Patience will be key for Ireland to expose Italy’s limitations...

Is there any such thing as the right time to blood a new cap? In exposing a player to Test rugby for the first time, what are the management hoping to achieve? Is the player in question likely to grow into a key front-line performer down the line or are you picking someone with a view to adding to the depth of your squad, increasing the options available in the event of injury?

With just two rounds of Six Nations action to go, it’s time to take stock. To date, I have seen Ireland live in all three contests; England, Wales, and France twice each in the flesh, and Italy once.

Ireland may not have been interested in getting into a war of words with Eddie Jones in the build-up to Saturday’s face-off at Twickenham, preferring instead to launch a war of attrition against the lippy Aussie and his English team where it mattered most, on the field, writes Donal Lenihan.

The swagger is back. England trooped off the luscious turf of the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday afternoon, happy in their own skin and beginning to feel good about themselves again.

Last week, any possibility of a Grand Slam or Triple Crown was eliminated on the first outing. This week the potential for a historic third championship on the bounce has also gone west. With England next up in Twickenham, and the casualty rate rising by the day, Ireland are struggling.

If the opening sequence of games highlighted anything, it’s that the 2016 Six Nations title may well end up in the arms of the team with the shortest casualty list. The ability to close out tight contests is now coming down to having your key players in situ on the home straight.