Match Preview: Italy v Ireland

2007 RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, March 17

ITALY v IRELAND, Stadio Flaminio, 1.30pm (live on RTE Two/BBC One)

ITALY: Roland De Marigny; Kaine Robertson, Ezio Galon, Mirco Bergamasco, Matteo Pratichetti; Ramiro Pez, Alessandro Troncon; Salvatore Perugini, Carlo Festuccia, Carlos Nieto, Santiago Dellape, Marco Bortolami (capt), Alessandro Zanni, Maurizio Zaffiri, Sergio Parisse.

Replacements: Leonardo Ghiraldini, Fabio Staibano, Valerio Bernabo, Josh Sole, Paul Griffen, Andrea Scanavacca, Matteo Barbini.

IRELAND: Girvan Dempsey; Shane Horgan, Brian O’Driscoll (capt), Gordon D’Arcy, Denis Hickie; Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer; Marcus Horan, Rory Best, John Hayes, Donncha O’Callaghan, Mick O’Driscoll, Simon Easterby, David Wallace, Denis Leamy.

Replacements: Jerry Flannery, Simon Best, Trevor Hogan, Neil Best, Eoin Reddan, Paddy Wallace, Andrew Trimble.

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Touch Judges: Tony Spreadbury (England), Malcolm Changleng (Scotland)
TV Match Official: David Changleng (Scotland)

MATCH ODDS (courtesy of Paddy Power):

Italy To Win 9/2, Draw 25/1, Ireland To Win 1/8
Italy To Win (+13pts) 10/11, Draw (13pts) 22/1, Ireland To Win (-13pts) 10/11
First Try Scorer: B O’Driscoll, D Hickie, S Horgan 7/1, G D’Arcy 9/1, G Dempsey 12/1, D Leamy, K Robertson, M Pratichetti 16/1
Man Of The Match Award: B O’Driscoll 4/1, G D’Arcy, R O’Gara 6/1, S Horgan 8/1, D Leamy 10/1, D Wallace 12/1, A Troncon, S Parisse 16/1

CHAMPIONSHIP HEAD-TO-HEAD – ALL-TIME:

Played – 7
Italy Won – 0
Ireland Won – 7

SIX NATIONS RECORDS:

ITALY –

Matches Played: 39
Matches Won: 5
Matches Drawn: 1
Matches Lost: 33
Most Wins In A Season: 2 (x1)
Total Points Scored: 621
Total Points Conceded: 1355
Total Tries Scored (Average Per Match): 52 (1.3)
Total Tries Conceded (Average Per Match): 155 (4.0)
Overall Six Nations Ranking (Points): Sixth (11 points)

Highest Score: 37 (37-17 v Scotland, 2007)
Biggest Win: 20 (37-17 v Scotland, 2007)
Highest Score Conceded: 80 (23-80 v England, 2001)
Biggest Defeat: 57 (23-80 v England, 2001)
Most Appearances: Marco Bortolami 26 (2002-2007)
Most Points In Matches: Diego Dominguez 161 (2000-2003)
Most Points In A Match: Diego Dominguez 29 (v Scotland, 2000)
Most Tries In A Match: Alessandro Troncon 2 (v France, 2000)
Most Conversions In A Match: Diego Dominguez 4 (v France, 2000), Andrea Scanavacca 4 (v Scotland, 2007)
Most Penalties In A Match: Diego Dominguez 6 (v Scotland, 2000)
Most Drop Goals In A Match: Diego Dominguez 3 (v Scotland, 2000)

IRELAND –

Matches Played: 39
Matches Won: 28
Matches Lost: 11
Most Wins In A Season: 4 (x4)
Total Points Scored: 1044
Total Points Conceded: 797
Total Tries Scored (Average Per Match): 104 (2.7)
Total Tries Conceded (Average Per Match): 77 (2.0)
Overall Six Nations Ranking (Points): Second (56 points)

Highest Score: 60 (60-13 v Italy, 2000)
Biggest Win: 47 (60-13 v Italy, 2000)
Highest Score Conceded: 50 (18-50 v England, 2000)
Biggest Defeat: 40 (6-46 v England, 1997)
Most Appearances: Mike Gibson 56 (1964-1979)
Most Points In Matches: Ronan O’Gara 379 (2000-2007)
Most Points In A Match: Ronan O’Gara 30 (v Italy, 2000)
Most Tries In A Match: 3 on seven occasions, last by Brian O’Driscoll (v Scotland, 2002)
Most Conversions In A Match: Ronan O’Gara 6 (v Italy, 2000)
Most Penalties In A Match: Ollie Campbell 6 (v Scotland, 1982), Ronan O’Gara 6 (v Italy, 2000), David Humphreys 6 (v Wales, 2002)
Most Drop Goals In A Match: Billy McCombe 2 (v France, 1975), Eric Elwood 2 (v England, 1993), David Humphreys 2 (v Wales, 1999)

2007 SIX NATIONS RESULTS:

ITALY (Fourth) – Italy 3 France 39, Stadio Flaminio; England 20 Italy 7, Twickenham; Scotland 17 Italy 37, Murrayfield; Italy 23 Wales 20, Stadio Flaminio

IRELAND (Second) – Wales 9 Ireland 19, Millennium Stadium; Ireland 17 France 20, Croke Park; Ireland 43 England 13, Croke Park; Scotland 18 Ireland 19, Murrayfield

