RUGBY:IN THE Eternal City, amid the landmarks and the architecture, the designer shopping roads and the narrow cobbled streets, the beautiful people strut their stuff, unashamed and stylish, in temperatures of 15 degrees. And with more of the same sunshine forecast for today, so Ireland will hope for more of the same.

Ireland are seeking their sixth successive win in Rome and 12th since Italy’s admission to the Six Nations in 2000, and their winning margins here have been bigger than the last five at home. Perhaps this is, in part, because the Azzurri feel more obliged to have a go in front of their raucous home following, who are liable to descend upon the Stadio Flaminio in greater numbers than before.

Two years ago the Azzurri coughed up two intercepts, whereas they hardly passed the ball behind the first receiver last year in Dublin.

Yesterday, as they enjoyed the outdoor Roman eateries, the fans wearing replica Irish jerseys were less obtrusive than in recent years. The days of a 15,000-strong green army, such as four years ago, are over. About a third of that are expected today.

Admittedly, Ireland have usually had to withstand some early dogfights on their Roman sojourns, and plenty of grunt and grind will again be required up front. The Italian frontrow of Salvatore Perugini, making an Italian record of 33 championship appearances in a row, Leonardo Ghiraldini and Martin Castrogiovanni have 178 caps as against 57 for the comparatively callow Irish frontrow.

At a typically chaotic Italian eve-of-match press conference in the stadium yesterday, attended by at least six television crews and with seven people at the top table, including sponsors, coach Nick Mallett made a remarkable claim when referring to last year’s meeting between the countries, and specifically the scrum.

“The referee (Romain Poite) admitted after the game that he made a number of errors,” said Mallett, “and actually wrote to the Italian rugby union and apologised for the way he refereed Castrogiovanni in the game last year, where Castrogiovanni was penalised four times, and in all four occasions the referee made a mistake and admitted as such.”

Mallett did add the rider that he didn’t think Italy could dominate there today against an Irish side with no weaknesses who had “improved hugely” since the last World Cup.

Even so, what makes this claim particularly disconcerting is that Poite is again in charge today, in only his second Six Nations game. One suspects his obtrusive presence won’t be good for the game, or for Ireland, particularly now.

While the relative newcomer Mike Ross, who goes up against Perugini, provides hope of a more stable Irish scrum, Cian Healy (one of only six Irish survivors from last season’s game) will be up against Castrogiovanni, whose technique has raised questions of its legality from Graham Henry and Robbie Deans.

Then again, like last year, Healy saw off Castrogiovanni in the Heineken Cup final two seasons ago.

Ireland will also have new combinations in the backrow and back three, but, along with the return of Paul O’Connell and other senior pros, including Leo Cullen and Shane Jennings on the bench, this should provide a certain freshness.

There are also a few question marks about the form of a few, such as Rory Best, Tomás O’Leary and Luke Fitzgerald.

But there are plenty in excellent nick, such as those Leinster props, Seán O’Brien, Dave Wallace, Jonathan Sexton, Gordon D’Arcy, a lean-and-mean Brian O’Driscoll, and Fergus McFadden.

Italy are more experienced and settled, but the biggest punt of all is again their relatively new half-backs.

O‘Driscoll likes the Stadio Flaminio, especially as it usually offers a dry track in good conditions, and the lively atmosphere of this more intimate Test venue.

“I found two years ago that if Italy start well, the crowd really get behind them,” he said. “There’s an element like France, you have to keep the crowd quiet as well as the team. The reasoning behind silencing the crowd is because it negates their team. That’s the focus.”

With the nine home-based players in their starting line-up now benefiting from a more professional environment, Italy are less likely to fade. But their only wins in their last 24 Test matches have been against Samoa, Scotland and Fiji. With conditions favouring a ball-in-hand game and the much sharper attacking edge which Ireland possess in their backs, the expectation remains that Ireland will eventually makes this tell, given solid foundations and are relatively free of errors.

But most of all it presupposes that the maul and the dynamic ball-carriers – O’Brien, Wallace and Healy – provide some go-forward ball, and O’Leary’s service is sharp.

The money has been weighing in on the Italians, unsurprisingly with a 13-point start at home against injury-disrupted opponents.

The nagging thought remains that one day Italy will beat Ireland – as O’Driscoll admitted – and more likely it will be in Rome rather than Dublin and possibly earlier in the campaign than later.

Few of us genuinely see it coming. But not just yet, not today.

Betting (Paddy Power): 6/1 Italy, 30/1 Draw, 1/10 Ireland. Handicap (Italy +13pts) 10/11 Italy, Draw, 10/11 Ireland.

Forecast: Ireland, by 10 or 12.