Head-To-Head: Ireland v Italy

2013 RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, March 16

ITALY (5th) v IRELAND (4th), Stadio Olimpico, 3.30pm local time/2.30pm Irish time (live RTÉ Two/BBC One)

ITALY: Andrea Masi (London Wasps); Giovanbattista Venditti (Zebre), Gonzalo Canale (Stade Rochelais), Gonzalo Garcia (Zebre), Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso); Luciano Orquera (Zebre), Edoardo Gori (Benetton Treviso); Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing Metro 92), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso), Lorenzo Cittadini (Benetton Treviso), Quintin Geldenhuys (Zebre), Joshua Furno (Narbonne), Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Treviso), Simone Favaro (Benetton Treviso), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais) (capt).

Replacements: Davide Giazzon (Zebre), Michele Rizzo (Benetton Treviso), Alberto de Marchi (Benetton Treviso), Antonio Pavanello (Benetton Treviso), Franceso Minto (Benetton Treviso), Paul Derbyshire (Benetton Treviso), Tobias Botes (Benetton Treviso), Tommaso Benvenuti (Benetton Treviso).

IRELAND: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Craig Gilroy (Dungannon/Ulster), Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster), Luke Marshall (Ballymena/Ulster), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster); Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers/Connacht), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster) (capt).

Replacements: Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster), Stephen Archer (Cork Constitution/Munster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Paul Marshall (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster).

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant Referees: Romain Poite (France), Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Television Match Official: Jim Yuille (Scotland)

Head-to-Head:

Played – 21
Italy Won – 3
Ireland Won – 18

Ireland v Italy: IRFU Stats Vault

Ireland have won the last 17 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
2012 Ireland won 42-10, Dublin

Biggest Wins:

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

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

Individual Records In The Series:

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

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

Italy – Form Guide From Start Of The 2012 Six Nations:

Lost 30-12 v France away (Six Nations)
Lost 19-15 v England home (Six Nations)
Lost 42-10 v Ireland away (Six Nations)
Lost 24-3 v Wales away (Six Nations)
Won 13-6 v Scotland home (Six Nations)
Lost 37-22 v Argentina away (Summer Tour)
Won 25-16 v Canada away (Summer Tour)
Won 30-10 v USA away (Summer Tour)
Won 28-23 v Tonga home (Autumn Series)
Lost 42-10 v New Zealand home (Autumn Series)
Lost 22-19 v Australia home (Autumn Series)
Won 23-18 v France home (Six Nations)
Lost 34-10 v Scotland away (Six Nations)
Lost 26-9 v Wales home (Six Nations)
Lost 18-11 v England away (Six Nations)

Ireland – Form Guide From Start Of The 2012 Six Nations:

Lost 23-21 v Wales home (Six Nations)
Won 42-10 v Italy home (Six Nations)
Drew 17-17 v France away (Six Nations)
Won 32-14 v Scotland home (Six Nations)
Lost 30-9 v England away (Six Nations)
Lost 42-10 v New Zealand away (Summer Tour)
Lost 22-19 v New Zealand away (Summer Tour)
Lost 60-0 v New Zealand away (Summer Tour)
Lost 16-12 v South Africa home (Autumn Series)
Won 46-24 v Argentina home (Autumn Series)
Won 30-22 v Wales away (Six Nations)
Lost 12-6 v England home (Six Nations)
Lost 12-8 v Scotland away (Six Nations)
Drew 13-13 v France home (Six Nations)

International Championship All-Time Records:

Points –
557 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 –
26 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 –
63 Ronan O’Gara (Ireland)
59 Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
56 Mike Gibson (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)

Italy – Most-Capped Players:

102 Andrea Lo Cicero
101 Alessandro Troncon
95 Martin Castrogiovanni
94 Marco Bortolami
94 Sergio Parisse
93 Mauro Bergamasco
89 Mirco Bergamasco
83 Carlo Checchinato
83 Salvatore Perugini
81 Gonzalo Canale
81 Fabio Ongaro
76 Andrea Masi

Italy – All-Time Leading Points Scorers:

983 Diego Dominguez
483 Stefano Bettarello
294 Luigi Troiani
260 Ramiro Pez
256 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

Ireland – Most-Capped Players:

128 Ronan O’Gara
124 Brian O’Driscoll
105 John Hayes
98 Peter Stringer
94 Donncha O’Callaghan
92 Malcolm O’Kelly
85 Paul O’Connell
82 Girvan Dempsey
73 Gordon D’Arcy
72 David Humphreys
72 David Wallace
72 Geordan Murphy
70 Kevin Maggs

Ireland – All-Time Leading Points Scorers:

1083 Ronan O’Gara
560 David Humphreys
308 Michael Kiernan
296 Eric Elwood
282 Jonathan Sexton
245 Brian O’Driscoll
217 Ollie Campbell
158 Tom Kiernan

Ireland – All-Time Leading Try Scorers:

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

World Rugby All-Time Top Points Scorers:

1385 Dan Carter (New Zealand)
1246 Jonny Wilkinson (1179-England, 67-Lions)
1090 Neil Jenkins (1049-Wales, 41-Lions)
1083 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)
47 Bryan Habana (South Africa)
47 Brian O’Driscoll (46-Ireland, 1-Lions)
46 Christian Cullen (New Zealand)
46 Joe Rokocoko (New Zealand)
44 Jeff Wilson (New Zealand)
41 Gareth Thomas (40-Wales, 1-Lions)
40 Chris Latham (Australia)

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

The ‘100 Caps’ Club:

139 George Gregan (Australia)
130 Ronan O’Gara (128-Ireland, 2-Lions)
130 Brian O’Driscoll (124-Ireland, 6-Lions)
119 Jason Leonard (114-England, 5-Lions)
118 Fabien Pelous (France)
116 Richie McCaw (New Zealand)
116 Nathan Sharpe (Australia)
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)
104 Martyn Williams (100-Wales, 4-Lions)
103 Gareth Thomas (100-Wales, 3-Lions)
102 Gethin Jenkins (97-Wales, 5-Lions)
102 Percy Montgomery (South Africa)
102 Stephen Larkham (Australia)
102 Andrea Lo Cicero (Italy)
102 Keven Mealamu (New Zealand)
101 David Campese (Australia)
101 Alessandro Troncon (Italy)
100 Mils Muliaina (New Zealand)