Italian job will be tough grind

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

These are two salient pieces of advice Irish fans would do well to consider as they prepare for Sunday’s Rugby World Cup clash against Italy in Dunedin. The Azzurri will have targeted this match for some time, their desire increased since Ireland’s shock win over Australia. Furthermore, their sense of belief is even greater given how close they were to winning when the sides met in the Six Nations earlier this season

Ireland won by a point (11-10) and Italian claims that the path to Brian O’Driscoll’s try was cleared by an obstruction weren’t far off the mark. In contrast, Luke McLean’s try for the Italians was a much more clear cut affair and understandably, they were devastated by Ronan O’Gara’s last minute drop goal which decided the affair.