O’Mahony braced for bruiser

If ever there was a man primed for a tough day at the rugby coalface, it is Peter O’Mahony; relaxed, fresh and ready for what the Ireland flanker expects will be typically abrasive collision with the Italy pack on Sunday.

Never mind that Italy have looked a shadow of the side they were four years ago in New Zealand, when Ireland met the in-form Azzurri in a must-win pool game in Dunedin, O’Mahony — who looks set to return to the starting line-up after a weeks’ rest — is prepared to meet an Italian side playing with an added dose of desperation as they bid to stay alive in Pool D.

Having lost to the French at Twickenham in game one, and stumbled over the winning line at Elland Road last Saturday against Canada, the Italians look to be paying the price for a fractious pre-season which saw discontent in the camp over payments during the tournament. They have since lost experienced backs Andrea Masi and Luca Morisi to injury and now hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini appears set to miss this weekend’s Olympic Stadium clash after limping out of the narrow Canada win with a hip flexor problem.