Italy 24 Romania 18

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

ITALY manager Pierre Berbizier has made seven changes for tomorrow’s World Cup warm-up match against Ireland.

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

IRELAND coach Eddie O’Sullivan admitted on Saturday night that he and his players were “a bit down in the mouth” at finishing runners-up to France for the second successive year in the RBS Six Nations Championship in spite of racking up 51 points against Italy at the Stadio Flaminio.

WHAT an incredible afternoon of rugby. On Saturday morning a margin of four points separated Ireland and France at the top of the championship table.

Eddie O’Sullivan refused to blame fixture scheduling for Ireland’s heart-breaking failure to win the RBS 6 Nations as France were crowned champions by the narrowest of margins.

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

Italy 12 Ireland 20

Head coach Gareth Jenkins slammed referee Chris White after Wales fell to a controversial late defeat to Italy in Rome.

Italy 23 Wales 20

Italy 13 Wales 7

Italy coach Pierre Berbizier made three changes to his line-up for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship match with Wales on a day when the Azzurri were upheld as an example for Italian sport by the country’s government.

Ramiro Pez believes Italy will have a tough task on their hands when they meet a resurgent England in the RBS 6 Nations this weekend.

ENGLAND flanker Lewis Moody is “devastated” to be missing the rest of the RBS 6 Nations Championship through injury.

Italy’s Ramiro Pez admits the team’s injury problems are a “bitter blow” ahead of their Twickenham date with England.

Italy coach Pierre Berbizier believes his team only had themselves to blame for their poor showing in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations opener.

Italy 3 France 39

There was an experimental feel to France’s team for their 2007 RBS 6 Nations Championship opener against Italy at a sun-kissed Stadio Flaminio 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.

AUSTRALIA coach John Connolly was mightily relieved to see his side avoid a major upset against a spirited Italy in the second of their four-game European tour.

Italy 10 Scotland 13

Wales 18 Italy 18

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.

Thomas Castaignede admitted France will need to step up a gear if they are to beat England after toiling to beat Italy 37-12 at the Stade de France.

France 37 Italy 12

ITALY may have made the world champions sweat, but England coach Andy Robinson insisted his side’s 31-16 victory in the Six Nations on Saturday was never in any doubt.

Italy 16 England 31

EVERY cloud has a silver lining but the old adage hardly looked appropriate on February 5th, 2000, after England had inflicted a humiliating 50-18 defeat on the Irish rugby team at Twickenham.

Lions winger Shane Horgan admits the Italian blitz defence gave Ireland’s vaunted back line a torrid time in their RBS 6 Nations opener at Lansdowne Road.

FOR A tournament that has been all too predictable in recent years, the competition could not have had a better opening weekend.

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL’S face told the story of a thousand concerns: on this form, Ireland could be destroyed by France in Paris on Saturday.

Ireland 26 Italy 16

Ireland 26 Italy 16

Mirco Bergamasco has scored a try in Italy's Six Nations clash with Ireland at Lansdown Road.

A try by Jerry Flannery and conversion by Ronan O'Gara have put Ireland's score in double digits against Italy in Lansdowne Road.

Eddie O’Sullivan hopes a war of attrition with Italy’s vaunted pack will be avoided at Lansdowne Road tomorrow – but insists Ireland will not buckle if they are drawn into a forward collision.

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.

Four tries by dynamic winger Lote Tuqiri and a man-of-the-match performance by Matt Giteau steered Australia to their second big win of the international season – a 69-21 victory over Italy at Telstra Dome on Saturday.

Ramiro Pez has left Leicester.

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.

Leicester have received a timely Heineken Cup boost with the return of Martin Johnson for tomorrow’s clash against Ulster.

Leicester star Austin Healey has billed tomorrow’s Heineken Cup clash against Ulster as a “must-win game”.