Two Irish supporters this week discussed their plans for today, one asking the other if he was going to the match. "What, and come out of Lansdowne Road feeling good two games running?" It's a dizzying prospect alright.

The last time Ireland racked up successive wins at home in the championship was 17 years ago, when Ollie Campbell was in his pomp, orchestrating victories over France (the last time that happened, too) and England as Ireland retained a share of the championship.

Since then Ireland's incapacity to put two performances and two victories in a row hasn't deterred Irish supporters. Still craving success after all these years, and eagerly latching on to a rare glimmer of it last Saturday week, something in the region of 4045,000 will converge on the old ground this afternoon. By 4.00 the mood should be intoxicating.

The new-found hope and optimism adds to the pressure on this relatively young and inexperienced Irish team. But it's also a boon for them, and it's far better for them than playing at a half-empty ground, as was feared until a fortnight ago. That is never an auspicious backdrop for Ireland.

Nor is favouritism, especially by an excessive 18 points (though in a rare show of generosity, Paddy Powers are offering to pay back all losing bets if any player is sin-binned today).

Getting the heads right is arguably the key to Ireland's performance this afternoon, They have to strike the right balance between self-confidence in playing the brand of rugby which hit Scotland with a whirlwind 44 points and at the same time not allowing favouritism to invoke any hint of complacency.

I think they'll get it right, and certainly there was an edge coming from the camp yesterday after a light run-out at Lansdowne.

"The crowd's expectations, because they want us to do so well, are understandable," said Keith Wood yesterday. "But we've been so poor against the Italians over the last four years - and a 25 per cent return from the last four games is poor - that our expectation is of a tough battle and we need to have a really great performance to win."

Italy's three successive wins prior to last year's end-of-season Irish win does give them a little more confidence, as their coach Brad Johnstone admitted yesterday, although he provided the rider that "one game has little relevance to one between the same countries a year on".

The Italians didn't seem the happiest bunch yesterday. They decreed that the main pitch at the ALSAA complex wasn't of a sufficient standard. The back pitch wasn't to their liking either, and eventually they settled on a soccer pitch for a light 45-minute run-out.

Their teamsheet has also been amended yet again, with Denis Dallan now included on the left wing and the London Irish centre Marco Rivaro reverting to the bench. Ultimately, this means two changes in personnel and three positional changes from the side which was far from flattered by a 47-16 scoreline in Cardiff.

Johnstone says that "it was hard to remotivate the boys after the Scottish game". The likelihood is, however, that they'll improve from Cardiff today. Although Johnstone played it down yesterday, pre-season utterances suggested that the Scottish match and Dublin visit were their two targeted games.

As assistant-coach Eddie O'Sullivan warned in midweek, they're liable to be defensively more aggressive than the Scots were two Saturdays ago. Johnstone is much more a Grizz Wyllie than a Graham Henry, and initially has concentrated on the basics.

They've relied more on a driving lineout than off-the-top ball so far, and their structured style appears largely to concentrate on a kicking game by their halves Alessandro Troncon and Diego Dominguez to get the latter into penalty or drop-goal range.

The Italian squad are no mugs and they'll provide a rejuvenated Ireland with a serious test. Yet, with all due deference to the visitors, this game appears to be more about what Ireland can do.

For starters, they'll need to start better than they did against Scotland - Ireland are unlikely to repeat their 44-point response to an early 10-point deficit. To give themselves every chance of that elusive second win on the spin, Ireland need to do the hard work up front and apply the same aggressive defence from the off. As was shown against the Scots, the old adage about a good defence being the starting point for attack was proven when it yielded 14 points.

Essentially Ireland need to take up where they mostly left off against the Scots (ignoring the last 10 minutes as well) and play the game at a good tempo. In short, no more recycling dead ball and taking it through 17 phases for a 10-yard gain and then a 40-metre loss.

While the scrum is an obvious area to target, given how the Welsh shunted the Italians around, most of the time the need will be for more off-the-top lineout ball, attacking the gain line, more quick ruck ball, probing the blind side, and taking it up the middle before taking on the Italians out wide off quick third or fourth phase ball.

For all the Italians' defensive improvements, that seems to remain an Achilles heel judging by the way Wales scored three of their four tries. With Kieron Dawson and Simon Easterby's work at the breakdown, Peter Stringer's quick service, the ballhandling of the inside backs and the pace of Brian O'Driscoll and Dennis Hickie out wide, Ireland have the players to play it this way. And it's the only way to beat modern-day defences.

Why, it could even be that Ireland will be the stylists today. Whether it'll be quite in the 18-point bracket is another matter, but Ireland are entitled to be favourites and for once they look capable of wearing it well.