FOR THE 5,000 Italian fans making their way to Dublin for the start of the RBS Six Nations championship, their trip will be the triumph of hope over experience.
Italy have only won away once in the tournament and that was at Murrayfield in 2007. They also managed to beat Wales at home.
They are not likely to better that today.
Italy are 16/1 and Ireland, last year's Grand Slam winners, are almost unbackable, at 50/1 on with some bookmakers, to win at Croke Park this afternoon.
"Mission impossible," said Marco Cabierlo from near Turin on his first visit to Ireland. "We're here for the match, to see Dublin, to see Ireland, but to win? No."
The loss of their outstanding captain and scrumhalf Sergio Parisse is not adding to the optimism of fans who are contemplating another wooden spoon this season to go with the one they received last year.
Pier Cabbeaazzo, who hails from the heartland of Italian rugby in Treviso, said the weekend, like all rugby weekends, is about fun. "We hope we can drink a good game on Saturday night."
The Italians have not taken up their full allocation of about 6,000 tickets.
Though traditionally the most low-key of home Six Nations games, it will still be a sell-out tomorrow as all 82,000 tickets have to be block booked with the other two home games against Scotland and Wales to follow.
In Temple Bar the pubs were full yesterday afternoon with Italian fans arriving early for the match. Among them were 30 members of the CUS Rugby Verona club who have travelled en masse for the game and were trying to find a restaurant big enough to accommodate all of them.
Alfredo Cottini said none of them held out any hope of an Italian victory, but it was not the purpose of their visit to Dublin. "Ireland are too strong, but we hope to play a good game. We are strong in the after-match, drinking the beers and so on."
