Azzurri to provide a solid test for Irish pack

IRISH coach Eddie O’Sullivan will have a far better idea of the well-being of his side after a near full-strength team has played Italy at Ravenhill tonight in the final warm-up for next month’s Rugby World Cup.

If O’Sullivan wanted to see his forward pack tested to the utmost, then he could hardly have asked for more potent opposition than the Azzurri. Even though the formidable Mauro Bergamasco and second-row Santiago Dellape are absentees because of minor injuries, the visitors are putting out a really formidable scrummaging eight that includes the renowned Martin Castrogiovanni and Salvatore Perugini ably abetted by impressive captain Marco Bortolami in the second-row.

If that wasn’t enough, a fair case could be made for ranking Sergio Parisse as the equal of any number eight in the Six Nations. Lining out over the past few years in the colours of Leicester Tigers, Toulouse, Gloucester and Stade Francais has only served to make this quartet ever stronger. Furthermore, they are backed up by four able comrades and even if the support from behind is of lesser quality, they do have experienced players, most notably Alessandro Troncan (the guy who so memorably flattened Peter Stringer with an uppercut in the 2001 meeting of the sides) and Mirco Bergamasco.