‘There’ll be a lot of emotion. It’s a final for both of us’

WHATEVER it takes.

That was Declan Kidney’s view of the various permutations for tomorrow’s Pool C showdown with Italy that will be good enough to take Ireland into the World Cup quarter-finals (8.30am).

Yes, a draw or two losing bonus points against the Italians at the roofed Otago Stadium would see his side move into the last eight for the first time since 2003 but Kidney knows as well as anybody that planning for either scenario is a recipe for disaster, especially if Ireland are to have any ambition of going further than the quarters for the first time in World Cup history.

As the head coach emphasised yesterday when naming his team, and confirming that injury doubts Paul O’Connell and Tommy Bowe would be fit to start, it is going to be a hard day’s night in Dunedin against this strong Italian team playing the hearts out for coach Nick Mallett and country — but Ireland have done enough so far in New Zealand to be in control of their own destiny and that is a priceless asset not to be wasted.

“Six Nations-wise the fellas always say it’s the most physical match of the whole year so I don’t see this being any different,” Kidney said. “There’ll be a lot of emotion. It’s a final for both of us.

“The last match was obviously very close and they’ve come with a big belief from that. Obviously with Nick’s situation, he has a great record of getting teams to play well for him. They’ve made no secret of the fact that they’ve targeted this match from early on.

“It’s a brilliant situation for us to be in, too. We know we go into the match with it being in our own hands and that’s what you always wanted it to be, you’re not depending on anybody else. If we’re good enough, we’ll go through. If we’re not, we won’t be. You can’t ask for any better than that at this stage of the competition.”

Ireland’s players know they are good enough and have shown us as much in their rousing defeats of both England in this year’s Six Nations and Australia at this tournament.

Against a fast improving and passionate Italy side that ran the Irish extremely close back in February and who will throw the kitchen sink at Kidney’s men from the first whistle tomorrow, Ireland have the capacity to bring much more to the table than a powerful scrum.

Mallett will potentially be going into his last game as Italy coach before he is replaced by Perpignan coach Jacques Brunel after the tournament and well he might talk up his formidable scrum, which heaped pressure on an Irish front row playing for the first time as a unit in Rome.

Salvatore Perugini, Martin Castrogiovanni and hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini forced Cian Healy, Mike Ross and Rory Best to give up five scrum penalties that day in the Stadio Flaminio but much has happened since and the Irish front row has developed into a tight unit, instrumental in those subsequent red letter days.

Italy have other strengths, most notably at the breakdown, where talismanic captain Sergio Parisse is a master but both those areas are now also Irish strengths as the win over Australia proved at Eden Park a fortnight back, and Ireland’s other departments can outshine Italy’s — at the lineout, out wide and in defence.

Ireland are better equipped to mix it up stylistically and with dry ball guaranteed under the roof it could be the perfect opportunity for a previously low-key backline to start firing, should they elect not to engage in the arm-wrestle the Italians are craving.

Ireland are also fresher, having had three extra days’ rest than their opponents following Italy’s Tuesday night assignment against the USA when Mallett was forced to abandon his plan of withdrawing key men Castrogiovanni and Parisse from the fray after an hour as the Americans fought tooth and nail to prevent the Azzurri gaining a bonus point.

Italy did eventually get it but having fielded their strongest side to achieve that objective, how much will be left in the tank when 14 of the side that faced the Eagles will be asked to go to the well just four days later against better and stronger opponents?

Expect gaps to appear in the Italian defence as the second half wears on and Ireland target the defensive weak link at fly-half with Luciano Orquera in possession of the 10 jersey while Ireland’s more varied game plan can get the job done in the corners as well as through the channels.

Ronan O’Gara’s presence at out-half gives Kidney not only a confident place-kicker but an experienced head for the heat of battle and raw emotion that this fixture is certain to produce and while inside him scrum-half Conor Murray lacks caps, his physical style and remarkable assuredness will bolster Ireland’s chances around the fringes, in defence and attack.

So much is at stake here that it would be foolish to look beyond this weekend but even a peek through the gap in the curtains will present the golden opportunity that awaits these players. Having beaten Australia, Ireland have never been in a better position to reach the last eight and exploit a more favourable draw than defeat to the Wallabies would have done.

Captain Brian O’Driscoll agreed it would be heartbreaking to waste that chance of going further than any of his predecessors since the tournament began in 1987. Defeat to a team that has not beaten them in the last 15 attempts, however fast they are improving, would be nigh on shameful.

It will be tense, frantic at times, especially in the opening 15 minutes, and there will be some anxious moments. Ireland have the experience and strength of character to cope with those moments. They are good enough to beat Italy and advance but they will have to show it in spades tomorrow.