O'Driscoll latest to support Williams

RUGBY: There was still no sign of white smoke emanating from the delicate and protracted discussions between the IRFU and Matt Williams yesterday, though the ever-extending deadline to these negotiations over a new contract for the Leinster and Ireland A coach suggests the odds on him remaining here have increased, writes Gerry Thornley

Earlier this week it was being presented as something of a fait accompli in England that Williams was bound for Saracens, who were also exerting pressure on a quick decision from the former New South Wales Waratahs coach. But each passing day highlights the lengths to which the IRFU are going in an effort to keep Williams here, and in turn raising the chances of him doing so.

With a vacancy already to be filled in Munster, the union will also be mindful of the high regard in which Williams and his back-up team are held among Leinster players. Several have made their opinions known to Leinster Branch and IRFU officials, and yesterday Brian O'Driscoll augmented public pleas last weekend from Denis Hickie that the union do everything in their power to keep Williams as their coach.

"He's brought Leinster out of the doldrums so to speak," said O'Driscoll. "He's got us playing an attractive game and helped us become much more professional, which is a huge factor. When I first heard he was being approached from England I saw it as a serious threat to everything we've done in Leinster for the past few years.

"It could be very hard for some of the senior players especially to have a new coach come in and give as much respect as Matt has built up over a short period of time. From my point of view he's been one, if not the most, inspirational coaches I've ever had."

Meanwhile, the Italians arrived safe and sound in their south Dublin base yesterday and, buoyed by their under-19s' win over Ireland in Treviso, have finalised their starting line-up for tomorrow's Six Nations game, with coach Brad Johnstone choosing Nicola Mazzucato and Denis Dallan on the wings.

Both teams will have a final light run-out in Lansdowne Road today. The Italians had a complete change of procedure for the past week, after moving from their established base in the somewhat grim and army camp-like Italian Olympic Committee Centre in Tirrenia, 300 km from Rome in Tuscany, where they trained in spartan and monastic conditions.

They've spent the past week, however, "in the fantastic and beautiful country of wine and sun near Rome" in Castelli Romagna in Frascati, according to their press officer, Giacomo Mazzocchi. Training in public and being among their people has transformed their customary pre-match mood, according to regular watchers of the Azzurri.