Head-To-Head: Ireland v Italy

2012 RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, February 25

IRELAND (4th) v ITALY (6th), Aviva Stadium, 1.30pm (live RTÉ Two/BBC One)

IRELAND: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster), Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster); Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) (capt), Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster), Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster).

Replacements: Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Tom Court (Malone/Ulster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster), Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster).

ITALY: Andrea Masi (Aironi Rugby); Giovanbattista Venditti (Aironi Rugby), Tommaso Benvenuti (Benetton Treviso), Alberto Sgarbi (Benetton Treviso), Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso); Tobias Botes (Benetton Treviso), Edoardo Gori (Benetton Treviso): Michele Rizzo (Benetton Treviso), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso), Lorenzo Cittadini (Benetton Treviso), Quintin Geldenhuys (Aironi Rugby), Marco Bortolami (Aironi Rugby), Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Treviso), Robert Barbieri (Benetton Treviso), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais) (capt).

Replacements: Tommaso D’Apice (Aironi Rugby), Fabio Staibano (Aironi Rugby), Antonio Pavanello (Benetton Treviso), Simone Favaro (Aironi Rugby), Fabio Semenzato (Benetton Treviso), Kristopher Burton (Benetton Treviso), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont Auvergne).

Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), David Changleng (Scotland)
Television Match Official: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)

Head-to-Head:

Played – 20
Ireland Won – 17
Italy Won – 3

Ireland v Italy: IRFU Stats Vault

Ireland have won the last 16 matches in succession; Italy won three times between 1995 and 1997 before their entry into the RBS 6 Nations Championship

Ireland v Italy In The Six Nations:

2000 Ireland won 60-13, Dublin
2001 Ireland won 41-22, Rome
2002 Ireland won 32-17, Dublin
2003 Ireland won 37-13, Rome
2004 Ireland won 19-3, Dublin
2005 Ireland won 28-17, Rome
2006 Ireland won 26-16, Dublin
2007 Ireland won 51-24, Rome
2008 Ireland won 16-11, Dublin
2009 Ireland won 38-9, Rome
2010 Ireland won 29-11, Dublin
2011 Ireland won 13-11, Rome

Biggest Wins:

Ireland: Points & Margin: 61-6, 2003 Rugby World Cup Warm-Up

Italy: Points: 37-29, 1997 Friendly Match, 37-22, 1997 Friendly Match; Margin: 37-22, 1997 Friendly Match

Individual Records In The Series:

Most Points In A Match: Ireland 30 (Ronan O’Gara 2000); Italy 27 (Diego Dominguez 1997)

Most Tries In A Match: Ireland 4 (Denis Hickie 2003); Italy 2 (Paolo Vaccari 1997)

Ireland – Form Guide From Start Of The 2010 Six Nations:

Won 29-11 v Italy home (Six Nations)
Lost 33-10 v France away (Six Nations)
Won 20-16 v England away (Six Nations)
Won 27-12 v Wales home (Six Nations)
Lost 23-20 v Scotland home (Six Nations)
Lost 66-28 v New Zealand away (Summer Tour)
Lost 22-15 v Australia away (Summer Tour)
Lost 23-21 v South Africa home (Autumn Series)
Won 20-10 v Samoa home (Autumn Series)
Lost 38-18 v New Zealand home (Autumn Series)
Won 29-9 v Argentina home (Autumn Series)
Won 13-11 v Italy away (Six Nations)
Lost 25-22 v France home (Six Nations)
Won 21-18 v Scotland away (Six Nations)
Lost 19-13 v Wales away (Six Nations)
Won 24-8 v England home (Six Nations)
Lost 10-6 v Scotland away (World Cup Warm-Up)
Lost 19-12 v France away (World Cup Warm-Up)
Lost 26-22 v France home (World Cup Warm-Up)
Lost 20-9 v England home (World Cup Warm-Up)
Won 22-10 v USA neutral (World Cup Pool C)
Won 15-6 v Australia neutral (World Cup Pool C)
Won 62-12 v Russia neutral (World Cup Pool C)
Won 36-6 v Italy neutral (World Cup Pool C)
Lost 22-10 v Wales neutral (World Cup Quarter-Final)
Lost 23-21 v Wales home (Six Nations)

Italy – Form Guide From Start Of The 2010 Six Nations:

Lost 29-11 v Ireland away (Six Nations)
Lost 17-12 v England home (Six Nations)
Won 16-12 v Scotland home (Six Nations)
Lost 46-20 v France away (Six Nations)
Lost 33-10 v Wales away (Six Nations)
Lost 29-13 v South Africa away (Summer Tour)
Lost 55-11 v South Africa away (Summer Tour)
Lost 22-16 v Argentina home (Autumn Series)
Lost 32-14 v Australia home (Autumn Series)
Won 24-16 v Fiji home (Autumn Series)
Lost 13-11 v Ireland home (Six Nations)
Lost 59-13 v England away (Six Nations)
Lost 24-16 v Wales home (Six Nations)
Won 22-21 v France home (Six Nations)
Lost 21-8 v Scotland away (Six Nations)
Won 31-24 v Japan home (World Cup Warm-Up)
Lost 23-12 v Scotland away (World Cup Warm-Up)
Lost 32-6 v Australia neutral (World Cup Pool C)
Won 53-17 v Russia neutral (World Cup Pool C)
Won 27-10 v USA neutral (World Cup Pool C)
Lost 36-6 v Ireland neutral (World Cup Pool C)
Lost 30-12 v France away (Six Nations)
Lost 19-15 v England home (Six Nations)

