Key events
The teams file out of the tunnel, past the Six Nations trophy and out into a lovely sunny late winter day in Dublin. Superb conditions for it.
Pre-match reading from the wider Six Nations cinematic universe
What do you make of the game that’s afoot? Let me know via email or on the infernal socials @bloodandmud
Teams
For all the talk of Italy being a tougher challenge now, this has not prevented Andy Farrell from making six changes, most of whom are big hitters. Peter O’Mahony, Bundee Aki, Tadhgs Beirne & Furlong and Jamison Gibson-Park are all out of the starting lineup.
Italy welcome back willowy wonder Ange Capuozzo who replaces Tommy Allan at fullback, while Stephen Varney is in a scrum half. There are few enforced changes in the pack as injuries to Sebastian Negri and Lorenzo Cannone bring in Alessandro Izekor and Manuel Zuliani to the back row and shift captain Michele Lamaro to Number 8.
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan; Calvin Nash, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey, James Lowe; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Finlay Bealham, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, Caelan Doris (capt), Jack Conan.
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Jeremy Loughman, Tom O’Toole, Iain Henderson, Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Harry Byrne, Jordan Larmour
ITALY: Ange Capuozzo; Lorenzo Pani, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Montanna Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Stephen Varney; Danilo Fischetti, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Pietro Ceccarelli, Niccolo Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Alessandro Izekor, Manuel Zulani, Michele Lamaro (capt).
Replacements: Giacomo Nicotera, Mirco Spagnolo, Giosue Zilocchi, Andrea Zambonin, Ross Vintcent, Martin Page-Relo, Tommaso Allan, Federico Mori
Preamble
Look, let’s be honest, on the face of it this is a difficult match to get too excited about. For a start, the result is more certain than Bradley Walsh’s son getting a presenting job he doesn’t deserve: Italy haven’t beaten Ireland in 14 previous attempts and have never managed to it Dublin. It’s not going to happen today, either.
So what to focus on to keep the interest in the next few hours? Well, Italy are a side transformed from that which capitulated in the Rugby World Cup; their combination of verve and pumped young forwards, as the England match proved, are always good value.
Ireland fans will look to Jack Crowley to cement the international aplomb with which he conducted affairs in the Marseille victory, as well as Caelan Doris’s burgeoning captaincy credentials.
It is easy to judge a game not worthy of your energy when the only factor up for debate is the margin of victory rather than the identity of the victor. But don’t be surprised if this turns out to be an interesting tussle – there’s enough ability out there in both teams to make this a good ‘un.
