Italy urged to prove win was no fluke

ITALY coach John Kirwan is asking his players to prove their Six Nations victory against Wales was no fluke by securing a second successive win on Saturday against high-flying Ireland.

The former New Zealand All Black sees no reason why the Azzurri, who defeated Wales 30-22 for only their second-ever tournament win, can’t triumph again this weekend.

“Saturday’s result was very important for Italy, but now we must look for a similar performance against Ireland and try to play at the same level,” said Kirwan, a member of the All Blacks’ 1987 World Cup winning team.

“I'm trying to impose on the team a certain style of play, the kind we produced on Saturday. Our mentality has to be right.

“Now we have something to build on. Before the tournament began I said I wanted just one win.

“We’ve achieved that now, so we need to set the next target. We should always be aiming higher.”

Kirwan said he was hoping victory against the Welsh would rekindle the country’s interest in the sport and bring a bumper crowd to the Stadio Flaminio on Saturday. “Hopefully, this will twig the public’s imagination and bring more people in,” he said. “Against the Irish the crowd can become our 16th player.” Kirwan has drafted prop forward Gianluca Faliva into his squad. Ireland fly-half Ronan O’Gara has been named in the 22-man squad for the clash, presenting coach Eddie O’Sullivan, who plans to name his starting 15 tomorrow, with a fresh selection dilemma.

“We’ve a great luxury at the moment to have two great fly-halves in Ronan O’Gara and David Humphreys,” said O’Sullivan. The form of 31-year-old Humphreys, who ran the show at Murrayfield in addition to scoring a try and eight goals, ought to ensure he starts in Rome regardless of the fitness of O’Gara, but the modest Ulsterman is not so sure.

“I honestly haven’t considered that,” he said.

“He’s been the man in possession, he’s been playing well. I’m just delighted that I’ve put in a performance that’s compared to some of his.”

He added: “Italy certainly won’t be easy,” added Humphreys.

“But we believe, if we play to our potential, we can match most teams at the minute.”

Ireland have the backs to match any team in the competition, but O’Sullivan knows his team will first have to overcome a tough physical battle by the Italians.

“I knew they had the potential to cause major problems for any team in the Six Nations,” he said.

“They’re a very physical team with a very strong pack of forwards and very smart half-backs and that combination is very hard to play against.

“They were certainly up for the game against Wales and, let me tell you, after that result, they’re going to be up for it against us.”

Rob Henderson has stepped back up to the senior squad after Shane Horgan suffered a hamstring injury against Scotland.

Munster’s John Kelly has joined the squad as a 23rd man, covering for full-back Girvan Dempsey, who will not train until at least Wednesday after picking up a slight groin strain at Murrayfield.

Paul Burke, who won his 11th cap as a late replacement in Ireland’s historic 36-6 victory in Murrayfield on Sunday, drops back to the A squad and seems a banker get into that side ahead of Barry Everitt.

Nine players, including captain Keith Wood, have been ruled out through injury, but some of them, David Wallace and Paul O’Connell particularly, are likely to be back in contention for places against France in three weeks’ time for Ireland’s first Six Nations game at Lansdowne Road.