International Championship All-Time Records:

Points –
551 Ronan O’Gara (Ireland)
546 Jonny Wilkinson (England)
467 Stephen Jones (Wales)
406 Neil Jenkins (Wales)
403 Chris Paterson (Scotland)
288 Gavin Hastings (Scotland)
270 David Humphreys (Ireland)

Tries –
25 Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
24 Ian Smith (Scotland)
22 Shane Williams (Wales)
18 Cyril Lowe (England)
18 Rory Underwood (England)
18 Gareth Edwards (Wales)

Caps –
57 Ronan O’Gara (Ireland)
56 Mike Gibson (Ireland)
55 Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
54 John Hayes (Ireland)
54 Jason Leonard (England)
53 Willie John McBride (Ireland)
53 Chris Paterson (Scotland)
51 Martyn Williams (Wales)
50 Philippe Sella (France)
50 Rory Underwood (England)
50 Stephen Jones (Wales)

Ireland – Most-Capped Players:

117 Brian O’Driscoll
117 Ronan O’Gara
105 John Hayes
98 Peter Stringer
92 Malcolm O’Kelly
83 Paul O’Connell
82 Girvan Dempsey
81 Donncha O’Callaghan
72 David Humphreys
72 David Wallace
72 Geordan Murphy
70 Kevin Maggs
69 Mike Gibson

Ireland – All-Time Leading Points Scorers:

1075 Ronan O’Gara
560 David Humphreys
308 Michael Kiernan
296 Eric Elwood
240 Brian O’Driscoll
217 Ollie Campbell
172 Jonathan Sexton
158 Tom Kiernan

Ireland – All-Time Leading Try Scorers:

45 Brian O’Driscoll
29 Denis Hickie
21 Shane Horgan
20 Tommy Bowe
19 Girvan Dempsey
18 Geordan Murphy
17 Brendan Mullin
16 Ronan O’Gara
15 Kevin Maggs
15 Keith Wood

Italy – Most-Capped Players:

101 Alessandro Troncon
93 Andrea Lo Cicero
90 Marco Bortolami
89 Mauro Bergamasco
85 Mirco Bergamasco
85 Sergio Parisse
84 Martin Castrogiovanni
83 Carlo Checchinato
83 Salvatore Perugini
80 Fabio Ongaro
74 Gonzalo Canale
74 Diego Dominguez

Italy – All-Time Leading Points Scorers:

983 Diego Dominguez
483 Stefano Bettarello
294 Luigi Troiani
260 Ramiro Pez
250 Mirco Bergamasco

Italy – All-Time Leading Try Scorers:

25 Marcello Cuttitta
22 Paolo Vaccari
21 Carlo Checchinato
21 Manrico Marchetto
19 Alessandro Troncon
17 Mirco Bergamasco
17 Serafino Ghizzoni
17 Massimo Mascioletti

World Rugby All-Time Top Points Scorers:

1250 Dan Carter (New Zealand)
1246 Jonny Wilkinson (1179-England, 67-Lions)
1090 Neil Jenkins (1049-Wales, 41-Lions)
1075 Ronan O’Gara (Ireland)
1010 Diego Dominguez (27-Argentina, 983-Italy)
970 Stephen Jones (917-Wales, 53-Lions)
967 Andrew Mehrtens (New Zealand)
911 Michael Lynagh (Australia)
893 Percy Montgomery (South Africa)
878 Matt Burke (Australia)
809 Chris Paterson (Scotland)

World Rugby All-Time Top Try Scorers:

64 David Campese (Australia)
60 Shane Williams (58-Wales, 2-Lions)
50 Rory Underwood (49-England, 1-Lions)
49 Doug Howlett (New Zealand)
46 Christian Cullen (New Zealand)
46 Joe Rokocoko (New Zealand)
46 Brian O’Driscoll (45-Ireland, 1-Lions)
44 Jeff Wilson (New Zealand)
41 Gareth Thomas (40-Wales, 1-Lions)
40 Chris Latham (Australia)
40 Bryan Habana (South Africa)

(Note: Daisuke Ohata scored 69 tries for Japan, but not all against major international opposition)

The ‘100 Caps’ Club:

139 George Gregan (Australia)
123 Brian O’Driscoll (117-Ireland, 6-Lions)
119 Ronan O’Gara (117-Ireland, 2-Lions)
119 Jason Leonard (114-England, 5-Lions)
118 Fabien Pelous (France)
111 Philippe Sella (France)
111 John Smit (South Africa)
110 George Smith (Australia)
110 Victor Matfield (South Africa)
110 Stephen Jones (104-Wales, 6-Lions)
109 Chris Paterson (Scotland)
107 John Hayes (105-Ireland, 2-Lions)
103 Gareth Thomas (100-Wales, 3-Lions)
103 Martyn Williams (99-Wales, 4-Lions)
103 Richie McCaw (New Zealand)
102 Percy Montgomery (South Africa)
102 Stephen Larkham (Australia)
101 David Campese (Australia)
101 Nathan Sharpe (Australia)
101 Alessandro Troncon (Italy)
100 Mils Muliaina (New Zealand)