Ireland v Italy: Facts & Figures
The Ireland Under-20s kickstart the international weekend when they host their Italian counterparts in Athlone on Friday night, before the men’s and women’s teams take part in an historic double header at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.
RBS UNDER-20 6 NATIONS: Friday, March 7
IRELAND UNDER-20s (4th) v ITALY UNDER-20s (5th), Dubarry Park, 7.05pm (live RTÉ Two/www.rte.ie/live (island of Ireland only))
– Ireland’s only victory in their last six matches at this level was against Scotland in round 1, while their last try was scored by prop Oisin Heffernan in the same game
– The Ireland Under-20s have not lost successive home games since 2011
– The Italy Under-20s ended a 17-game winless run with their victory over Scotland in round 3. They have never managed to secure successive wins in the U-20 Six Nations
– Ireland have never lost to Italy at this level, but the two sides did draw 25-all in Avezzano in round 5 last season
– Ireland out-half Ross Byrne is the fourth top points scorer in the 2014 tournament so far with 23 points (four conversions and five penalties)
– Ireland number 8 Jack O’Donoghue – the man-of-the-match against Scotland – is the joint-second top try scorer thanks to his brace in the opening round
Match Ticket Info: Tickets can be purchased in advance at Buccaneers RFC and/or the Bounty and can also be bought at the turnstiles on match nights.
Stand seats generally sell out in advance of each match. Ticket prices are as follows: Stand €;20, Terrace €;15, Students/OAP €;10 and Family (two adults and two children to ground) €;30.
Group discounts are available to clubs/schools, etc. Contact Buccaneers administrator Geraldine 0861732711 (during office hours) or email rugby@dubarrypark.com.
RBS U-20 6 Nations Results/Fixtures
IRELAND U-20: David Busby (Queen’s University/Ulster); Cian Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster), Dan Goggin (Young Munster/Munster), Peter Robb (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Adam Byrne (UCD/Leinster); Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster), Nick McCarthy (UCD/Leinster); Peter Dooley (Lansdowne/Leinster), Max Abbott (Cork Constitution/Munster), Rory Burke (Cork Constitution/Munster), Sean O’Brien (Galwegians/Connacht) (capt), Ross Molony (UCD/Leinster), Peadar Timmins (UCD/Leinster), Rory Moloney (Buccaneers/Connacht), Jack O’Donoghue (UL Bohemians/Munster).
Replacements: Sean McNulty (UCD/Munster), Denis Coulson (Lansdowne/Leinster), Oisin Heffernan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Stephen Gardiner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Frankie Taggart (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Jack Cullen (Bruff/Munster), Conor McKeon (Lansdowne/Leinster), Harrison Brewer (Terenure College/Leinster).
ITALY U-20: Alessandro Torlai (Rugby Reggio); Yannick Agbasse (Asolo Rugby), Giacomo de Santis (UR Capitolina), Gabriele Manganiello (Petrarca Padova), Lorenzo Maria Bruno (IMA Lazio Rugby 1927); Filippo Buscema (UR Capitolina), Maicol Azzolini (Pesaro Rugby) (capt); Derrick Appiah (Marchiol Mogliano), Adriano Daniele (Pomezia-Torvaianica), Simone Pietro Ferrari (Marchiol Mogliano), Filippo Scalvi (Rugby Reggio), Riccardo Michieletto (Petrarca Padova), Marco Lazzaroni (Marchiol Mogliano), Sebastian Negri (Western Province), Federico Ruzza (Cus Padova).
Replacements: Paolo Ragazzi (Petrarca Padova), Paolo Buonfiglio (UR PratoSesto), Cherif Traore (Estra I Cavalieri Prato), Davide Zanetti (Cammi Calvisano), Matteo Archetti (Rugby Rovato), Simone Parisotto (Valsugana Rugby), Matteo Gasparini (Fiamme Oro), Matteo Gabbianelli (Pesaro Rugby).
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (England)
Assistant Referees: Andrew Jackson, Nigel Carrick (both England)
Television Match Official: Rowan Kitt (England)
RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, March 8
IRELAND (1st) v ITALY (6th), Aviva Stadium, 2.30pm (live RTÉ Two/BBC One/RTÉ Radio 1)
STATS & FACTS
– Ireland have lost just one of their last six RBS 6 Nations Championship matches at the Aviva Stadium: 12-6 to England in round 2 last season
– The only try Ireland have conceded at the venue in the Championship since 2012 was by Louis Picamoles for France last season
– Ireland have lost only once in a round 4 encounter since 2008, going down to Wales at the penultimate stage of the 2011 Championship
– Italy have won just one of their last nine Test matches: 37-31 against Fiji in November
– The Azzurri’s only victory in their last seven RBS 6 Nations matches was over Ireland in round 5 last season
– Italy have still only won once on the road in the history of the tournament, when they visited Scotland in 2007
– Italy are going for a second successive win over Ireland for the first time since 1997, while their only previous victory in Dublin was 37-29 on January 4, 1997
ON THE PITCH
– The Irish lineout is the best in the RBS 6 Nations so far with 45 wins and just three losses
– Ireland’s rucking game also tops the pile with 284 rucks won and only 15 lost
– Peter O’Mahony has claimed seven turnovers for his side
– Italy have the hardest working defence with 405 tackles so far
– Sergio Parisse is the top ball carrier after three rounds with 46 runs
– Conor Murray has thrown 52 more passes than any other player in this season’s Championship
RBS 6 Nations Results/Fixtures
IRELAND: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster), Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster), Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster); Jonathan Sexton (Racing Metro 92), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) (capt), Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster).
