O'Sullivan Talks the Irish Down As Italy Face Whitewash

Italy may have prepared for their trip to Dublin just outside Rome at Frascati but the 2002 Six Nations has been another sobering experience for the Azzurri. Defeats by France, Scotland and Wales leave them facing a second successive whitewash and they can expect to face a heavy pounding from the Irish this afternoon.

Eddie O'Sullivan's side have put 97 points past Wales and Scotland at Lansdowne Road this year so if Italy's coach Brad Johnstone is seeking spiritual guidance in Ireland today it is probably from St Jude, the patron saint of lost causes.

Ireland still have a chance of sharing the Six Nations title and their aggregate of 108 points is the highest in the competition. A half-century this afternoon would set them up nicely for a tilt at the French in Paris next month.

O'Sullivan, of course, was banishing all talks of cricket scores. "Ultimately performance is the key issue. You have to get the bread and butter right before you apply the jam. People tend to talk in a disparaging way about the Italians but their set-pieces are generally solid and I expect them to give us a run for our money in the lineout."

If there is such a thing as a sober citizen on a match day in Dublin it is O'Sullivan. Not a man to let sentiment get in the way of the selection process, he has dropped the Munster warhorse Mick Galwey, his captain for the first three games of the competition, and replaced him with the Ulsterman Gary Longwell. Galwey has been deemed responsible for the failure of the Irish lineout against Scotland while Frankie Sheahan, the hooker whose throwing was so wayward three weeks ago, makes way for Shane Byrne.

Johnstone, who has overseen 12 successive defeats in the competition since the heady days of their first game and last victory over the Scots two years ago, at least has Diego Dominguez back in the fly-half role after injury and a pack that can win its fair share of ball in those set-pieces. But Brian O'Driscoll, scorer of a scorching hat-trick of tries against Scotland, will be licking his lips at the prospect of a tiring Italian defence.

Peter Stringer, Ireland's in-form scrum-half, yesterday sounded another cautious note, however: "Italy are very physical up front and they love to challenge around the fringes. It's going to be a case of wearing them down and then, hopefully, the scores will come in the last 15 or 20 minutes. We'd be happy with that."

A year ago in Rome Stringer was punched by his opposite number Alessandro Troncon, Italy's scrum-half being sent off. Today the Italians do not look capable of going the distance.

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