Rory Best will make his 50th RBS 6 Nations appearance and Finlay Bealham could become the latest debutant in the green jersey as Ireland entertain Italy at the Aviva Stadium.
2016 RBS 6 NATIONS: Saturday, March 12
IRELAND (5th) v ITALY (6th), Aviva Stadium, 1.30pm (live RTÉ Two/ITV/RTÉ Radio 1/IRFU Live Blog)
Team News: There are two changes to the Ireland back-line from the team that started against England, while Josh van der Flier is set for his home debut as part of an unchanged pack.
Rob Kearney is ruled out of the match with a hamstring injury and his place at full-back goes to Simon Zebo. The fit-again Jared Payne returns to partner Robbie Henshaw in the centre with the latter reverting to number 12 having lined out at 13 at Twickenham.
van der Flier will win his second cap at openside flanker in his first Test run-out at the Aviva Stadium. Ultan Dillane, another debutant at Twickenham, is on the bench and will hope to make his home bow.
Team captain Rory Best will become the seventh Irish player to make 50 Six Nations appearances afterBrian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Mike Gibson, John Hayes, Willie John McBride and Paul O’Connell.
Replacement hooker Sean Cronin is set to earn his 50th cap if he comes on from the bench on Saturday. Cronin made his debut against Fiji in 2009. He scored the first of his three tries for Ireland against Italy in the 2014 RBS 6 Nations Championship.
Kieran Marmion and Fergus McFadden are also included among the replacements, and a late switch sees the injured Cian Healy make way for potential debutant Finlay Bealham on the bench.
Forwards coach Simon Easterby confirmed: “Cian Healy pulled up at training on Thursday and went for a scan last night on his hamstring. He’s got a mild hamstring strain and unfortunately we felt we weren’t prepared to risk that, given Cian’s history with that injury, in that his hamstring has been affected before. He has been withdrawn from the game.”
Meanwhile, Italy head coach Jacques Brunel has made four changes in personnel for his side’s RBS 6 Nations encounter with Joe Schmidt’s men.
The most notable inclusions are Zebre duo Edoardo Padovani and Guglielmo Palazzani who feature together in a new-look half-back pairing. Kelly Haimona makes way for Padovani at out-half, while regular scrum half Edoardo Gori misses out with a fractured rib.
Up front, the sidelined Josh Furno is replaced by George Biagi in the second row and Davide Giazzon is selected at hooker in place of shoulder injury victim Leonardo Ghiraldini.
The Azzurri could give debuts to two more players on the bench as Zebre hooker Oliviero Fabiani and Benetton Treviso scrum half Alberto Lucchese are set to make the step up to Test rugby.
IRELAND: Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster); Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster), Jared Payne (Ulster), Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster); Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) (capt), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), CJ Stander (Munster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster).
Replacements: Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht), Nathan White (Connacht), Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht), Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht), Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster).
ITALY: David Odiete (Marchiol Mogliano); Leonardo Sarto (Zebre), Michele Campagnaro (Exeter Chiefs), Gonzalo Garcia (Zebre), Mattia Bellini (Petrarca Padova); Edoardo Padovani (Zebre), Guglielmo Palazzani (Zebre); Andrea Lovotti (Zebre), Davide Giazzon (Benetton Treviso), Lorenzo Cittadini (Wasps), George Biagi (Zebre), Marco Fuser (Benetton Treviso), Francesco Minto (Benetton Treviso), Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Treviso), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais) (capt).
Replacements: Oliviero Fabiani (Zebre), Matteo Zanusso (Benetton Treviso), Dario Chistolini (Zebre), Quintin Geldenhuys (Zebre), Braam Steyn (Benetton Treviso), Alberto Lucchese (Benetton Treviso), Kelly Haimona (Zebre), Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso).
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Romain Poite (France), Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Television Match Official: George Ayoub (Australia)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ireland to win: 1/25; Draw: 66/1; Italy to win: 13/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Joe Schmidt (Ireland) – “We have to get a win, that’s the bottom line. We’re judged on our results and we judge ourselves on performance but if our performance is good enough then you’ve got to be able to get the result at the end of it.
“It’s been a frustrating and disappointing campaign so far results-wise, but at the same time I’m still energised by the opportunity that we have left in this Championship. If we win our two games, then we still have a chance to finish in the top half of the Championship.
“Now, we don’t control all the elements of that; but there’s still lots to play for. There’s still lots for players to play for, there’s opportunities to travel to South Africa in the summer and then there’s a huge autumn awaiting us.
“In the context of what we’ve got coming up in 2016, there’s still so much to play for that it’s hard not to be enthusiastic and energised by it and that’s the next two weeks and beyond. This has been our most challenging Championship in trying to put band aids on things a little bit, in trying to put things back together and having guys moving in and out of the team has made it more difficult.
“We’ve had the luxury of really good continuity through the last two Championships and you show the benefit of that. The two teams that are playing this weekend with the chance of potentially putting themselves in pole position – an almost unbeatable position if England win – are the teams that have had super continuity right the way through and have had super continuity in the first place.”
Rory Best (Ireland) – “The Italians will be thinking this is their big opportunity to get a scalp, and that in itself produces extra pressure on us. But I’m very sure the boys will stand up on Saturday.
“There has been a bit of a steep learning curve for some players. People are starting to get the idea of what the difference of this group has been in the past. Call it the ‘real Ireland’, call it whatever you want, but they are the standards we expect to live by and play by, and we haven’t reached them. And that’s where we hope to get to on Saturday.
“A 50th Six Nations appearance is a nice achievement for me, personally. It doesn’t seem that long ago since the first. Fifty is a great milestone, it’s something that when you retire…these milestones, you can look back on them with pride.
“At the minute for us, it’s all about a very important game for us against Italy and looking to get our first win of the Championship, keep improving the performance and really be a lot better in a few areas that we have prided ourselves on over the last number of years.”
Pre-Match Links –
Ireland v Italy: Facts & Figures
Irish Rugby Breaks 1 Million Mark On Social Media
Irish Rugby TV: Rory Best On Ireland v Italy
Recent Meetings –
2013: RBS 6 Nations: Italy 22 Ireland 15, Stadio Olimpico
2014: RBS 6 Nations: Ireland 46 Italy 7, Aviva Stadium
2015: RBS 6 Nations: Italy 3 Ireland 26, Stadio Olimpico; Rugby World Cup Pool D: Ireland 16 Italy 9, Olympic Stadium, London
Support Ireland on www.irishrugby.ie/facebook or search #ShouldertoShoulder or #IREvITA onwww.twitter.com/irishrugby.
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