Pressure on Ireland to win opener, says Italian coach Bollesan
The Azzurri face a mammoth task in trying to claim their first ever away win in the competition, but Bollesan is happy with the tag of underdog.
The Italians are expected to play a forward-based game, while the Irish will look to the likes of Brian O’Driscoll and Geordan Murphy in their three-quarter line. Bollesan is confident his team can exploit any mistakes the home side may make.
“We are going into the game with the right attitude,” he said yesterday
“Even if we know Ireland are favourites to win the game, I’m sure we’re going to make an impact.
“They must win the game to keep alive their ambitions of winning the tournament, and this could be a great chance for us, especially if they start to put width on the ball - we will be ready to take our chance.”
Italian prop Andrea Lo Cicero is also raring to go for the match in Dublin.
The Conad L’Aquila forward has established himself as a cornerstone of the Italian pack since his debut against England in 2000 and he can’t wait to get this year’s tournament off and running against Eddie O’Sullivan’s men.
“For me, this is a great place to begin the RBS 6 Nations, to start the campaign at Lansdowne Road will be a fantastic sensation,” he said.
“I’m sure the Irish will be waiting for us but they won’t get a straightforward victory to get off to a winning start in this tournament.”
The Italians have been widely tipped for the wooden spoon for a second successive year, but Lo Cicero insists his side are out to start with a win.
“It will a tough match for both teams, they are playing at home, but we are going onto the pitch with no fear. We respect them a lot, but a good start from us could be vital for our tournament progress.
“Personally I feel very good at present, which hopefully will be helpful to my team. We trained well all week, I believe this will be a great game to watch and maybe we can cause a surprise result.”
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