O'Driscoll: Bergamasco switch was 'big ask'

Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll has voiced his support for Mauro Bergamasco after the Italy flanker was asked to fill the scrum-half berth against England last weekend.

The Italian flanker was thrown in at the deep end at Twickenham and discovered early in the game the technical ability needed in the specialist nine slot.

Italy conceded some soft tries off the the back of some Bergamasco mistakes, and Ireland now face a hurt Azzurri in Rome on Sunday with captain O’Driscoll describing the ’Bergamasco Experiment’ as a big ask at the time.

“Having someone who has never played half back in the international arena and make a first start was a very tough ask.

“I think other aspects of another scrum-half’s play might have saved Italy - certainly a couple of the scores. You’ll look at it that way, and take two, possibly three, scores away from the English and it would have been a hell of a lot tighter a game.

“They always take a lot of beating and something that they really developed is that they’re never beaten – they’ll always come back at you.

“Even a couple years ago (2007) when we put a big score on them, they were the last ones to score in the game. They’ll fight and fight and fight. It’s not over until it’s over.”

The Ireland skipper reaches another milestone in an honour-laden career on Sunday when he earns his 90th cap.

O’Driscoll returned to his best form against France in Croke Park, notching a game-breaking try in a win that has set Ireland up for a real tilt at Six Nations glory.

But while acknowledging the steep climb to glory facing Ireland, he warns that the Italians pose a real threat at their raucous Stadio Flaminio ground where big reputations have fallen before them.

“I think we always treated them with the same respect we gave to everyone else in the Six Nations,” said O’Driscoll. “We realised every time we played them that it’s always a very tough physical game.

“A lot of the time it’s the most physical game we play in the Six Nations. That being said you have to confront that and match them at least in that regard. They’re a team that try to stop you from playing so you have to work your game-plan into trying to get beyond that.

“They’re a very tough opposition; they’ve gotten better and better every year that they’ve played in the Six Nations. They’ve shown that by taking scalps over the last few years against Wales and Scotland, and I’m sure they’ll be taking a look at ourselves.

“They’re as tough opposition as you’ll get in this competition when they’re on their game.”