Blood & Mud

RBS 6 Nations preview: Ireland vs Italy, Croke Park, 14:30, Saturday

Ireland are going to win, by quite a bit I imagine, so the interest in this game lies elsewhere.

For me, that is in seeing how Craig Gower plays.  Gower, remember, is an ex Aussie RL international who now plays in France for Bayonne, qualifies for Italy via a grandparent and nearly didn't have an international RU career because of Wikipedia.  To say he has a lot of things working against him tomorrow is an undestatement - Gower played scrum-half and occasionally hooker in RL and is deployed at 12 for his club, but will be the pivot at 10 for the Italians tomorrow despite being unable to speak Italian.  

Beyond that, I suppose it's about seeing how fluid Ireland look, as for me they are favourites this year.  

b&m.com prediction: Ireland by fuckloads

Spotter's badge:  Leo Cullen is mistaken for a streaking farm labourer from Roscommon and is led from the field. 

TEAMS

Ireland: 15-Rob Kearney, 14-Tommy Bowe, 13-Brian O'Driscoll (captain), 12-Gordon D'Arcy, 11-Andrew Trimble, 10-Ronan O'Gara, 9-Tomas O'Leary; 8-Jamie Heaslip, 7-David Wallace, 6-Kevin McLaughlin, 5-Paul O'Connell, 4-Leo Cullen, 3-John Hayes, 2-Jerry Flannery, 1-Cian Healy.

Replacements: 16-Rory Best, 17-Tom Court, 18-Donnacha Ryan, 19-Sean O'Brien, 20-Eoin Reddan, 21-Paddy Wallace, 22-Keith Earls.

Italy: 15-Luke McLean, 14-Kaine Robertson, 13-Gonzalo Canale, 12-Gonzalo Garcia, 11-Mirco Bergamasco, 10-Craig Gower, 9-Tito Tebaldi; 8-Alessandro Zanni, 7-Mauro Bergamasco, 6-Josh Sole, 5-Quintin Geldenhuys, 4-Carlo Antonio Del Fava, 3-Martin Castrogiovanni, 2-Leonardo Ghiraldini (captain) 1-Salvatore Perugini.

Replacements: 16-Fabio Ongaro, 17-Matias Aguero, 18-Marco Bortolami, 19-Paul Derbyshire, 20-Simon Picone, 21-Riccardo Bocchino, 22-Andrea Masi.

Ref: Romain Poite

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RBS 6 Nations preview: Ireland vs Italy, Croke Park, 14:30, Saturday

Ireland are going to win, by quite a bit I imagine, so the interest in this game lies elsewhere.

For me, that is in seeing how Craig Gower plays.  Gower, remember, is an ex Aussie RL international who now plays in France for Bayonne, qualifies for Italy via a grandparent and nearly didn't have an international RU career because of Wikipedia.  To say he has a lot of things working against him tomorrow is an undestatement - Gower played scrum-half and occasionally hooker in RL and is deployed at 12 for his club, but will be the pivot at 10 for the Italians tomorrow despite being unable to speak Italian.  

Beyond that, I suppose it's about seeing how fluid Ireland look, as for me they are favourites this year.  

b&m.com prediction: Ireland by fuckloads

Spotter's badge:  Leo Cullen is mistaken for a streaking farm labourer from Roscommon and is led from the field. 

TEAMS

Ireland: 15-Rob Kearney, 14-Tommy Bowe, 13-Brian O'Driscoll (captain), 12-Gordon D'Arcy, 11-Andrew Trimble, 10-Ronan O'Gara, 9-Tomas O'Leary; 8-Jamie Heaslip, 7-David Wallace, 6-Kevin McLaughlin, 5-Paul O'Connell, 4-Leo Cullen, 3-John Hayes, 2-Jerry Flannery, 1-Cian Healy.

Replacements: 16-Rory Best, 17-Tom Court, 18-Donnacha Ryan, 19-Sean O'Brien, 20-Eoin Reddan, 21-Paddy Wallace, 22-Keith Earls.

Italy: 15-Luke McLean, 14-Kaine Robertson, 13-Gonzalo Canale, 12-Gonzalo Garcia, 11-Mirco Bergamasco, 10-Craig Gower, 9-Tito Tebaldi; 8-Alessandro Zanni, 7-Mauro Bergamasco, 6-Josh Sole, 5-Quintin Geldenhuys, 4-Carlo Antonio Del Fava, 3-Martin Castrogiovanni, 2-Leonardo Ghiraldini (captain) 1-Salvatore Perugini.

Replacements: 16-Fabio Ongaro, 17-Matias Aguero, 18-Marco Bortolami, 19-Paul Derbyshire, 20-Simon Picone, 21-Riccardo Bocchino, 22-Andrea Masi.

Ref: Romain Poite