Two excellent victories over England and Scotland should be complimented by a more facile win when Italy arrive at Donnybrook for the A international this evening (5.0).
The Italians lost heavily to Wales last time out and although they acquitted themselves reasonably well against the Scots in their first outing, Declan Kidney's charges can feel confident of continuing their unbeaten run.
The tenuous nature of selection for the shadow side is once again illustrated with five changes and a positional switch to the team that narrowly eclipsed the Scots.
Garryowen full back Dominic Crotty yesterday cried off through illness and this allowed Geordan Murphy to switch from right wing to a more familiar position.
Murphy has recovered from the shoulder injury that kept him sidelined since the beginning of the new year. Sheldon Coulter is reinstated having lost his place on the wing, while Killian Keane is preferred to Mel Deane in the centre.
Eric Elwood will be charged with utilising more fully the talents of the three quarter line and Murphy's potency at full back.
Terenure scrumhalf Derek Hegarty takes over from the injured Tom Tierney. Mick O'Driscoll and Andy Ward come into the pack with Eric Miller moving to number eight. The Irish eight boasts great mobility and ball handling skills and these assets should be central to any Irish victory.
Blackrock College second row Leo Cullen, Shannon prop Marcus Horan and Garryowen flanker David Wallace are three young players who have acquitted themselves well to date.
For once Ireland will begin the match as favourites and therefore shoulder an onus to impose their pattern on what is likely to be limited opposition: a case of the manner of victory equally as important as the win itself.
John Kelly has been in excellent form at both club and provincial level and this should be exploited under a more expansive approach. A continual theme running through the A campaign is that those who shine can benefit both in the short term, in relation to promotion to the senior squad and the obvious carrot of making the summer tour to America, Canada and Argentina.
Among the Italians better known players are second rows Walter Christofoletto and Marc Giacheri. The former was touted for a possible promotion to the senior side for the Six Nations Championship game at Lansdowne Road tomorrow (4.0).
Their ambitions may be limited to performance unless their opponents operate well below par.
Kidney has managed, abetted by a little good fortune in both victories, to steer the shadow side to a point whereby expectation rather than any trepidation should be the overwhelming emotion for those who journey to Donnybrook this evening.
The Teams
IRELAND A
G Murphy (Leicester), S Coulter (Belfast Harlequins), J Kelly (Cork Constitution), K Keane (Garryowen), T Howe (Dungannon); E Elwood (Garryowen), D Hegarty (Terenure); M Horan (Shannon), S Byrne (Blackrock), P Wallace (Saracens); M O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution), L Cullen (Blackrock); A Ward (Ballynahinch), E Miller (Terenure), D Wallace (Garryowen).
ITALY A
C Pilat; C Gatti, G Raineri, N Zisti, E Galon; A Scanavacca, N Mazzantini; A Muraro, S Pucciariello, A Lo Cicero; W Christofoletto, M Giacheri; A Sgorlon (capt), D Colli, A Persico.
Welsh coach Graham Henry has taken a sideswipe at the increasingly crammed international fixture calendar.
Tomorrow's Twickenham clash with England will be Wales' 19th Test Match since November 1998 - by far the most played by any tip rugby union nation.
It's ridiculous, the amount of the amount of rugby that's being played at the moment and it makes no sense," he said.
