Italy are on home turf as they go hunting for revenge against Ireland, following last year’s 57-6 drubbing. But the visitors – favourites for the Six Nations title this year – ought to have enough quality to pass this test.
When and where is Italy vs Ireland?
This third-round Six Nations fixture between Italy and Ireland is on Saturday, February 25. Kick-off at the Stadio Olimpic in Rome is at 2.15pm (GMT).
The other games that weekend are Wales v England at 4.45pm on the Saturday and France v Scotland at 3pm on Sunday.
What TV channel is Italy vs Ireland on?
Catch this one on ITV, where Sir Clive Woodward is king of the pundits.
Who is the referee?
Mike Adamson, a Scot, is in charge. Adamson is a former Scotland Sevens player who also represented Glasgow Hawks. The 37-year-old turned to refereeing in 2014, at first on the Sevens circuit, working his way up to international level in 15-a-side. He took charge of his first Six Nations fixture in 2021.
In an interview with Telegraph Sport he said: “I always think, ‘be sensible’. Players can react out of frustration rather than malice and you need to get that balance about understanding their frustrations but just making sure that they direct it in the right places.”
Latest Ireland injury news
After beating France in the second match of the Six Nations Championship, Ireland will be hoping Tadhg Beirne recovers in time for their third-round fixture against Italy. Beirne limped off the field and was later spotted using crutches.
Captain Johnny Sexton is managing a groin injury sustained against France, while hooker Rob Herring is undergoing return to play protocols after suffering a head injury from a high tackle which has led to French prop Uini Atonio being cited.
Herring was deputising for Dan Sheehan, who is continuing his recovery from a hamstring problem under the supervision of the Ireland medical team. Cian Healy, Tadhg Furlong, Robbie Henshaw and Jamison Gibson-Park are also undergoing rehabilitation from their respective injuries.
What happened in this fixture in 2022?
Last year’s match was particularly humiliating for Italy, with Ireland running in nine tries. It did not help that the Italians had to play with 13 men for an hour. That reduction in numbers came after Hame Faiva, Italy’s replacement hooker, was sent off for connecting with the chin of Dan Sheehan.
Because Italy had already taken off their first-choice hooker, they had to bring on a replacement front row, which meant they had to move to uncontested scrums. But, according to a rugby law designed to prevent teams faking injuries to take advantage of uncontested scrums, they also had to lose their No 8. After that, the mauling was a foregone conclusion.
