RYAN TUBRIDY says Italy aren't good enough to merit a place in the Six Nations championships and suggested the tournament should revert to a five-country system.
Italy were soundly beaten 50-10 by France in their opening game on Saturday, and they haven't won a Six Nations match for almost six years.
The RTÉ presenter complained that every match Italy played was a forgone conclusion and said the tournament was "doing fine without them" before they joined in 2000.
The rather frank assessment was made during an RTÉ Radio 1 show this morning, where Tubridy insisted that Italy "can't play rugby at the level the rest of the teams can."
"I'm still a bit puzzled as to why Italy was allowed into that Championship at all, God help us," he said.
Italy were beaten comfortably by France on Saturday, a sight that's far from strange in the Six Nations."They can't play rugby at the level the rest of the teams can and it kind of gets on my nerves a bit because every game is just a bye into the next one.
"Apologies to Italy. You're a great country, you're great fun, love you and love going to your country. I just don't know why you're in that gang.
"It's like me wearing a jersey for Ireland.
"That's probably very cruel to the Italians, but it was doing just fine without them."
While Italy haven't won a Six Nations game in nearly six years, they haven't won a match of any kind since November 2019.
They've finished last in 15 out of 21 Six Nations championships they've ever been a part of.
Ireland travel to Rome to play Italy on February 27.
