Bring it on.

Italy head coach Conor O’Shea has back World Rugby’s plans to introduce relegation and promotion to the Six Nations as part of their proposed “Nations Championship” in 2022.

Under the proposal, the team who finish bottom of the Six Nations would face a playoff against the team who finish top of Europe’s second tier (Rugby Europe Championship) – a competition won by Georgia seven times in the past eight years.

The Azzurri are currently on an unprecedented 20-game losing streak in the Six Nations, finishing bottom for the last three years running, making them the team most in danger of losing their coveted spot in the championship. But O’Shea has backed the plans and warned people not to “bet against Italy.”

“On the face of it this seems like a really exciting proposal,” said O’Shea.

“The one thing we need to do is to grow the game. If we just have the couple of rich kids winning everything we don’t have a game. It’s what is good for the game.

“With what we’re doing in Italy I’d be quite comfortable that, whether it’s me here or someone else here, we have a bloody good team in the making. I’m really comfortable where this team can go. If it comes in two or three years and they are talking about World League promotion and relegation playoffs, if that’s what it is we’ll play to the rules and don’t bet against Italy.”