Rugby: 6 Nations: Kirwan's Search for a Bit of Magic

John Kirwan turned 40 last December. There's a certain fleshiness that comes with the milestone, but when he appeared for his round of interviews at the recent launch of the Six Nations, he still looked in good enough shape to pull on a shirt, get out there and give Italy the cutting edge they need behind their formidable scrum.

Having snapped and rolled an Achilles tendon up the back of his calf towards the end of his illustrious All Blacks career, Kirwan may lack a yard or two of pace now. The old wing may, in truth, have eaten a plate of pasta or two beyond the prescribed in his beloved adopted country. But even on one pin and full of penne, he still looked great. If he were only half as good as he used to be, that would be enough.

Whether he sounded so great is another matter. 'Yes, I'm 40,' he announced, 'and I still believe in Santa Claus.' Most other coaches were happy to discuss the minutiae of training camps, the dynamic of the rolling maul and the strains placed on their preparations by injuries, but Kirwan was quite happy - nay, insistent - to headsomewhere a touch more metaphysical. It's what gives Italy the cultural edge.

Of course, it may leave him slightly divorced from the reality of today's encounter at Stadio Flaminio in Rome, against Eddie O'Sullivan's Ireland. The Ireland side who have become many pundits' favourites are hacked off in an entirely earth-bound manner at losing just once in each of their past two Six Nations campaigns and never finishing higher than second.

Ireland don't seem to mind at all that they are being promoted for honours. Frustration and creeping age among some of the forwards have rendered them as hard-nosed as they come and if Italy don't wake up they might find Santa's reindeer giving them a right hoofing.

Kirwan, bless him, is not a fantasist. His point is that he simply has to believe that Italy can make the step up, from participants in the championship to challengers. Ever since they became the sixth nation in 2000 they have had the forwards - the 'piano-pushers', he calls them - without unleashing anything too dextrous in the backs. 'We need some piano players.'

The shifters are going to be as hearty as ever. The Italy pack looks... well, it looks bloody good. From Martin Castrogiovanni in the front row - he scored a hat-trick of tries against Japan last year - to the supple Marco Bortolami in the second and the top trio of Sergio Parisse, Mauro Bergamasco and Aaron Persico in the back row, they have pure athleticism and real 'dog'.

Parisse, of Treviso, is a real gem. His dad led L'Aquila, the club halfway down the Apennine spine of Italy, to the championship title in 1967 before moving to Argentina. The son is now back, playing just inland from Venice. He is very explosive, very rangy.

Mauro Bergamasco - and his brother Mirco, who is selected on the wing - play for Stade Français in Paris. Persico plays for Agen. Bortolami plays for Narbonne. That is, they are schooled in the hardcore world of French rugby. Enough said. The Ital ian pack will be powerful. Behind, there is less certainty. Alessandro Troncon has been recalled at scrum half after falling out with Kirwan. It was like Matt Dawson falling out with Andy Robinson, but with a lot more arm-waving.

Now, Troncon is a fine player, but he is typical Treviso. This can't be all bad because the club this season have won three games in Europe (two against Bourgoin and at home to Bath). They are very direct, very aggressive and not very imaginative.

For that elusive little bit of magic, Kirwan has opted at outside half for Luciano Orquera who was raised in Córdoba, Argentina, whence Diego Dominguez hailed. Finding the successor to the little maestro, who vies with Neil Jenkins for the number of thousands of points each scored in international rugby, is proving difficult.

In fact, Dominguez became a bit of a problem. Italy could not do without him, but how could they play more expansively with him? Orquera has pace, but he's not the biggest and he's inexperienced. Dominguez brought wisdom - and his boot - to the party.

If there is a new star in the Italy team it may be Ludovico Nitoglia on the wing. He's only 21 - although, now that Mathew Tait is out there, we must beware of the 'only' - and has just three caps, but he is hot property.

The trouble remains that, between Orquera and Nitoglia, there isn't a whole lot that will be keeping Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy and Geordan Murphy awake at night. Andrea Masi is not without strength and will never give up, but the centre isn't what you would label subtle. It is still somehow surprising that what Italy really lack is this subtlety. They have no finesse.

On the other hand, there was a time, and not so long ago, when you would not necessarily have gone to the Irish three-quarter line to unearth the three most liberated attackers in rugby. For a rampaging pack, yes. For invention and sleight of hand, perhaps not.

O'Driscoll, D'Arcy and Murphy - they obviously don't sound very Italian, but they play as if breastfed on Da Vinci, designed by Ferrari. All right, all right, they're very Irish, but they are the reason a 40-year-old New Zealander still listens hopefully for the sound of jingle bells.