Kirwan's labour of love for his second home

John Kirwan is as passionate about Italy as he is about Italian rugby. "A big part of us is the way we live,'' the New Zealand convert said. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm Italian. I love the country, the people, everything about it. We need to translate that culture on to the rugby field. It would be fantastic for the game if we could get a result.''

The RBS Six Nations' Championship starts on Saturday when Italy play Wales at the Stadio Flaminio in Rome, sweet Rome. It is time the Azzurri delivered. Since their sensational debut in 2000, a 34-20 victory over Scotland, the Italian file of achievement is a very slim document indeed. Scotland remains a solitary success as Italy habitually finish bottom of the table, suffering heavy defeats in the process.

Such has been the one-sided nature of the contest that the decision to enlarge the old Five Nations has been brought into question. "Don't talk to me about Italy not being in the competition,'' Kirwan said. "It needs us. Just look at what the smaller countries did in the football World Cup. When Italy competed in the America's Cup four years ago, most of the population of 60 million stayed up throughout the night to watch it. Admittedly a large majority follow football, but rugby is growing and we're getting stronger. The question is are we getting better quickly enough?''

Last year, the answer was in the negative. Brad Johnstone, the former All Black prop who took charge following Italy's poor showing in the 1999 World Cup, left after another whitewash, describing the national set-up as a "shambles''. Kirwan, his assistant, said he had no hesitation in taking on the post. At the launch of the championship in London last Wednesday, he certainly looked the part – black shirt beneath a black pinstripe suit. All that was missing was a violin case. And that was the official team uniform.

Kirwan was flanked by his captain, the scrum-half Alessandro Troncon, who did not see eye to eye with Big Brad. With Big John, it's different. "Alessandro is one of the most passionate men you'll ever meet,'' Kirwan said. "I love their approach and what they're trying to do.

"Of course, it's important we get some results and it would be great if we made a good start, but we can't let that get in the way of our enjoyment, our passion. That is our culture. They'd like to win, but more important is that I have a group of players who love to play. They're very young, very intelligent and they care for each other. I'll be happy as long as they give everything on the field. First and foremost, we must create our own style of play, the Italian way. We are different and it's something to be proud of.''

Kirwan did not always feel this way. In fact, over the years, he and New Zealand have inflicted a great deal of damage on Italy. In the curtain-raiser to the first World Cup in 1987, the All Blacks beat Italy 70-6 in Auckland, Kirwan scoring the try of the tournament, a spectacular 80-yard solo in which he seemed to beat a sea of blue jerseys at least once, if not twice. New Zealand went on to lift the Webb Ellis Cup, Kirwan scoring a try in the 29-9 victory over France in the final.

A powerfully built wing, he was a prolific try-scorer, his record being overshadowed only by an even larger wing, Jonah Lomu, who helped the All Blacks to a 101-3 annihilation of Italy in the last World Cup. "I'm not interested in the past,'' Kirwan said. "And I'm not interested in statistics.''

His love affair with Italy began 16 years ago when he joined Benetton Treviso. "There weren't any professionals in those days,'' he said with a pronounced smile. La dolce vita has a price. "I had such a great time, I kept going back, year after year, for nine seasons. It's not just the food and wine. It's a special place to live. Oh mate, it's very different from Auckland.''

Before Kirwan, who also had three years in Japan and two years in rugby league, made his name in union, he earned a living as a butcher in a none-too-salubrious suburb of Auckland. In Treviso, he married Fiorella and they have three children. "I have an Italian passport and I'm fairly fluent, although my accent is still bad. I'm trying to read more Italian books, although it's not easy. The country has given me a great opportunity and I've had fantastic support from the governing body. I've got a staff who are working overtime.''

One of them, the team manager Marco Bollesan, was the coach of Italy 16 years ago when Kirwan and company ran rings around them in the World Cup. "It brings a smile to my face every time I think of him,'' Kirwan said.

It was almost 30 years ago that the late, great Carwyn James left Wales to coach Rovigo. In the new "super 10'' Italian league, Rovigo are struggling. The successful clubs now are Calvisano, Viadana and Treviso, who have shown this season they are capable of producing the odd highlight in Europe. The trouble is, it remains distinctly odd.

"One day,'' Kirwan says, "an Italian team will win the Heineken Cup. I don't care whether it's realistic. More passionate money is coming into the game. Some guys are investing fortunes out of their own pockets. OK, some things happen that other countries wouldn't accept, but I'm being given a fair shot. I've had the players at day camps and they're improving their fitness. That's been a weakness.

"We're also working hard on the technical side and discipline. A referee is on the staff and instead of conceding 18 penalties a game, we're conceding nine. All I ask is that you don't disturb us between two and three in the afternoon. That's when we're asleep. Perhaps that's why we've been losing. We've been playing when we should have been having a nap.''

There's no doubt Kirwan has some talent at his disposal, but converting that into a force that can make a mark in international rugby is a huge ask. When France entered the arena in 1910, they had a torrid time before becoming acclimatised. Whatever happens to Italy, Kirwan assures it will not be a passionless affair.