Irish pack must set the backs loose

UNDER-20 ITALY V IRELAND: Italy Under-20 V Ireland Under-20:IRELAND BEGIN the defence of their Six Nations Championship title against an Italian side keen to make an impression in the tournament to encourage supporters to patronise the IRB World Junior Championship which they stage in June.

The Italians won the B division at last year’s World Cup to rejoin the elite by right, rather than have to rely on being promoted because they were staging the competition.

They played and lost to Ireland last October in a friendly and there is little to suggest they’re going to change the outcome this evening.

Mike Ruddock, the former Leinster and Wales Grand Slam winning coach, takes over the reigns from Allen Clarke as the Irish bid to emulate – they won four from five – or better last season’s achievement. He can call upon an impressive array of talent, particularly behind the scrum.

Craig Gilroy may not have made Ulster’s squad for the pool stages of the Heineken Cup – that might be rectified for the quarter-final – but he has proved a prolific try-scoring presence at Magners League level on the wing. Tonight he’s at fullback in a back three of huge ability that includes Andrew Conway and Andrew Boyle on the wings.

At outside centre, former St Michael’s schoolboy Alex Kelly is preferred to one of the five players to return from last year’s squad, Brendan Macken, and will form a potent midfield with the impressive Luke Marshall. Paddy Jackson excelled in the match to open the Aviva Stadium.

The onus is therefore on the Irish pack to provide a platform to unleash the three-quarter line.

Hooker and captain Niall Annett is highly regarded, flanker Jordi Murphy is another natural leader, while number eight Eoin McKeon has acquitted himself capably for the Connacht seniors.

Ruddock is optimistic about the campaign. “We have prepared well and have gelled as a team. The skill level, attitude and performances of the players and of the team as a whole have been very impressive. We hope to reproduce this for the tournament.”

Italian underage teams, as a general rule, adopt slightly more expansive patterns than the senior side and should present Ireland with a more rounded examination. That’s not to say that they forego their typically abrasive qualities in terms of scrum, ruck and maul.

Coach Andrea Cavinato is bullish about their chances. “We have worked to be competitive and we know how to deal with Ireland; it is important to be especially effective in defence and pay attention to their pace in attack.”

The reality might be slightly different for the home side on the basis that, should Ireland play to a certain level, they should prevail, irrespective of Italian ambition.

ITALY:A Cosulich (Treviso); A Morsellino (Padova), G Alberghini (Parma), T Castello (Genova), M Gennari (Parma Crociati); L Morisi (Milano), G Palazzani (Calvisano); N Quaglio (Rovigo), A Kudin (Treviso), P Leso (Padova); M Fuser (Treviso), A Mammana (Catania); E Ghiraldini (Padova), J Bocchi (Treviso), E Ruffolo (Parma Crociati). Replacements:G Maistri (Calvisano), R Cagna (Viadana)/M Aluigi (Calvisano), A Balsemin (Parma), R Riccoli (Lazio), V Callori di Vignale (Prato), M Visentin (Treviso), T Enodeh (Parma Crociati)/F Menon (Firenze 1931).

IRELAND:C Gilroy (Ulster); A Conway (Leinster), A Kelly (Leinster), L Marshall (Ulster), A Boyle (Leinster); P Jackson (Ulster), B McIlroy (Ulster); J Tracy (Leinster), N Annett (Ulster, capt), M Moore (Leinster); M Kearney (Leinster), D Qualter (Connacht); J Murphy (Leinster), A Conneely (Connacht), E McKeon (Connacht). Replacements:D Doyle (Leinster), C Carey (Ulster), F Bealham (Exile), W Henderson (Ulster), P Du Toit (Leinster), C Marsh (Leinster), B Macken (Leinster).