Replacements: Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Martin Moore (Lansdowne/Leinster), Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster).
ITALY: Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso); Angelo Esposito (Benetton Treviso), Michele Campagnaro (Benetton Treviso), Gonzalo Garcia (Zebre), Leonardo Sarto (Zebre); Luciano Orquera (Zebre), Tito Tebaldi (Ospreys); Alberto de Marchi (Benetton Treviso), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso), Martin Castrogiovanni (Toulon), Quintin Geldenhuys (Zebre), Marco Bortolami (Zebre) (capt), Joshua Furno (Biarritz Olympique), Paul Derbyshire (Benetton Treviso), Robert Barbieri (Benetton Treviso).
Replacements: Davide Giazzon (Zebre), Michele Rizzo (Benetton Treviso), Lorenzo Cittadini (Benetton Treviso), Antonio Pavanello (Benetton Treviso), Manoa Vosawai (Benetton Treviso), Edoardo Gori (Benetton Treviso), Tommaso Allan (Perpignan), Andrea Masi (London Wasps).
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Pascal Gauzere (France), Greg Garner (England)
Television Match Official: Geoff Warren (England)
WOMEN’S RBS 6 NATIONS: Saturday, March 8
IRELAND WOMEN (2nd) v ITALY WOMEN (4th), Aviva Stadium, 5pm (live ‘Game On’ RTÉ 2fm/RTÉ News Now/www.rte.ie/live (worldwide))
– Ireland Women’s seven-match winning run came to a halt against England at Twickenham in round 3
– Ireland have won their last seven home games at this level since England won 31-0 at Ashbourne in 2011
– Italy Women have won two of their last three matches and have never before won three in the same Championship season
– The two nations have met on eleven previous occasions with Italy Women’s only previous victory being 13-5 in Nice in the semi-final of the FIRA Championship in April 1997
– This is the first Women’s international ever to be played at the Aviva Stadium
– Irish lock Sophie Spence remains top of the try scoring charts thanks to her hat-trick of tries in the record-breaking 59-0 defeat of Scotland in round 1. Full-back Niamh Briggs (14 points) is seven points behind top points scorer, England captain Katy Mclean
Match Ticket Info: Tickets for the Ireland v Italy Women’s game are available to buy here on Ticketmaster.ie. They are priced at €;10 for adults and €;5 for children.
Those in possession of tickets for the Ireland v Italy men’s Six Nations match on the day are invited to remain for the women’s fixture.
To promote the Women’s game, the IRFU will provide 400 euro to clubs who currently field a Women’s team to defray the costs of travelling for the historic match.
Women’s RBS 6 Nations Results/Fixtures
IRELAND WOMEN: Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster); Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Lynne Cantwell (Richmond/Exile), Grace Davitt (Cooke/Ulster), Alison Miller (Portlaoise/UCC/Connacht); Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Amy Davis (Blackrock/Ulster); Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster) (capt), Stacey-Lea Kennedy (Cooke/Ulster), Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster), Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Siobhan Fleming (Tralee/Munster), Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht), Heather O’Brien (Highfield/Munster).
Replacements: Ailis Egan (Old Belveder/Leinster), Fiona Hayes (UL Bohemians/Munster), Kerrie-Ann Craddock (Saracens/Exile), Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary’s/Leinster), Larissa Muldoon (Bristol/Exile), Hannah Casey (Saracens/Exiles), Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Jackie Shiels (Richmond/Exile).
ITALY WOMEN: Manuela Furlan (Benetton Treviso); Maria Diletta Veronese (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Michela Sillari (Rugby Colorno), Beatrice Rigoni (Valsugana Padova), Maria Grazia Cioffi (Rugby Benevento); Veronica Schiavon (Sitam Riviera del Brenta), Sara Barattin (Rugby Casale); Marta Ferrari (Rennes), Melissa Bettoni (Rugby Red Blu), Awa Coulibaly (Rennes), Cristina Molic (Sitam Riviera del Brenta), Alice Trevisan (Sitam Riviera del Brenta), Michela Este (Benetton Treviso), Ilaria Arrighetti (Rugby Monza), Silvia Gaudino (Rugby Monza) (capt).
Replacements: Debora Ballarini (Sitam Riviera del Brenta), Lucia Cammarano (Rugby Monza), Irene Campanini (Rugby Colorno), Alessia Pantarotto (Sitam Riviera del Brenta), Elisa Giordano (Valsugana Padova), Maria Magatti (Rugby Monza), Monica Bruno (CUS Torino Rugby), Sofia Stefan (Rennes).
Referee: Leah Berard (USA)
Assistant Referees: Helen O’Reilly, Susan Carty (both Ireland)
– Compiled by SFMS Limited (Stuart Farmer Media Services)
