Take for granted Nick Mallett is a fine coach, ditto Declan Kidney. No problems in that department.
The Italians will and do have a grizzly pack of forwards even so Parisse is out.
No need to elaborate.
The Azzurri are better kickers of the rugby ball than the Irish and that is saying something.
What good is that ability, and to be sure that is the game they will play, because the Italians don't have another game.
They are afraid to open the game up because they have not done enough of it to cut out the silly errors like passing and catching a rugby ball.
The Azzurri do not have a halfback pair of any international note even with North Tower Cell 5 Aussie Craig Gower playing.
Mallett would love nothing better than to run with the ball but he knows as well as we that it is impossible because that aspect is suspect.
Mallett would like to play South African murderous rugby but he lacks discipline and size throughout the side despite the preponderance of Argentines and South Africans and Kiwis and Aussies. Where are the Italians?
That tells anybody who knows anything about rugby what to expect.
The Italians will run out of puff in the quarter; the Italians will miss a number of kickable kicks whether for a penalty or just for space; the Italians will start dropping off important tackles at jump street.
The score should read 50 - 10 but will not likely be so bad because the Irish are not merciless like the Welsh and the English.
I am willing and have given up 21 points but am not at all certain that is a thoughtful wager.
Giving up 25 points was the bet but I just couldn't fathom that even at 4-1.
Nick Mallet is making a big mistake IMHO by not opening the game up and losing 85-21 because he thinks the Italians need to build team confidence by keeping it close.
I also do not think the Italians are thinking why they were not accepted into the Magners League.
The reason is simple.
They are not ready and may not be for another two years and byt that time the RWC will have been played and we will all see how they front up.
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