IRELAND may be in to the last eight of a Rugby World Cup for the first time in eight years but that will not buy the players an easy week working with forwards coach Gert Smal.

WELL this is familiar, four games won and Warren Gatland’s Wales to beat to earn a place in the history books.

IRELAND’S campervan army is on the move in New Zealand again this morning as rugby fans began heading back to the North Island for a World Cup quarter-final date with Wales this Saturday.

THERE is clearly little that fazes Conor Murray just five caps into his Ireland career and the 22-year-old’s nullification of Italy captain Sergio Parisse is just the latest example.

IRELAND flanker Sean O’Brien declared the job was only half done after reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

Ireland flanker Sean O’Brien declared the job was only half done after his team reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup with a 36-6 victory over Italy.

Italy coach Nick Mallett believes Ireland are capable of reaching the World Cup final, asking: “Where is their weakness?”

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

HALF TIME: Ireland 9 Italy 6

Italy captain Sergio Parisse insists a flare-up between two team-mates in today’s captain’s run is a good omen for their World Cup showdown with Ireland tomorrow.

Mike Ross has warned Italy that Ireland’s ever-improving scrum is ready to accept the challenge laid down by Nick Mallett.

WHATEVER it takes.

DONNCHA O’CALLAGHAN will go to the well again tomorrow against Italy having revealed his fear of a repeat of Ireland’s last World Cup campaign is a major motivating factor.

Donncha O’Callaghan admits the fear of returning home at this stage of the World Cup fuels his desire to ensure Ireland enter unchartered territory.

Nick Mallett insists Italy’s final assault on the World Cup quarter-finals will be strengthened by the belief they have come of age in Test rugby.

Andrea Masi returns at full-back in Italy’s only change for Sunday’s World Cup showdown with Ireland at Otago Stadium.

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.

MUNSTER half-backs Ronan O’Gara and Conor Murray have been charged with steering Ireland into the World Cup quarter-finals, but Declan Kidney was waiting on the fitness of Paul O’Connell and Tommy Bowe before finalising his team to start against Italy on Sunday.

Les Kiss empathises with the decision of Italy coach Nick Mallett to throw down the gauntlet to Ireland at the scrum.

IRELAND may be preparing for the mother of all confrontations on the rugby pitch on Sunday against Italy but there was a distinct reticence yesterday to engage in the verbal jousting started by Azzurri coach Nick Mallett the previous evening.

IF Italy ran with the ball as much as they do with their fighting talk, we could be in for a very different game this Sunday rather than the arm wrestle they will try and force on Ireland.

Geordan Murphy and Martin Castrogiovanni have been exchanging insults as the countdown to Ireland’s crucial World Cup clash with Italy continues.

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.

Ireland will almost certainly be dumped out of the World Cup if they lose Sunday’s final group game against Italy at Otago Stadium.

Keith Earls insists Ireland have accepted their perilous route into the World Cup quarter-finals.

DON’T expect a cakewalk and don’t imagine it is going to be pretty.

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.

PAUL O’CONNELL, Tommy Bowe and Gordon D’Arcy’s injuries were under scrutiny this morning as Ireland began their preparations for Sunday’s Pool C finale against Italy.

WHEN you are as happy to be at this World Cup as Donnacha Ryan is, it may come as a surprise to learn the Munster and Ireland utility forward has no problem about when to switch on to the task at hand.

JAMIE HEASLIP looked ahead to next weekend’s World Cup showdown with Italy and said Ireland must ignore the slide rule and go all out to win.

England 67 Romania 3

HT England 34 Romania 3

Romania will field a second-string side against England on Saturday after coach Romeo Gontineac made 11 changes for the Otago Stadium clash.

BEN FODEN has backed Mike Tindall to “show the critics he is here to win a World Cup” when England tackle Romania in Saturday’s Pool B clash at the Otago Stadium.

Mike Tindall is poised to return to the England team for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup Pool B clash with Romania.

Georgia coach Richie Dixon anticipates a war of attrition against England on Sunday – and he has reinforced his pack ready for a battle royale under the Otago Stadium roof.

England have completed their final training run ahead of tomorrow’s opening Rugby World Cup showdown with Argentina.

THE smiles returned to Ireland’s players yesterday as a difficult pre-season campaign was forgotten amid an enthusiastic welcome to their Rugby World Cup base on New Zealand’s South Island.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) insist that World Cup hosts New Zealand are happy for England to wear an all-black ’away’ kit during this autumn’s tournament.

IRELAND backs coach Alan Gaffney yesterday emerged as a shock candidate for the vacant coach’s job at Australian giants the Brumbies.