Italy rugby coach Nick Mallett is unfazed by the International Rugby Board's new rules which came into effect Friday.
Mallett pointed out that the rules were primarily aimed at teams like New Zealand, Australia, France and Wales who spread the ball around rather than sides that keep it tight like Italy.
''Italy's strengths are in the scrum, maul, kicking, line-outs and tackling,'' Mallett said.
''The experimental rules appear to be more geared to teams who like to spread the game around''.
The yearlong global trial of rule changes is meant to make the sport easier to understand, freer-flowing and less reliant on kicking.
One of the key changes is that free kicks, rather than penalty kicks, will be awarded for all offences other than offside and foul play.
This leads to more tap penalties to keep the game moving, as has already been see in the Tri-Nations tournament between South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
Italy finished bottom of the Six Nations championship again last spring and took a step back in winning only one game compared to two in 2007.
Next year it faces England away on February 9, Ireland at home on February 15, Scotland away on February 28, Wales at home on March 14 and France at home on March 21.
