The 2015 Rugby World Cup will be one of the milestones in Italy's rugby history. In fact, the Rugby World Cup will mark the end of the Sergio Parisse era. It will also represent the last chance for coach Jacques Brunel to overturn his miserable record at Italy coach. In professional sport there's no place to hide and numbers are embarrassing.

Since the introduction of the World Cup, Italy has never been able to progress from the group stages and Parisse and Martin Castrogiovanni international careers are far less silverware-laden than their club careers. The Brunel tenure, something that has cost the FIR more than €1m, has been brightened by wins against France, Ireland and Scotland but his gladiators are under huge pressure.

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Reasons for optimism

Italy will kick off the World Cup with plenty of experience to drive them forward in key moments. They have a quality and are familiar as a group. Alessandro Zanni, alongside captain Parisse, is probably the best all-round player around the pitch and is finally fully fit. His work rate will be key for Azzurri. Even without the inclusion of Robert Barbieri, surprisingly cut from the final group, Italy may rely on their back-row to carry, tackle and bring the aggression.

The front-row is still a makes its mark boasting the experienced Ghiraldini, Rizzo, Cittadini, Aguero, Giazzon and Martin Castrogiovanni, who can offer a great impact from the bench.

It may sound paradoxical but the quality of Italy's back line is arguably at its finest in recent times. Options at centre are limited but with the likes of Morisi, Campagnaro, Garcia and Masi, who remains first choice at fullback, Brunel may look for an attacking midfield or opt for a more defensive approach. It is a luxury his previous colleagues did not have.

And their back three is also more reliable than ever. Masi at 15 with McLean and Sarto on the wings is the ideal configuration, with some good options in Venditti's power and the pace of Esposito. They offer experience and a tactically astute brain.

The negatives

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Brunel's selections create absolute panic. The feeling is that Italy are light and too 'soft' at lock, especially when faced with a Pool that features two of the best second-row combinations in world rugby. Italy will surely miss Leandro Cedaro's weight around the pitch as the player that starred in French Top 14 last season with La Rochelle was also surprisingly dropped. Brunel opted for a more battle-hardened second-row instead. The combination of Quintin Geldenhuys' presence at the breakdown along with Josh Furno's abilities in the loose appear to be the starters but it was surprising to see centurion Marco Bortolami, a lineout specialist, and George Biagi dropped. Minto is another option to give the team more tackling power and Italian fans will hope to see some good form from Valerio Bernabò, who was surprisingly re-called to the Azzurri roster after years of absence.

Half-back is still a cause of huge anxiety. Ever since the retirement of Diego Dominguez - Italy's all-time top-scorer and Alessandro Troncon - the first Italian to reach 100 caps - it has been a grey area. Edoardo Gori is the only viable choice at 9 and, while his qualities are widely recognised, he is not one to put in a convincing performance for the full 80 minutes. Guglielmo Palazzani is not yet at the level international rugby requires and Marcello Violi is still in the learning phase.

At No.10 Italy will lack Kelly Haimona's physical presence in that channel. Tommaso Allan is progressing nicely, especially in the kicking game, but his decision making skill is still a worry. Unfortunately, after Allan there's only the promising youngster Carlo Canna who shows his talent with Emerging Italy during the recent Nations Cup but is yet to play half a game on the biggest stage. It is not exactly the ideal approach for an event like the Rugby World Cup.

Italy's ongoing ambiguity

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The biggest problem Italy needs to overcome is how to turn possession and territory into points. It is a failure of the Brunel era, especially in the red zone. The numerous mistakes from Italy's kickers from the tee has been another huge problem as the team has never been able to take full advantage of their pack's domination, both at the scrum or after the usually abrasive mauls.

Italy invested heavily in Brunel but after four years of work, the Azzurri will fly to England with a team that still has a lot of unsolved questions. Selection has been teetering on the disastrous. Those problems at fly-half and in the second-row should have been sorted long ago.

It should have been Bortolami's swansong but he has been excluded from the final group. His international time will come to an end with 112 caps to his name. It is a desperately sad end to a wonderful career.

In professional sport it all comes down to winning games. Everything is measured by wins, by getting the maximum out from the chances and this group of players has been far from consistent in this manner. Should they miss out again on the quarter-finals, they would mainly be remembered for this record.

So the 2015 RWC will define this bunch of gladiators' era. It really is a matter of wins. It's time to deliver.