Ireland determined not to get caught cold

Eddie O’Sullivan insists Ireland will be ready for an early onslaught from Italy in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash at Lansdowne Road.

All three of Italy’s Six Nations victories have come in the opening match and O’Sullivan is determined Ireland will not join the Azzurri’s list of victims.

“A team like Italy are always going to throw everything except the kitchen sink at you in the first game,” he said.

“In the past they’ve caught out teams in the opening match of the tournament when the opposition hasn’t had the correct mindset. We won’t be making that mistake.”

Italy are traditionally the weakest side but can offer dogged resistance, so O’Sullivan knows Ireland may not gain the ascendancy until the final quarter.

“It often takes time to wear Italy down. They’ll be hungry, fresh and fired up. We’re not going to beat them in the first 20 minutes,” he added.

“You have to be patient and wear them down. It doesn’t matter whether that takes 60 or 65 minutes. The important thing is that, when the final whistle goes, we’re in the lead.”

If Italy could unearth a set of backs to match the strength of their pack they would become

formidable opponents.

Coach Pierre Berbizier, the former France captain, has been looking to introduce more spontaneity to their play since taking charge in April last year.

But this season’s Six Nations has come too soon to see any major changes and once again the forward battle will be Italy’s most rewarding area.

“Pierre has put his stamp on Italy. He’s slightly different to John Kirwan before him but he still has to build his team around the players available,” said O’Sullivan.

“The strength of Italian rugby lies in their pack. They play to that strength and unless things change dramatically we’re fairly sure what we’ll be up against in terms of their tactical gameplan.”

O’Sullivan, who has recalled openside flanker David Wallace to the side and handed hooker Jerry Flannery his full debut, has spelt out what he expects from his players on Saturday.

“It’s the first game of the championship so we’re trying to blend a team together despite only having the players for two weeks,” he said.

“I’m looking for a solid performance from the pack at set-piece time and want the backs to be precise when they get the ball. When we don’t have the ball we must defend what will be a physical encounter.

“The first game in the championship is about getting your basics right and keeping mistakes to a minimum.”