Mallett: Where’s Irish weak spot?

ITALY coach Nick Mallett believes Ireland are capable of reaching the World Cup final, asking: “Where is their weakness?”

“Wales have played some great rugby and went very close to beating South Africa. It should be an exciting game,” he said.

“My view is that Ireland have got a team that can knock over anyone on that side of the draw.

“No team can be confident playing against Ireland at the moment and say we’ve got a genuine chance of beating them. Where is their weakness?”

Mallett added: “The Irish were just a great deal better team than we were. Their loose forwards Sean O’Brien and Stephen Ferris were hitting the line really hard, but it wasn’t just them.

“Their front five played very well. They backs controlled the game very well, never allowing us time or space. They never played rugby in their half.

“It was a tough game for us. I was proud in the first half, but we were properly outplayed in the second half.”

Mallett was stunned by the support Ireland received from the 25,000 strong ‘Blarney Army’.

“This was like playing at Lansdowne Road. There was a mass of green across the stadium,” he said.