Italy will be boosted by the return of lock Marco Bortolami and centre Andrea Marcato for their RBS Six Nations game against Scotland in Edinburgh on February 28.

Ireland rugby captain Brian O'Driscoll today warned there was no prospect of Italy self-destructing for a second time as the Azzurri attempt to silence their critics.

LAST WEEK Nick Mallett took the biggest gamble of his international rugby coaching career in the Six Nations opener at Twickenham — and lost.

ITALY coach Nick Mallett is looking for the Azzurri to play a perfect game against Ireland as they attempt to forget their opening 6 Nations defeat at England.

WARREN GATLAND delivered a blunt warning yesterday that any player who pursues a club career outside Wales will be putting his international future at grave risk.

ITALY got their Rugby World Cup campaign back on track last night with a laboured victory over Pool C rivals Romania in Marseille.

Italy 24 Romania 18

Italy coach Pierre Berbizier is in confident mood as preparations begin in earnest for the World Cup.

Newport Gwent Dragons 22 Calvisano 15

ITALY coach Pierre Berbizier feels the Azzurri are not treated with the same respect as other national teams in the RBS 6 Nations.

Italy coach Pierre Berbizier feels the Azzurri are not treated with the same respect as other national teams in the RBS 6 Nations.

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.

Italy head coach Pierre Berbizier has named his 30-man squad for the forthcoming training meeting in Viadana.

Italy 16 Argentina 23

Philippe Saint-Andre has challenged English champions Sale Sharks to “kick-start” their Heineken Cup campaign tomorrow night by collecting a maximum points haul against minnows Calvisano.

Italy rugby chief Giancarlo Dondi has demanded the Azzurri “battle to the death” when they take on Wales in their next RBS 6 Nations Championship outing as they go in search of a first win in this year's competition.

Italy scrum-half Paul Griffen claims the Azzurri will approach their RBS 6 Nations match away to France without fear next weekend.

IRELAND boss Eddie O’Sullivan declared “justice was done” after Denis Leamy was cleared of stamping on Italy scrum-half Paul Griffen, a decision that allows the Munster number eight to face France on Saturday.

Ireland’s Denis Leamy will line up against France in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship clash in Paris after being cleared of stamping on Italy scrum-half Paul Griffen.

Eddie O’Sullivan is braced for a French backlash when Ireland resume their RBS 6 Nations campaign in Paris on Saturday.

Ireland boss Eddie O'Sullivan hopes his misfiring players will respond to his vote of confidence by seizing the chance to redeem themselves against France on Saturday.

Ireland 26 Italy 16

Italy coach Pierre Berbizier has dropped Andrea Lo Cicero in favour of Fabio Ongaro in his team for the RBS 6 Nations opener against Ireland.

Italy’s disrupted build-up to their RBS 6 Nations opener against Ireland tomorrow has improved dramatically with John Kirwan’s preferred side given the all-clear to start the match.

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.

ITALY’S Salvatore Costanzo could miss the entire RBS 6 Nations tournament with a back injury.

Fabio Ongaro has been named as Italy captain for the Test match against the USA on November 27.

The Irish crew of Paul Griffen, Niall O'Toole, Eugene Coakley and Richard Archibold managed to come in sixth in the final of the Lightweight Coxless Fours

Wales 44 Italy 10

Ireland 19 Italy 3

Brian O’Driscoll admitted Ireland’s game-plan for their RBS 6 Nations Championship clash with Italy went out of the window when they ran out to gusting winds at Lansdowne Road.

Italy number eight Sergio Parisse is set to miss the RBS 6 Nations match against Ireland on March 20.

Italian centre Manuel Dallan is not fully fit and will only be on the bench for tomorrow’s RBS 6 Nations Championship match against France in Paris.

ITALY are convinced their cosmopolitan team can make things difficult for world champions England at the Stadio Flaminio tomorrow.

Italy have vowed to give England a baptism of fire in their first competitive match as world champions when the RBS 6 Nations tournament kicks off this weekend.

DAVID HENRY, controversially dropped from the Dublin football team for the Bank of Ireland Leinster semi final, is likely to be recalled for next Saturday’s glamour All-Ireland qualifier with Derry at Clones.