Guinness Six Nations: Italy v Ireland

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)