The Azzurri tackle an even more resurgent Scotland in their final game on Saturday knowing victory would give them their best points total since they joined the competition in 2000.

A hard-fought 18-18 draw in Wales, their first away point in those seven seasons, has also raised the tantalising prospect of avoiding a second successive wooden spoon.

Should they win and Wales lose at home to France, it would arguably be the biggest achievement of this years tournament.

But while their French head coach is asking for Italian rugby supporters to back the team, he has also urged them not to put too much pressure on them.

We must be able to count on the support of our fans, he said. But it is just as vital expectations do not cause the stress of winning this game at any cost.

Indeed, Berbizier knows Scotland are far from the side Italy beat in the RBS 6 Nations two years ago, the Azzurris last win in the competition.

Shock victories over both France and England at Murrayfield - ending the Grand Slam hopes of both sides - have even given them a chance of winning the championship.

We must keep concentration, and remember at every moment that Scotland have already beaten the likes of England and France this year and, mathematically, they are still in race for the victory in the tournament.

For sure, Saturday is a difficult game, not a formality.

We should play with intelligence, and remain realistic. Certainly, we have improved from the beginning of the RBS 6 Nations, but must we continue to play at our best against squads of superior level to ours.

Italys level of play has seen them hold the lead in all four of their games so far, against Ireland, England, France and Wales, before running out of steam.

Berbizier admits the physical nature of these games has taken its toll on his side, but he has urged his players to raise themselves for one final effort.

He said: It was hard in Dublin; it was very hard in Rome against England; Paris against France certainly was very difficult, especially in the second half; and in Cardiff we battled all the way, and we ended up exhausted but happy. And it will be hard on Saturday at the Flaminio.

It is necessary to continue pursuing the same target we did at the beginning of this tournament: follow our gameplan and respect our opponents.