Ireland U20 preview: Expectations aren’t confined to Joe Schmidt’s Ireland side this next two months.

Recent performances in the Heineken Cup excepted, it has been a poor campaign by Munster’s exalted standards and it will be a whole lot worse should they become the first team to lose to Zebre in their last match of the season at the Stadio XXV Aprile in Parma this evening.

IF the current spin whirling around this Sunday’s World Cup clash is to believed, Italy’s backline will be standing around twiddling their thumbs under the Otago Stadium roof while their pack goes about the business of trying to arm wrestle Ireland into submission.

THE ROAD to redemption is longer and littered with more potholes than we might have imagined.

Scotland 18 Italy 16

Scotland 12 Italy 10

Italy will be looking to put down a marker ahead of their probable winner-takes-all Pool C match against Scotland when they meet Portugal at the Parc des Princes tomorrow.

Alessandro Troncon will earn his 100th Test cap when he lines up for Italy against Portugal in the World Cup Pool C match at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.

Eddie O’Sullivan believes Ireland’s flawed 23-20 victory against Italy has provided his side with a crucial “wake-up call” ahead of the World Cup.

Ireland 23 Italy 20

Ireland 10 Italy 13

Ireland scrum-half Peter Stringer was passed fit for tonight’s clash with Italy after recovering from a back spasm.

David Wallace has identified his Ireland Test team colleague Simon Easterby as a major threat to Munster’s hopes of retaining the Heineken Cup.

Alessandro Troncon claimed that Italy are leaving the 2007 RBS 6 Nations with heads held high despite today’s 51-24 defeat against Ireland in the final match in Rome.

Ireland placed one hand on the RBS 6 Nations trophy after putting Italy to the sword at the Stadio Flaminio.

ASKING a coach to compare players can be like asking a father to choose his favourite child.

GARETH THOMAS will captain Wales in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with England after Stephen Jones was forced to pull out with a fractured bone in his wrist.

MAKE no mistake about it, even though his replacement, Mick O’Driscoll, is a hell of a player, the loss of Paul O’Connell to the Irish second-row against Italy on Saturday is colossal.

Brian O’Driscoll admits Ireland must sharpen their finishing skills if they are to capitalise on Italian “frailties” at the Stadio Flaminio on Saturday.

ITALY prop Martin Castrogiovanni will miss the remainder of the RBS Six Nations campaign through injury.

Eddie O’Sullivan has been impressed by Italy’s RBS 6 Nations revival and is expecting them to provide a difficult final hurdle for Ireland.

ITALY captain Marco Bortolami has admitted he feared the Azzurri might throw away their chance to make history in the RBS 6 Nations Championship against Scotland.

Alessandro Troncon is making the most of his return to the Italian national team following an absence of almost two years.

Scotland coach Frank Hadden took "full responsibility" for the shock 37-17 home defeat to Italy in the RBS 6 Nations today.

Scotland 17 Italy 37

Italy captain Marco Bortalami says his team will take renewed confidence from their latest RBS 6 Nations defeat by England.

JOSH LEWSEY has warned a try-hungry Twickenham crowd not to expect sevens rugby when England tackle RBS 6 Nations strugglers and wooden-spoon favourites Italy today.

Italy coach Pierre Berbizier will start Salvatore Perugini at prop instead of Andrea Lo Cicero for Saturday’s Six Nations Championship opener against France.

Ulster 27 Benetton Treviso 0

Alessandro Troncon is the only household name in the Benetton Treviso side to play Ulster at Ravenhill on Friday night.

Veteran scrum-half Alessandro Troncon has urged his Italy team-mates to put their mauling at the hands of France behind them and instead dedicate their time to closing the gap on the leading teams.

England 39 Italy 7

Alessandro Troncon will extend his record as the most capped player when Italy host Wales in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash at the Flaminio stadium.

Italy veteran Alessandro Troncon has backed Wales scrum-half Dwayne Peel to claim a place on the Lions tour to New Zealand.

ON this occasion, no news is not necessarily good news. The extent of Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy’s hamstring injuries will not be made public until today’s team announcement for Saturday’s trip to Scotland, but the indications are not positive.

Italy coach John Kirwan is delighted his players competed on equal terms with Ireland yesterday – but warned the good work must continue.

Ireland face the first examination of their RBS 6 Nations credentials at the Stadio Flaminio hoping to avoid becoming another famous Italian scalp.

THE Eternal City was at its picture postcard best in yesterday’s glorious sunshine and with more of the same expected for the weekend, conditions should be perfect for Ireland’s Six Nations opener against Italy in the Stadio Flaminio tomorrow.

Italy coach John Kirwan has revealed that injuries and illnesses have hampered his squad’s preparations for their RBS 6 Nations opener against Ireland.

Andrew Baldock

A doubt over the fitness of Paul Griffen means former captain Alessandro Troncon has been preferred at scrum-half for Italy’s opening RBS 6 Nations clash with Ireland in Rome on Sunday.

Veteran forward Carlo Checchinato is the principal doubt for Italy for their last RBS 6 Nations match with Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

REGARDED by many as the minnows of the Six Nation’s championship, Italy arrive in Dublin today with designs on being the ultimate party poopers.

FRANCE could not have asked for more as they sought to rebuild their confidence after the crushing World Cup defeat by England than to face two weakened teams in the start to their Six Nations campaign.