Ireland have announced the team for their opening RBS Six Nations fixture against Italy in Stadio Flaminio on Saturday, 5 February. KO 1430.
It’s going to be an exciting match for all the wrong reasons. I’ll certainly be running a book on how many of the starting forwards actually finish the game as I think the injury rate with the patched together pack is going to be pretty heavy.
Italy will be sniffing more than a glimmer of a chance, particularly if they can keep things tight, and if they can impose themselves up front I don’t really see a lot coming off the bench to change things around.
Ireland’s main chance comes in getting the ball to their backs though whether the combative O’Leary is the man to do that is a question yet to be answered.
Interesting times!
Ireland: L Fitzgerald (Leinster), F McFadden (Leinster), B O’Driscoll (Leinster, captain), G D’Arcy (Leinster), K Earls (Munster), J Sexton (Leinster), T O’Leary (Munster); C Healy (Leinster), R Best (Ulster), M Ross (Leinster), D O’Callaghan (Munster), P O’Connell (Munster), D Leamy (Munster), D Wallace (Munster), S O’Brien (Leinster).
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