Desire will be the key to beating Scotland in Saturday's RBS 6 Nations clash according to Italy lock Marco Bortolami.
The Azzurri have not finished a Six Nations campaign winless since 2005, but that is the fate staring them in the face after four consecutive defeats.
The most recent of those was a 25-13 reverse in Paris but, with the help of the fans at the Stadio Flaminio, Bortolami believes they can bounce back.
"The team that wants it more will win," said Bortolami.
"This is our last chance to get a reward for all of our hard work. But I insist we need to hear our fans just as we did in Paris.
"I want them to sing, to shout, to make noise always because they are our main strength when playing at home. They help us up when we are down and when we are tired."
Despite the result at the Stade de France, Bortolami was just happy to be involved after missing the first two games through injury and coming off the bench in the 47-8 hammering by Wales.
And with coach Nick Mallett naming an unchanged side to face Scotland, the Gloucester captain will start for the second consecutive game.
"I got emotional in Paris," said the former Italy captain.
"I admit it but my tears were a way to release the tension having recovered my place in the team.
"In the past couple of months I hid my emotions but the truth is that I am very sensitive and the criticism after the World Cup hurt me."
Both sides are looking to avoid the wooden spoon going into the last game of the 2008 tournament, although Frank Hadden's troops go into the encounter inspired by the triumph over England last weekend which marked their first success this year.
Since joining the RBS 6 Nations tournament back in 2000, Italy have beaten Scotland twice, including last year's 37-17 triumph at Murrayfield that marked their first win on the road.
And Bortolami has some inside knowledge of the Scotland side which good hand the edge to the Azzurri.
"My team-mate at Gloucester, Chris Paterson, revealed to me that Scotland always have some fear when they step on the Flaminio pitch," said Bortolami.
"We hope to take advantage from the start. More than ever, our fans must support us on Saturday."
Teams:
Italy: A Marcato (Benetton Treviso), K Robertson (Montepaschi Viadana), G Canale (Clermont-Auvergne), Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais), E Galon (Overmach Cariparma), A Masi (Biarritz Olympique), S Picone (Benetton Treviso); A Lo Cicero (Racing Metro Paris), L Ghiraldini (Cammi Calvisano), M Castrogiovanni (Leicester Tigers), CA Del Fava (Ulster), M Bortolami (Gloucester), J Sole (Arix Viadana), A Zanni (Cammi Calvisano), S Parisse (Stade Francais).
Replacements: F Ongaro (Saracens), C Nieto (Gloucester), S Perugini (Stade Toulouse), J Erasmus (Montepaschi Viadana), P Travagli (Overmach Cariparma), E Patrizio (Petrarca Padova), A Sgarbi (Benetton Treviso).
Scotland: H Southwell (Edinburgh); S Danielli (Ulster), S Webster (Edinburgh), G Morrison (Glasgow Warriors), N Walker (Ospreys); C Paterson (Gloucester), M Blair (Edinburgh, capt); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), F Thomson (Glasgow Warriors), E Murray (Northampton), N Hines (Perpignan), S MacLeod (Llanelli Scarlets), A Strokosch (Gloucester), S Taylor (Stade Francais), A Hogg (Edinburgh).
Replacements: S Lawson (Sale), A Dickinson (Gloucester), C Smith (Edinburgh), J White (Sale), K Brown (Glasgow Warriors), R Lawson (Gloucester), D Parks (Glasgow Warriors).
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