Even if Italy repair some of the damage to their reputation in the remaining pool games, the mauling by New Zealand on Saturday showed up problems they will need to address when the autoposy on their World Cup begins.

How did they ship 38 points in the opening quarter, supposedly the tightest period of a match? Why did their fabled pack lose its discipline so quickly? And, during a game they lost 76-14, into what hole did their game plan disappear?

Diego Dominguez, probably the most celebrated player to have represented Italy, might not have the answer to each question but he does have one solution that could quickly improve his adopted nation. "The Italian players playing in England and France, I would make them come back to Italy," says the celebrated fly half who twice represented Argentina, the country of his birth, until a lack of first-team opportunities led him to change citizenship.

"We need to improve the championship in Italy. Italian sides need to be more competitive in the Heineken Cup and the kids need have to have their idols near. They have to see them every Sunday, not once a year or twice a year."

The veteran of 74 matches with Italy, and a seven-year stint at Stade de Francais, Dominguez has carved a successful career spreading the rugby gospel with the broadcasting company Sportfive since he retired from sport in 2004.

Though not employed in an offical role, he is also sought out as an advisor by the Italian Rugby Federation and has outlined to them a policy that is applied by their three major southern hemisphere counterparts. "I help the Italian Federation a lot. They consult me when there is an important decision to take and we are discussing that [choosing only Italy-based players]. There is enough money to do it. And we will earn more if the players come back."

Pierre Berbizier's side must first negiotiate the limited challenge presented by Romania today, then Portugal and, in a match likely to decide who will join New Zealand in the quarter-finals from pool C, Scotland in a fortnight. Italy have have never before qualified from their pool in a World Cup but, after two wins in the Six Nations and a world ranking that puts them above the Scots, anything less in France would present a failure. Dominquez is excited by the prospect.

"To qualify for the quarter-final would be very important for the country," he says during a press event in a hotel in Paris, the city that he has made his home. "There are a lot of people, media, players and coaches working to make this sport more popular and this would be a big help. Italian rugby has developed as quickly as we could [but] this would buy us some time."

You can watch all the greatest RWC matches from the past 20 years, featuring the best tries, rugby heroes, and legendary moments, exclusively on ESPN Classic, SKY Channel 442 - throughout the 2007 tournament