Hugo Keenan desperate to reward travelling green army with a Roman show

FACING FORWARDS: Hugo Keenan poses for a portrait during an Ireland Rugby media conference at IRFU High Performance Centre in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

The Grand Slam bid is over and title chances are slim but Ireland will look to finish their Guinness Six Nations campaign on a high in Italy on Saturday and Hugo Keenan is determined to give a huge travelling army of Irish supporters full value for money.

The defeat to France on home soil seven days earlier has sent Irish championship ambitions through the floor and changed the outlook for the thousands of fans who had already descended on Rome for St Patrick’s weekend. It will not likely be a celebratory weekend with silverware involved but the Ireland full-back wants to give those who will follow them to Stadio Olimpico on Saturday afternoon something to cheer.

“I remember the game two years ago, there was incredible support, it was just green everywhere,” Keenan said. “We’re so, so lucky to have that.

“I still remember the World Cup days, the travelling support that were there, the amount that travelled to the Millennium and Murrayfield and it seems like even more are coming to Rome so it’s really exciting.

“We’re privileged and honoured that so many people are spending the money to come and see us. Because it’s not cheap, I’ve seen the prices of flights! To get over to support us and get behind us, it’s brilliant.

“It’s disappointing that we’re not giving them the dream ending that everyone was hoping for and we were hoping for, but we’re going to have to make it a special day for them. Yeah, make it worthwhile.” 

The Azzurri will have other ideas as they search for a second win of their 2025 campaign to atone for unexpectedly heavy defeats to France and England that have contributed to a minus-77 points difference and left them just a point ahead of winless Wales with one round remaining.

So while Italy would appear to be the perfect opponents for Ireland to rebound from their own calamitous defeat to the French in Dublin, Keenan accepted his side will be facing a potentially dangerous foe, not least in the shape of attacking threats Ange Capuozzo and centre partners Juan Ignacio Brex and Tommaso Menoncello.

“We all know the qualities they possess and how good they can be. I think they’d obviously be disappointed with their defence, but they are just a passionate team that any day they play, but especially in Rome, we know they’re going to bring that emotional physical edge.

“It’s a great Test match, it’s great to have such a challenge after a loss as well to test yourself after you put things right. To show what we’ve got.

“The mindset is just to put in a good performance, it’s the last opportunity we have to do it with this group we have, I think it’s not only the three lads retiring, but the management who have put in so much work, the wider squad who we’re representing as well.

“There has been good performances but consistently over the Six Nations and this year, we know there is a lot more in us, that’s the challenge this week, take not only the learnings from France but from the other games and put it all together and it’s exciting because it’s a tough place to go. We know two years ago how tough a place it can be if you’re not on it against the Italians, they’ll make you pay for it.”