AT SOME point in a World Cup schedule that pits them against France and New Zealand, the Italy players are bound to feel that their lungs are on the verge of exploding. Sure to look around them and see team-mates struggling to withstand the physical, mental and technical toll of facing such vaunted opponents.
As they search for inspiration to keep putting one foot in front of the other, minds may drift to summer days spent slogging up Monte Lagazuoi with the Italian army. Measuring 9,301ft (2,835m) at its peak, the mountain in the heart of the Dolomites was of strategic importance during World War One,
