Team Statistics onlyinclude Five & Six Nations games from 1992 to the present day
Player Statistics onlyinclude Five & Six Nations appearances since 1992
Rory Best
31 January 2008, 4:14 pm
Ireland v Italy
Ireland have kept faith with their tried and tested as they seek to restore their battered reputation in Saturday's RBS 6 Nations opener against Italy.
In total there are 11 survivors from the side walloped 30-15 by Argentina in the final pool game of the World Cup with all four changes enforced.
Hooker Rory Best replaces the suspended Jerry Flannery while in the second row Malcolm O'Kelly plugs the gap left by Paul O'Connell's back injury.
Andrew Trimble comes in for Shane Horgan, who is recovering from a spell in the treatment room and features for Ireland A, on the right wing with Girvan Dempsey restored at full back, forcing Geordan Murphy into the number 11 jersey.
New Italy coach Nick Mallett sprung a major surprise for his first game in charge by naming Biarritz centre Andrea Masi at fly-half.
The move represents a major gamble as Masi has never started a Test in the number 10 jersey and will be facing the in-form Ronan O'Gara.
Completing an inexperienced Italian half-back combination is Pietro Travagli, who will win his third cap.
Mallett has stressed the need to add variety to the Azzurri's one-dimensional forward game and the selection of hard running Masi reflects that.
A question mark hangs over Ireland following their dire performance in the World Cup and time is running out for the nation's 'golden generation' to lift some silverware.
Ireland
16
v
11
Italy
Sat 2nd Feb 2008
14:00, Croke Park
Ireland
10
17
Italy
22
Last Five Meetings
16 - 11
Sat 2nd Feb 2008
Six Nations
24 - 51
Sat 17th Mar 2007
Six Nations
26 - 16
Sat 4th Feb 2006
Six Nations
17 - 28
Sun 6th Feb 2005
Six Nations
19 - 3
Sat 20th Mar 2004
Six Nations
Current Table
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||