2007 SIX NATIONS STATISTICS – TO DATE:

ITALY: Most Tries – Andrea Scanavacca, Kaine Robertson, Mauro Bergamasco 2 tries each; Most Points – Andrea Scanavacca 29 points (2 tries, 5 conversions and 3 penalty goals); Most Goals – Andrea Scanavacca 19 points (5 conversions and 3 penalty goals; 80% success rate)

IRELAND: Most Tries – Ronan O’Gara 3 tries; Most Points – Ronan O’Gara 66 (3 tries, 6 conversions and 13 penalty goals); Most Goals – Ronan O’Gara 51 points (6 conversions and 13 penalty goals; 83% success rate)

ITALY: Team Totals – Tries: 7; Penalty Tries: 0; Conversions: 7/7; Penalty Goals: 7/12; Drop Goals: 0/1; Scrums Wons: 19; Scrums Lost: 1; Lineouts Won: 63; Lineouts Lost: 8; Penalties Conceded: 47; Drives From Rucks: 97; Passes From Rucks: 154; Mauls Won: 35; Ball Won In Open Play: 266; Ball Won In Opponents’ 22: 86; Set Piece Ball Won: 115; Kicks To Touch: 54; Errors From Kicks: 18; Offloads In Tackle: 23; Tackles Made: 354; Tackles Missed: 44; Total Errors Made: 67; Turnovers Won: 33; Free Kicks Conceded: 6; Passes Completed: 413; Possession Kicked: 138

IRELAND: Team Totals – Tries: 9; Penalty Tries: 0; Conversions: 7/9; Penalty Goals: 13/16; Drop Goals: 0/0; Scrums Won: 34; Scrums Lost: 1; Lineouts Won: 65; Lineouts Lost: 6; Penalties Conceded: 30; Drives From Rucks: 80; Passes From Rucks: 173; Mauls Won: 18; Ball Won In Open Play: 271; Ball Won In Opponents’ 22: 53; Set Piece Ball Won: 139; Kicks To Touch: 42; Errors From Kicks: 10; Offloads In Tackle: 42; Tackles Made: 279; Tackles Missed: 28; Total Errors Made: 64; Turnovers Won: 29; Free Kicks Conceded: 4; Passes Completed: 507; Possession Kicked: 118

LAST YEAR’S MEETING:

IRELAND (10) 26 ITALY (10) 16
February 4, 2006 – Lansdowne Road, Att: 49,500

Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Bowe, Flannery; Cons: O’Gara 2; Pens: O’Gara 4
Italy: Try: Mirco Bergamasco; Con: Pez; Pens: Pez 2, Griffen

Ireland: Murphy; Horgan, B O’Driscoll, D’Arcy, Bowe; O’Gara, Stringer; Horan, Flannery, Hayes, O’Kelly, O’Connell, S Easterby, D Wallace, Leamy.

Replacements used: O’Callaghan for O’Kelly (62 mins)

Italy: A Stoica; Canavosio, Canale, Mirco Bergamasco, Nitoglia; Pez, Griffen; Perugini, Ongaro, Nieto, Dellape, Bortolami, Sole, Mauro Bergamasco, Parisse.

Replacements used: Persico for Mauro Bergamasco (62 mins), Castrogiovanni for Nieto, Del Fava for Bortolami (both 68).

RBS Man of the Match: Paul O’Connell (Ireland)
Referee: Dave Pearson (England)

RECENT ENCOUNTERS:

2006 – Six Nations – Ireland 26 Italy 16 at Lansdowne Road
2005 – Six Nations – Italy 17 Ireland 28 at Stadio Flaminio
2004 – Six Nations – Ireland 19 Italy 3 at Lansdowne Road
2003 – RWC Warm-Up – Ireland 61 Italy 6 at Thomond Park
2003 – Six Nations – Italy 13 Ireland 37 at Stadio Flaminio
2002 – Six Nations – Ireland 32 Italy 17 at Lansdowne Road
2001 – Six Nations – Italy 22 Ireland 41 at Stadio Flaminio
2000 – Six Nations – Ireland 60 Italy 13 at Lansdowne Road
1999 – Friendly – Ireland 39 Italy 30 at Lansdowne Road
1997 – Friendly – Italy 37 Ireland 22 in Bologna
1997 – Friendly – Ireland 29 Italy 37 at Lansdowne Road
1995 – Friendly – Italy 22 Ireland 12 in Treviso
1988 – Friendly – Ireland 31 Italy 15 at Lansdowne Road

RECENT FORM:

ITALY (last ten matches – most recent on the right) – DLWLLWLLWW; Points Scored: 225; Points Conceded: 187; Tries Scored: 23; Tries Conceded: 18

IRELAND (last ten matches – most recent on the right) – LLLWWWWLWW; Points Scored: 267; Points Conceded: 196; Tries Scored: 29; Tries Conceded: 19

DID YOU KNOW?:

* Italy have never beaten Ireland in the Six Nations, but recorded three successive victories over the Irish (1995 to 1997) before joining the championship

* Brian O’Driscoll will be captaining the Ireland team for the 37th time this weekend, setting a new Irish record. He will beat Keith Wood’s previous record of 36 matches as captain

* The game will be Mick O’Driscoll’s first Test start, almost six years after his international debut against Romania