Conor O'Shea: One day they'll turf me out for talking performance

Conor O’Shea wants to win tomorrow, but listening to the Italian head coach speak about his first visit ‘home’ with his new team, you can’t quite buy into it.

There’s no doubt he’d celebrate victory, but deep down there does not yet appear a serious belief that this squad has it in them.

“If Ireland play to their potential tomorrow and we play to ours, Ireland win, full stop,” he said, perhaps aware Joe Schmidt’s talent-packed side could dip below theirs and still cruise home against a team with 10 players who have made fewer than 10 appearances for Italy.