The Italians played well but lost a tough battle at home to Ireland and they followed that up with a loss in Rome against Wales.

Last weekend, they travelled to Scotland for a game billed as the battle to avoid the wooden spoon and their hosts prevailed.

Our mentality is to go onto the pitch with the aim of winning every game we play, a defiant Masi said.

Certainly the tasks that remain are the hardest of the entire tournament.

England and France aren't playing at their best in this RBS 6 Nations, but realistically we have to play as we have never before to beat them.

We really need to play at our very best, especially at Twickenham.''

Masi, who plays for Viadana in the Super 10, crossed over for Italy at Murrayfield last Saturday but was still left with an empty feeling.

''After scoring that try in last few seconds of the game my feeling wasn't of joy, to be honest, because we lost a game in which we aimed to win more than everything.

We wasted our chances and in the second half. We were confused, enabling the Scots to get an important win.''