Milan (AFP)
Former 47-year-old South African international Franco Smith has been appointed interim coach of the Italian rugby team for the upcoming 6 Nations tournament to overcome Conor O'Shea's departure, announced Thursday. the Italian Federation (FIR).
O'Shea, 49, announced Saturday his resignation with immediate effect as his contract runs until the end of May 2020.
"The federation will continue the process of setting up the coaching of the national team for the four-year period 2020-23, which will be in place on July 1, 2020 for the tour to the Americas," said the FIR. in his press release.
Smith, who has nine caps with the Springboks, knows Italy well for playing and coaching Benetton Treviso from 2007 to 2013 before being coach of the African Cheetah Province in South Africa. He was also assistant coach Springbok Allister Coetzee in 2017.
It was this same team that released him in the spring of his position as director of rugby.
Franco Smith will be assisted by Giampiero De Carli (forward) and Marius Goosen (back) while Pete Atkinson and Giovanni Sanguin will coordinate the physical preparation.
Italy will start its 6 Nations vs Wales campaign on 1 February in Cardiff.
In office since 2016, O'Shea has qualified Italy for the World Cup in Japan where the Azzurri have not been able to pass the group phase.
© 2019 AFP