RWC: Ireland - Italy (02-10-2011, 20:30)

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Otago Stadium, Dunedin (02-10-2011, 20:30)

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (RSA)
Touch Judge: Bryce Lawrence (NZL)
Touch Judge: Chris Pollock (NZL)
TV match official: Shaun Veldsman (RSA)
​

[TABLE="class: grid"]
[TR][TD] Ireland [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] Italy [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Rob Kearney [/TD][TD] 15 [/TD][TD] Andrea Masi [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Tommy Bowe [/TD][TD] 14 [/TD][TD] Tommaso Benvenuti [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Brian O'Driscoll [/TD][TD] 13 [/TD][TD] Gonzalo Canale [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Gordon D'Arcy [/TD][TD] 12 [/TD][TD] Gonzalo Garcia [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Keith Earls [/TD][TD] 11 [/TD][TD] Mirco Bergamasco [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Ronan O'Gara [/TD][TD] 10 [/TD][TD] Luciano Orquera [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Conor Murray [/TD][TD] 9 [/TD][TD] Fabio Semenzato [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Jamie Heaslip [/TD][TD] 8 [/TD][TD] Sergio Parisse [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Sean O'Brien [/TD][TD] 7 [/TD][TD] Mauro Bergamasco [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Stephen Ferris [/TD][TD] 6 [/TD][TD] Alessandro Zanni [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Paul O'Connell [/TD][TD] 5 [/TD][TD] Cornelius van Zyl [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Donncha O'Callaghan [/TD][TD] 4 [/TD][TD] Quintin Geldenhuys [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Mike Ross [/TD][TD] 3 [/TD][TD] Martin Castrogiovanni [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Rory Best [/TD][TD] 2 [/TD][TD] Leonardo Ghiraldini [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Cian Healy [/TD][TD] 1 [/TD][TD] Salvatore Perugini [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Sean Cronin [/TD][TD] 16 [/TD][TD] Fabio Ongaro [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Tom Court [/TD][TD] 17 [/TD][TD] Andrea Lo Cicero [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Donncha Ryan [/TD][TD] 18 [/TD][TD] Marco Bortolami [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Denis Leamy [/TD][TD] 19 [/TD][TD] Paul Derbyshire [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Eoin Reddan [/TD][TD] 20 [/TD][TD] Edoardo Gori [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Jonathan Sexton [/TD][TD] 21 [/TD][TD] Riccardo Bocchino [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Andrew Trimble [/TD][TD] 22 [/TD][TD] Luke McLean [/TD][/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[nato]

Cant wait for the match.
It would be a greater grief then people think if we lost this match.
Supposing Italy got the bonus point tommorow against russia,
Then italy surprisingly beat us next sunday,
They would be higher in the pool board then us resulting we would not go to the quarter final.
So this is a really big match for ireland.

 

[monkeypigeon]

Declan Kidney was emphasising how this was an all or nothing match for both teams so I have no doubt that the Irish team know the importance of this match.

And the prize of a Quarterfinal with Wales will be too big for Ireland to go into this match giving anything more than 100%.

For both teams this is like a cup final and the Irish players have known and won more Cup Finals than the Italians. I'd be shocked if Ireland win by less than 7.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

massive game! it's almost like a grand final for pool C, i wont miss this one, and i'm going for azzuri, apologies to the irish

 

[lynam1104]

Big game, I think this is somewhat different to the 6N game where we almost lost. Here we know the treat that thy pose to us now more than ever and we should treat this like the OZ game. I reckon we will take it.

 

[Logorrhea]

Meh, will be a comfortable 15-20 point win for Ireland.

 

[Conal]

time for the lads to prove themselves as a great team

if a team with this many big name players arguably the best irish side ever assembeld cannot up their game to beat a gutsy italy they dont deserve a favourable 1/4 final
or even a 1/4

time for them to prove they can rise to the occasion

 

[jovialjonny]

I can't help thinking to myself that Ireland's path to the final could be Italy, Wales, England..all 3 of whom we've beaten the majority of times we've played them in the last five years...it's a tantalising thought!

France instead of England tips the scales the other way though...

 

[Darwin]

Looking forward to this match - it will be great to go to a match that doesn't involve England for a change

The stadium is sold out (has been for over a week), so the atmosphere at the ground should be great. All I need to do now is get myself an Italy jersey and learn some Italian chants!

 

[Saintjay]

I can't help thinking to myself that Ireland's path to the final could be Italy, Wales, England..all 3 of whom we've beaten the majority of times we've played them in the last five years...it's a tantalising thought!

France instead of England tips the scales the other way though...

Depends on which Irish team turn up mate. If it is the 2011 six nations team yes, the summer warm up's team no.

One thing you do have is belief.

I would not worry to much about France either.

 

[big ginger 8]

Ireland should win but it won't be easy. Would like to see a 10-12 axis of RO'G Sexton, Trimble play and McFadden with the 22 jersey.

 

[5cotty]

The only way Ireland can lose this game is if Mike Ross was to get injured then italy could really attack the scrum. He is up there with the most important players on the team.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I'd say Ross is easily the most important player in the squad - everyone else you could manage with a replacement with, losing BOD would be a blow, but McFadden can cover there, and Earls and Trimble at a push. Lose POC you can put in Cullen
Lose Ross and you've got to put in Buckley

 

[i tickle ur tum]

yup...if ross goes down we go down..fact!!

 

[Logorrhea]

Lose Ross and you've got to put in Buckley

Eh ............... no. Tom Court will slot right in there.

Not an ideal substitution to have to make, but nowhere near as bad as the disaster that is Tony Buckley.

 

[Tricia McMillan]

Australia to get the bonus point win against Russia: 15 points.
Italy to be leading Ireland by 13 points in the final minutes of the game, each having scored three tries. Ireland punch one over with no time left for the try bonus and then miss the conversion to miss out on the 7-point loss bonus. Ireland and Italy finish on 14 points each, and Ireland are eliminated because they missed a conversion.

 

[danit]

Italy to be leading Ireland by 13 points in the final minutes of the game, each having scored three tries.

fantasy league

 

[psychic duck]

why was Mike Ross ignored for so long, whilst Hayes and Buckley were preferred?

he's obviously streets ahead of them, and did well for Harlequins yet has only really come to prominence by the misfortune of Stan Wright's injury, he hardly played in his first Leinster season with van der Linde and Wright ahead of him, but last season he showed what Ireland desperately needed

 

[Chris Ward]

Australia to get the bonus point win against Russia: 15 points.
Italy to be leading Ireland by 13 points in the final minutes of the game, each having scored three tries. Ireland punch one over with no time left for the try bonus and then miss the conversion to miss out on the 7-point loss bonus. Ireland and Italy finish on 14 points each, and Ireland are eliminated because they missed a conversion.

Australia can only get 14 points at most.

 

[Wally]

If Ireland can upset Australia, Italy can upset Ireland. Let's go Azzurri