in late July. Ryan Raburn homered for Cleveland, which has lost six of its past seven in Oakland. The Indians dropped seven games behind Detroit in the Central and fell 4 1/2 games behind the As in the AL wild card race. "Its go time," said second baseman Jason Kipnis, who had two of Clevelands nine hits. "We dont have time to sit around and fell sorry for ourselves about losing twwo of three here.ddddddddddddIts time to take care of business." Dan Otero (2-0) retired five batters for the win in relief of starter Tommy Milone. Grant Balfour pitched the ninth. Kazmir had a rough afternoon while pitching on eight days rest. The left-hander had been moved back after saying he had a "dead arm" after his previous start. Kazmir gave up a pair of two-out scoring hits in the first two innings. He was hit by Josh Reddicks liner that ricocheted off him and went into right field in the third. Ahead 5-3, Oakland got a boost when left fielder Yoenis Cespedes threw out Nick Swisher at second base in the seventh when he tried to extend a single. Center fielder Young made a stellar play to rob Michael Brantley of extra bases in the eighth. Raburn homered in the second, hitting a towering solo shot that bounced high off the wall beyond the centre field fence. Called up from Triple-A Sacramento before the game, Milone ran into trouble in the third following Callaspos throwing error at third base. Callaspo made up for the gaffe when he followed Youngs solo home run in the fifth with his blast to left. "You think of him as a slap hitter but every now and then hell square it up and throw it out of the yard from both sides of the plate," Young said of Callaspo. "Hes a special guy to have on your team." NOTES: Donaldson has 42 multi-hit games, one more than any player on the As had in 2012. ... Kazmir had allowed only two home runs total over his previous nine starts. ... Milone struck out five and walked one. ... LHP Brett Anderson threw 49 pitches in a rehab start for Triple-A Sacramento and will make at least one appearance in the minors before rejoining the As. Oakland is also considering putting Anderson into the rotation after originally planning to use him out of the bullpen. ... As they announced they would do, the As put RHP Bartolo Colon on the disabled list. ' ' '