Twelve months ago Ireland went into the inaugural Six Nations Championship in the aftermath of elimination from the World Cup at the quarterfinal stage after losing to Argentina.
Ireland's opening match in the Six Nations series was away to England. What happened was scarcely calculated to lift morale and spirit. A defeat by 50 points to 18, meant that radical remedial action needed to be taken.
Down Munster way, in contrast to the position that obtained on the national scene, the province had won the Interprovincial title and did the grand slam. Munster had also qualified for the quarter-final of the Heineken European Cup after winning Pool D with five victories from six matches.
In the aftermath of that defeat in Twickenham the Ireland management turned to Munster to provide the main core of the team to play Scotland. Eight Munster men were chosen for that match, the result 44-22 to Ireland.
The inspirational font from which the means of victory flowed for Ireland had its source in Munster. What happened subsequently last season is, as they say, history. Munster's exploits in Europe had been a demonstration of skill, character, resilience and dedication of purpose with a superb management team of coach Declan Kidney, his assistant Niall O'Donovan, and manager Brian O'Brien. Kidney's coaching skills and ability to get the best out of his players was complemented by O'Donovan's work with the pack and O'Brien blended the team and management into a potent unit that had a tremendous bond with the supporters.
Those attributes were brought to bear in the Irish team and the season was turned round dramatically. The Munster influence had given new life and purpose to Irish rugby. Tomorrow in Rome, an Ireland team with a pronounced Munster influence - nine of the current Munster team with another Munsterman Keith Wood, a central figure in Munster's great adventure last season - as captain, will face Italy.
Ireland go into this opening match in the Six Nations Championship in the immediate aftermath of another tour de force by Munster in the Heineken Cup. Once more last Sunday we were treated to another occasion in Thomond Park that will live with us as long as memory holds.
This Munster side has given Irish rugby some wonderful days and won the hearts of the nation. Now two thirds of the team must go out and do it for Ireland tomorrow in Italy. Recent times have not been good for Italy and Ireland must live with the mantle of being favourites. That was a responsibility Scotland failed to discharge last season. They went to Rome as the reigning Five Nations champions and as overwhelming favourites. What happened? A 34-20 victory for Italy.
Reflection on that should concentrate Irish minds and remove any element of complacency that might exist. But Ireland manager Brian O'Brien, Munster's manager last season, is nothing if not a realist, and he, Warren Gatland and Eddie O'Sullivan should have Ireland mentally prepared for the test. The Italians will try and go at Ireland from the outset, and Ireland must be prepared for that. Then there is the Diego Dominguez factor. The great Italian outhalf has decided to come out of retirement and that is good news for the Italians. He has been in fine form for Stade Francais in the Heineken Cup. He has, too, in the past caused Ireland some problems.
This will be Ireland's third visit to Italy, and Italy won the two previous matches on their own soil. They won 22-12 in Treviso in March 1995, and 37-22 in Bologna in December 1997. In fact that completed a hat-trick of wins for Italy over Ireland as they had also beaten Ireland 37-29 in Dublin in January 1997, a result that led to the departure of Murray Kidd as Ireland coach.
Ireland first played Italy at Lansdowne Road in December 1888 and won 31-15 and the Irish also won the last two matches against the Italians, 39-30 at Lansdowne Road in April, 1999, and last season in the Six Nations Championship.
IT is illustrative of the much changed nature of the Ireland team and the current scene that only three of the Ireland players who lined out in that 1999 match are in the side tomorrow. They are centre Rob Henderson, full back Girvan Dempsey, who played on the wing, and prop Peter Clohessy, then at tighthead and now at loosehead. Keith Wood came on as a replacement for Ross Nesdale during the match.
The Italians caught the full force of the wind that was blowing from the south of the country in the championship last season in Dublin, when Ireland, after beating Scotland 44-22, swept the Italians aside 60-13 scoring seven tries to one.
Ronan O'Gara scored a record 30 points, six penalties and six conversions. Eleven of the team that won that match will be playing again tomorrow. The exceptions are Henderson in the centre for the injured Brian O'Driscoll. Tyrone Howe is on the wing for another injury victim, Denis Hickie, and in the back row David Wallace and Alan Quinlan are in for two other injury victims Simon Easterby and Kieron Dawson.
This match represents a great chance for Ireland to get their championship campaign off to a winning start and Ireland has not won the opening match in the championship since 1988 when the Scots were beaten 22-18 at Lansdowne Road.
It was against the Scots, too, that Ireland last won the opening match in the championship away from home. That was at Murrayfield in 1985. Ireland went on to win the Championship and Triple Crown that season. But such thoughts of similar glories must be set aside. There is a job to be done in Rome tomorrow and that is the immediate task.
