Simon Lewis breaks down the selection and form on both sides...

Italy 20 Scotland 36: Jason O’Halloran hopes Scotland can shake off their mental shackles after finally halting their long RBS 6 Nations losing streak.

Here’s a few pub talking points from #RWC2015 that you might have missed ...

There may be a full round of pool games to go over the course of the next seven days but already five teams, including Ireland, have booked a safe passage to the knockout phase of the Rugby World Cup.

Fear is Italy’s best friend for today’s clash, suggests Donal Lenihan.

The game gets faster, the hits bigger and the scrums last longer but Mike Ross just keeps rumbling along, Ireland’s must-play prop and the man on which Joe Schmidt relies the most.

If ever there was a man primed for a tough day at the rugby coalface, it is Peter O’Mahony; relaxed, fresh and ready for what the Ireland flanker expects will be typically abrasive collision with the Italy pack on Sunday.

Italy prop Michele Rizzo has warned that the Azzurri must pay less heed to how referees perceive their scrummaging and simply concentrate on the basics for which they have long been renowned when they face Ireland in Pool D at London’s Olympic Stadium on Sunday.

Ireland’s fears over Rob Kearney’s fitness have eased but the full-back remains a doubt for Sunday’s World Cup Pool clash with Italy.

Italy v Wales

Stuart Lancaster has urged Twickenham to will England to victory tomorrow evening as he prepares to order his RBS 6 Nations title hopefuls to carry the game to France.

Joe Schmidt knows his Ireland side has plenty of work to do if they are to match England's opening-night power show in Wales and make a successful RBS 6 Nations title defence over the next six weeks.

Ireland full-back Rob Kearney admitted his side’s 26-3 win over Italy was a “slog” – but said that was exactly how they expected the match to be.

Ireland laboured for an hour before two tries in three minutes launched their RBS 6 Nations title defence with a 26-3 victory that was more sluggish than routine in Italy.

Leicester put indifferent domestic form behind them as they made a strong start to their European Rugby Champions Cup campaign by sinking Ulster 25-18 at Welford Road.

Brian O’Driscoll is in line for one more piece of rugby silverware.

Having being omitted from Warren Gatland’s Lions squad, Perpignan fly-half James Hook could line out against the British and Irish outfit, having been named in the provisional Barbarians squad.

Scotland 34 Italy 10

Italy 28 Tonga 23

Italy coach Jacques Brunel has named four uncapped players in his 30-man squad for the for the first two games of the RBS 6 Nations Championship.

DECLAN KIDNEY last night stuck with Munster half-backs Ronan O’Gara and Conor Murray as he named what he hopes will remain an unchanged side for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Wales.

Leonardo Ghiraldini will face a disciplinary hearing today in relation to an incident that occurred during Ireland's 36-6 victory last Sunday when the Italian hooker allegedly eye-gouged Cian Healy in the first-half of the game.

RORY BEST’S participation in the remainder of Ireland’s World Cup campaign remains in the balance after he was deemed a “serious doubt” by team manager Paul McNaughton for Saturday’s quarter-final against Wales.

Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll is relishing a chance to take on Wales for a place in the World Cup semi-finals after a win over Italy secured their place in the last eight.

Ireland 36 Italy 6

WHATEVER it takes.

PAUL O’CONNELL’S preparations to upset Italy’s lineout tomorrow have gone as far as learning Italian, fellow Ireland lock Donncha O’Callaghan has revealed.

Ireland’s forwards coach Gert Smal expects Italy to play to their strengths when they face Ireland in Dunedin and take Declan Kidney’s men on up front, specifically targeting the Irish scrum.

DAMIEN VARLEY may have been sitting at his kitchen table in Limerick less than a fortnight ago but having been called up to the Ireland World Cup squad as an emergency replacement he is not content to just be along for the journey.

Italy captain Sergio Parisse will take his side into their winner-takes-all World Cup clash with Ireland on Sunday full of confidence after today’s bonus-point win over the United States.

THERE will be a reunion of sorts when Ireland and Italy’s front rows lock horns on Sunday and Irish scrum coach Greg Feek expects his band of brothers to present a much improved challenge to the one the Azzurri faced in Rome eight months ago.

Australia 32 Italy 6

Italy coach Nick Mallett believes his side have been handed the toughest opening assignment of any team at the World Cup as they prepare to face Tri Nations champions Australia in Pool C on Sunday.

Italy coach Nick Mallett has made 11 changes to his starting line-up for Saturday’s World Cup warm-up match against Scotland at Murrayfield.

Scotland 21 Italy 8

Scotland were today aiming to avoid the RBS 6 Nations wooden spoon in their clash with Italy at Murrayfield.

Italy winger Tommaso Benvenuti believes his team must not get carried away by the euphoria surrounding their historic win over France as they prepare for their final RBS 6 Nations match of the year against Scotland on Saturday.

Italy claimed their first RBS 6 Nations victory over France at the 12th attempt with a sensational 22-21 upset in Rome this afternoon.

ITALY coach Nick Mallett insists his men head to Twickenham convinced they can make history with a first victory over England.

ITALY coach Nick Mallett blamed his side’s inexperience for blowing the chance of an historic first Six Nations victory over Ireland.

Italy coach Nick Mallett has named a 24-man squad for the first two games of the RBS 6 Nations.

CONNACHT have made two changes to their starting XV for their first Magners League foray to Italy where they face Benetton Treviso this evening (6.05pm, Irish time).