Under-20 Preview/Italy v Ireland, Benevento, 1.30:It may sound simplistic, but for Ireland the focus must be on the performance rather than the acclaim victory here would engender. This group of young players stand on the cusp of a Grand Slam, a term banned within earshot of coach Eric Elwood, his assistant Dan McFarland and team manager Phil Orr.
Such management caution is understandable, especially in the context of the recent first-half performance against Scotland in Falkirk. Ireland seemed nervous and hesitant in those 40 minutes, a spiralling error-rate inviting the Scots into a contest that should have been beyond them given the gulf in ability.
If the Scotland outhalf Cameron Ferguson had been a little more accurate with place-kicks, the home side could have been nine points to the good before his Irish counterpart, Ian Keatley, landed an injury-time penalty to make the half-time score 3-3.
A fortuitous try early in the second half soothed Irish nerves and thereafter they managed to replicate the quality of rugby that had seen them forge superb victories against Wales, France and England. In those matches this young Irish team had shown not only tremendous character but also real quality in their patterns.
They played an expansive, heads-up game, confidently putting the ball through hands regardless of the conditions.
Led by the excellent David Pollock, they would probably appreciate the presence of hamstring victim Seán O'Brien, not least for his powerful ball carrying.
Pollock starts, as he did against Scotland, at number eight, with Kevin Sheahan on the flank and Thomas Anderson completing an industrious backrow. The secondrows Conor McInerney and Andrew Browne provide an athletic presence that transcends mere lineout possession, and the frontrow offer similar qualities.
Cian Healy excels in every facet of the game and is a tremendous prospect; hooker Richard Sweeney has chipped in with a brace of tries; the industrious Jamie Hagan personifies the team collective.
The former Belvedere College halfbacks Paul O'Donohue and Keatley complement each other admirably.
O'Donohue is a constant threat to opposing backrows while Keatley's accuracy with the placed ball - he has contributed almost half his team's total (80) with 38 points - is just one aspect of a fine all-round game.
The pick of the threequarters to date has been the left wing Keith Earls, a strong, direct runner who invariable chooses intelligent lines.
Italy, who field an under-21 side - the year makes a difference in development - present a tough assignment for this Irish team, the home side having already beaten Scotland in Falkirk (27-10) and even more laudably Wales (22-21) at home last weekend.
This crop of young Irish players should remember how they got to this point in their season in terms of attitude and patterns and have the courage to remain true to those principles. We need not doubt them now.
IRELAND:F Jones (Seapoint); S Monahan (Dublin University), D Cave (Belfast Harlequins), A Wynne (Buccaneers), K Earls (Thomond); I Keatley (UCD), P O'Donohue (UCD); C Healy (Clontarf), R Sweeney (St Mary's), J Hagan (Greystones); C McInerney (UCD), A Browne (Galwegians); T Anderson (Dungannon), K Sheahan (UCD), D Pollock (QUB, capt). Replacements: G Slattery (Young Munster), R Murphy (Lansdowne), N Keogh (UCC), E Grace (Shannon), D Drake (Ballymena), N O'Connor (Belfast Harlequins), K Tonetti (Blackrock College).
