A third straight win of the 2023 Guinness Six Nations is the target for Ireland, whose latest Roman adventure is led by James Ryan and features some new pairings in the back-line.
2023 GUINNESS SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP:
Saturday, February 25 –
ITALY (5th) v IRELAND (1st), Stadio Olimpico, 3.15pm local time/2.15pm Irish time (live RTÉ 2/RTÉ Player/ITV 1/UTV/Sky Sport Italia Uno/RTÉ Radio 1/BBC Radio Ulster/BBC Radio 5 Sports Xtra/IRFU Live Blog)
Team News: With Stuart McCloskey brought back in to replace calf injury victim Garry Ringrose, Andy Farrell’s selection shows six changes to the side that overcame France 32-19 in the last round.
James Ryan captains his country for the seventh time, in the injury-enforced absence of Jonathan Sexton. Ross Byrne and Craig Casey make their first Six Nations starts together at half-back.
McCloskey, who was due to be on the bench, shifts to outside centre with Bundee Aki coming in for his first start of the 2023 Championship.
Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen and James Lowe, who touched down twice against Italy last year, are retained in the back-three, while Ronan Kelleher, following an impressive cameo against France, swaps in for Rob Herring at hooker.
Iain Henderson joins Ryan in the engine room, taking over from the sidelined Tadhg Beirne (ankle), and Jack Conan’s inclusion at number 8 sees Caelan Doris move to the blindside flanker berth. Peter O’Mahony drops to the bench.
The replacements sees Dan Sheehan return from a hamstring injury, his Leinster colleague Ryan Baird is poised for his first Test appearance in over a year, and Munster’s Jack Crowley is in line for his Six Nations debut.
Commenting on the leadership in the squad and this weekend’s opponents, head coach Farrell said: “I think we’re very lucky, it’s well documented, as far as our leadership group and the growth of them (is concerned).
“I feel we’re in a great place that we would be more than happy for a handful of players to captain the side. James is the lucky one this weekend who is able to do that.
“We have full respect for Italy. But having said that, it is about us, it’s about us and our performance and making sure we improve in a few areas that we want to and get something out of this game that we’re chasing, because we obviously want to do well in this competition.
“Italy are obviously chasing that win at home and it’s a big scalp, so we know the emotion that they’ve always had.
“But the skill that they’ve put in with that now makes them a serious threat to us, so we’re aware of that, and our preparation says so.”
Meanwhile, Italy head coach Kieran Crowley has made three personnel changes to the team that lost 31-14 to England at Twickenham a fortnight ago.
Montpellier’s Paolo Garbisi returns from a knee injury to take the reins at out-half. Pierre Bruno’s inclusion on the left wing sees Benetton’s Tommaso Menoncello switch to inside centre.
The Treviso club provide all bar one of the Azzurri’s starting forwards, with London Irish loosehead Danilo Fischetti the odd man out. Simone Ferrari, who starts at tighthead, gets the nod over Marco Riccioni.
Guinness Six Nations Results/Fixtures
Guinness Six Nations Table
ITALY: Ange Capuozzo (Toulouse); Edoardo Padovani (Benetton Rugby), Juan Ignacio Brex (Benetton Rugby), Tommaso Menoncello (Benetton Rugby), Pierre Bruno (Zebre Parma); Paolo Garbisi (Montpellier), Stephen Varney (Gloucester); Danilo Fischetti (London Irish), Giacomo Nicotera (Benetton Rugby), Simone Ferrari (Benetton Rugby), Niccolò Cannone (Benetton Rugby), Federico Ruzza (Benetton Rugby), Sebastian Negri (Benetton Rugby), Michele Lamaro (Benetton Rugby) (capt), Lorenzo Cannone (Benetton Rugby).
Replacements: Luca Bigi (Zebre Parma), Federico Zani (Benetton Rugby), Marco Riccioni (Saracens), Edoardo Iachizzi (Vannes), Giovanni Pettinelli (Benetton Rugby), Alessandro Fusco (Zebre Parma), Luca Morisi (London Irish), Tommaso Allan (Harlequins).
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster); Mack Hansen (Galway Corinthians/Connacht), Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht), Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster), James Lowe (Leinster); Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster), Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster); Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster), Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht), Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster), James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) (capt), Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster).
Replacements: Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster), Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster), Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster), Jimmy O’Brien (Naas/Leinster).
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant Referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Craig Evans (Wales)
Television Match Official: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Pre-Match Quotes: James Ryan (Ireland) –
It’s obviously a huge honour (to captain your country), it’s very cool, it’s a great moment for me and my family.
“We’ve got a core leadership group that has been there for the last couple of years that work well together. But obviously Johnny is big shoes to fill. He will be travelling over with us this weekend so it will be great to have him around.
“Italy are at home so they will play with plenty of emotion. They are obviously an improved team, particularly in attack. They seem to be playing with a lot of ambition.
“They’ve got some genuinely world class players there. Capuzzo sticks out, Garbisi playing at 10, he makes a big difference. They are a very dangerous side with ball in hand.
“They are also strong up front, they’ve a good set piece. We saw they drove the England pack back a few times at scrum time, which is no easy task, so I think it will be a big challenge for us.”
Kieran Crowley (Italy) –
Every game has a different story. We face Ireland aware of what we did against France and England with the aim of improving in some areas that will make us more competitive.
“It will be a tough match against the number one team in the world, but we are also looking forward to going up against them.”
Pre-Match Videos –
Opta Facts – Italy v Ireland:
– Ireland have won 22 of their previous 23 matches against Italy in the Guinness Six Nations, including the last nine in a row, with their only defeat in that spell coming in Rome in 2013 (22-15)
– Italy have lost each of their 23 home games in the Six Nations since beating Ireland in Rome in 2013. It is the longest home losing run by any team in the Five or Six Nations
– Ireland have won 19 of their last 21 Test matches (L2), including their last seven in a row, with their only defeats coming away to France and New Zealand, both last year. Ireland have averaged 4.4 tries per game during that 21-match run
– Andy Farrell has won 25 of his 32 Tests as Ireland head coach, his 78% win rate is the best of anyone to take charge of the men’s team on more than two occasions
– Kieran Crowley has a 38% win rate with Italy. Since 2000 only Pierre Berbizier has recorded a better rate as Azzurri head coach (42%, 2005 to 2007)
– Italy have recorded the most possession of any team in the Six Nation this year (54%), while Ireland have enjoyed the second most (53%). As a result, Ireland and Italy rank first and second respectively for carries and carry metres (Ireland – 311 carries, 1779 metres; Italy – 293 carries, 1657 metres)
– 74% of Italy’s attacking rucks in the Six Nations this year have been completed in three seconds or less, the best rate of any nation. Only 57% of rucks against Ireland have been completed in the same timeframe, also the best rate of any team in defence
– Ireland have recorded a 92% goal-kicking success rate in the Six Nations this year, no other team has slotted more than 75% of their place kicks. Ross Byrne (100%, 3/3) and Jonathan Sexton (89%, 8/9) have the best such rates of any player
– Italy’s Sebastian Negri has made 30 carries in the Six Nations this year, the joint most of any player (also Finn Russell), while team-mate Ange Capuozzo ranks joint first for offloads (4), second for defenders beaten (17), and joint third for line breaks (3)
Recent Meetings –
2020: Guinness Six Nations: Ireland 50 Italy 17, Aviva Stadium
2021: Guinness Six Nations: Italy 10 Ireland 38, Stadio Olimpico
2022: Guinness Six Nations: Ireland 57 Italy 6, Aviva Stadium
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Source: Irish Rugby