Coach: Warren Gatland - Could do with a little bit of luck in terms of injuries. Is under no more pressure than any other coach in the Six Nations.

Last season: 3rd.

Strengths: Very good set-piece team in terms of scrums and lineouts, where Malcolm O'Kelly is as good as any jumper in the Six Nations. A wider game-plan, feasible because of the potency of Denis Hickie and Brian O'Driscoll behind the scrum, offers more rounded threat.

Weaknesses: Can still be pretty shaky defensively from broken play, particularly when the tempo is high. Injuries to Simon Easterby and Kieron Dawson demand a great deal from their replacements. Have to discover the ability to close out matches when on top against the better teams. Still a couple of players short.

Key player: Ronan O'Gara - He needs to reproduce his performances for Munster at the higher level. It will be his ability to dictate the pattern, make the right choices and execute them with precision under pressure that will have a big say in how Ireland fare.

Forecast: Assuming that Ireland can absorb the loss of O'Driscoll and Hickie and escape from Rome with a victory, then they should be very competitive for the remainder of the season. Beating France is not beyond the team, though England might prove a little too strong. Key areas are halfback and the back row and their on matches. Consolidation with three wins.