Ireland
Ireland had an excellent November series and will begin the defence of their title in a confident mood. Starting off against Italy should allow them to blow off the cobwebs and start with a victory. Although their results were very impressive they still have plenty to work on from the test window.
Set Piece
Ireland struggled in the set piece in November and they’ll need to find the solidity they had in this area last year. The Italians will give them a very good examination in the scrum in their opening game and any sign of creaking could see the likes of England and Wales target that as an area they can make significant gains from.
Ireland’s lineout malfunctioned in November and it meant they found it very difficult to attack from first phase. It also denied them a significant number of chances to employ their well drilled maul. On defensive lineouts their focus has been on defending the opposition drive as opposed to competing in the air.
Attack
We saw very little in the way of attacking structure from Ireland in November. Under Schmidt they’ve yet to demonstrate that they have the attacking ability to consistently unlock stubborn defences. Their good results have been built on the back of their solid defence while most of their go-forward has come from mauls. They’ll need to add some potency in their set moves if they’re to avoid being smothered by the likes of England. Ireland will also need stand in out-halves Ian Madigan and Ian Keatley to get them through their trip to Rome with Sexton (concussion) out.
Defence
Apart from 20 minutes of madness against Australia Ireland’s defence has been excellent over the last year. They’ll need to keep it up if they’re to have any chance of retaining their title. They kick away a lot of possession and if their kick chase isn’t spot on they’ll face long period without the ball.
Impact on the World Cup
Ireland have a great chance at home to build some confidence against France ahead of the RWC clash. Winning that pool game could be the difference between a quarter-final exit and a first semi-final appearance. With Italy also in their pool Ireland will want to win in Rome. A defeat in their opening Six Nations game will not only scupper their title hopes but raise the potential of a repeat of 2007 where they flopped out of the RWC at the pool stage.
Ones to Watch
Robbie Henshaw – Seen as the long term successor to Brian O’Driscoill at 13 he’s got great hands and a very good all round game. He’s not the finished article yet but he’s got a great bag of tricks and he’s worth keeping an eye on.
Sean O’Brien – Made his return to rugby on Friday with 50 minutes for the Wolfhounds after a long layoff due to shoulder surgery. May not be risked against Italy but we should see more of him as the tournament progresses. If he’s anywhere near his barnstorming best we can look forward to opponents being run over and swatted away aplenty.
Paul O’Connell – This may be the captain’s last Six Nations campaign he’ll want to go out on a high. His club form hasn’t been the best this year but against Sale he showed he might be coming into form at just the right time. Not as big a poacher in the lineout as he once was (partly due to Ireland’s tactics of often not contesting in the air) but his contribution around the field has a massive impact on the performance of the Irish pack as a whole.
Expectations
As defending champions expectation will be high especially as both England and France have to travel to Dublin. They should put up a good defence of their crown but with a tough trip to the Millennium a Grand Slam will be a very hard ask. Given how close it is between the big four and the fact that Scotland are on the up they could just as easily finish fourth as finish first. Joe Schmidt would love to retain the title and anything outside the top two would be seen as a poor campaign.
Italy
Italy won only one game, against Samoa, in November but it ended a run of nine straight defeats. They also ran Argentina close and were competitive for 55 minutes against South Africa.
Back Row
For many years Parisse overshadowed the rest of the Italian back row with his standout performances. He’s still a very important part of the Italian team but the likes of Zanni have emerged from his shadow and are earning praise in their own right. Along with Barbieri, Favaro and the emerging Minto this is one of the strongest parts of the team. Mauro Bergamasco may be getting on a bit but he’s a 100 cap veteran and he can still do a job at test level.
Scrum
The Italians love their scrummaging and it’s no wonder that it’s a potent weapon for them. Their contest against Argentina in November was one for the scrum purist as both packs focused on trying to win the contest with no thoughts of scrumming for penalties or deliberately collapsing. They’ll give the other five nations a real examination in this area.
Fly-Half
For over ten years Italy have looked for the successor to Diego Dominguez. In Kelly Haimona they may have finally found their man. Italy have always had a decent pack but they’ve often been let down by their backs. Haimona offers more control at 10 and kicks his goals. With Tommaso Allan backing up they’re looking their strongest in this position for over a decade.
Impact on World Cup
Italy have both Ireland and France in their RWC pool and they both have to travel to Rome in this year’s Six Nations. Italy have beaten both before and will hope to beat one of their RWC rival. If they can at least be competitive in both games they’ll give themselves something to build on for the World Cup.
Ones to Watch
Sergio Parisse – The captain has been the standout player for his country for many years now. He’s got wonderful hands, is a fantastic ball carrier, can link the play and doesn’t shirk his responsibilities in the tight. Once he’s gone I fear it will be a very long time before Italy produce another player of his quality.
Michele Campagnaro – He’s been a revelation at 13 for Italy. Finally they’ve got a genuine threat in their midfield. He’s got the acceleration to exploit gaps, he reads the game well and his handling ability is well above the standard we’re used to seeing from Italian backs. If they could find a few more like him they may not spend so much time with their heads in their hands after yet another try was butchered as someone dropped a simple take.
Kelly Haimona – Started all three of Italy’s November tests and acquitted himself very well. He was solid from the kicking tee and a genuine threat with ball in hand. It looks like Brunel has finally found a decent out-half. If he can keep his nerve at crucial times Italy may not be winless this campaign.
Expectations
With three home games this year Italy will be looking to win at least one game. With Haimona on board they shouldn’t be as rudderless as they were last year. They may still have to settle for the wooden spoon as Scotland look to improve under Cotter.
