Hopes spring eternal in Rome

Spring is in the Roman air, the temperatures in a glorious week remain close to the mid-teens, the Italians are buoyant, Ireland are weary but confident and there was a fittingly jolly mood on the eve of today's meeting between two of the three unbeaten Six Nations sides at the Stadio Flaminio.

John Kirwan, all smiles and quips as he effortlessly switched between Italian and English at the Azzurri's hilltop hideaway on the western outskirts of the Italian city, even played down the all-too-clear threat posed by Brian O'Driscoll when revealing their ploy for negating the Irish captain.

They had found him a "belisimma donna Italiano" to take him to dinner last night "in a nice restaurant, where she will make sure he drinks lots of champagne." That shouldn't be impossible in the Italian capital.

However, when asked how he would counteract Kirwan's devious plan at the subsequent Irish press conference in the Stadio Flaminio, O'Driscoll, on his first visit to the Eternal City, responded: "Counteract it? Or what time is it?"

Admittedly the Irish press conference had begun with confirmation that Girvan Dempsey had failed a fitness test, and so John Kelly plays on the wing against the opposition he scored two tries on his debut last season, while Geordan Murphy reverts to his preferred full back role. The hope persists that it remains his favourite position as Diego Dominguez's probable aerial assault rains down on him early on.

Otherwise, about the only sour note in the proceedings was a reminder of Peter Stringer's previous run-ins with the Italians; Alessandro Troncon earning a red card when flattening his Irish counterpart with the best right hook by an Italian since Primo Carnera was in boxing shorts in the corresponding fixture two years ago, and Salvatore Perugini earning a 12-week ban for headbutting him last season - though Rob Dixon only gave the Italian prop a yellow card.

Perugini lasted only one scrum as a replacement against Wales before tweaking his hamstring last week and so is ruled out, but Troncon is now the Azzurri captain and, unjustifiably, seems to harbour the greater vendetta.

"He (Stringer) doesn't have a personal story (sic) with Italy but with everybody. I think he is a provocative player and referees are starting to know him. As a matter of fact in the final of the Celtic League the referee gave him a yellow card."

Eddie O'Sullivan, needless to say, gave that a dead bat, forecasting that "tomorrow you will see a good tussle" between the two number nines. Otherwise, all was harmony and light, and it was difficult to discern which coach was talking up the opposition more.

Kirwan reckoned Ireland would be more aggressive around the rucks than the Welsh, better organised defensively, with stronger set-pieces. O'Sullivan repeated his views that Italy will be physically very aggressive, more organised defensively and better disciplined than the team of a year ago.

They'll also be a good deal more confident than they were on the last two meetings. Kirwan said that "the main effect" of the win over Wales "was that the doctor dished out a lot of aspirin on Sunday morning", after which he's been trying to keep their feet on the ground. Yet you sense that the Italians have the more relaxed camp going into this match.

Aside from the lack of travel and the extra day's rest, their first victory in 15 championship Tests has taken a weight off their shoulders.

"It's important that we approach this game with the same passion and the same spirit as last week, and then if the Irish are better than us, so be it," said Kirwan, seemingly without a care in the world. "But I believe if we arrive with the same passion and the same commitment it's going to be a good game of football."

By comparison the expectations are altogether greater for Ireland, and far from leaving himself hostage to fortune with any grandiose predictions, O'Sullivan merely commented: "When you play a Six Nations game away from home you'll take a 1-0 if you get it." And if anybody can understand the concept of 1-0, it's the Italians.

Kirwan, a prolific All Black winger, reckons that Italy's strength will lie in their unpredictability and he's clearly given them more freedom of expression to attack.

Much of it still revolves around the canny distribution of Dominguez, with Cristian Stoica a prominent target runner, while going forward they also use their back-row of Andrea de Rossi, Matthew Phillips and Aaron Persico prominently.

Nonetheless, for all the plaudits being rightly heaped on the all-Viadana trio last Sunday, it is still the same club back-row that was on the end of 64-0 and 55-22 thumpings by Munster and Anthony Foley, Alan Quinlan et al, in the European Cup. And while Kirwan may laud converted flanker Mauro Bergamasco as potentially the new Lomu on the wing it's quite a sea change in positions.

Although the Mitre ball doesn't spiral like the more common Gilbert, thus taking over 10 metres off David Humphreys's range, on a still day it's even better for handling.

In O'Driscoll, Denis Hickie, Kelly and Murphy, Ireland have the cutting edge to hurt Italy and off turnovers when upfield Italy could also be vulnerable from long-range. However, it might be no harm if Ireland have made decisive inroads before the last quarter.