Six Nations Under-20 Championship: Ireland Under-20 v Italy Under-20, Virgin Media Park (7.15, live on Virgin Media)
The Pucciariello name is the clue. The Italian outhalf, Martino, is the son of a man who is held in great affection in Munster rugby circles. Freddie Pucciariello, the Argentinian-born prop, who would go on to win eight caps for Italy, played 85 matches for Munster, arriving in the summer of 2005 and staying until his retirement in 2009.
He was part of a squad that won two Heineken Cups and a Celtic League, starting in the European semi-final win over Leinster in 2006 and coming on as a replacement in the final win over Biarritz Olympique. Martino remembers his time and being taken to Thomond Park.
He said, “There has always been a unique atmosphere here. I believe it is the place that has the warmest fans of all. I have never been to Musgrave Park, but to Thomond Park many times, both as a child and in recent years.
“With the family, we take a holiday to Limerick almost every year to catch up and say hello to old friends and we always try to fit in a rugby match. On Friday night there will be lots of people who will come to watch me play and dad will be there too. I think it will be a special match for him too, because he will be able to meet again with many people he knows or has played with.”
Martino was born in Florence where his mum Carlotta is from, he spent some time in Bourgoin and Limerick before moving to Rosario in Argentina from where his dad, Freddie, hails. He learned his rugby there before returning to Italy last September, where the former Argentinian-born, Italian great Diego Domínguez as a mentor.
He was part of the Italian team that lost 35-29 to Ireland in a pre-Christmas friendly in the Belfield Bowl, a game in which the visitors inflicted a great deal of damage to the Irish scrum and also held their hosts scoreless for the second half.
Ireland will have nine starters from that day in action in Cork, Italy boast 11 survivors from the run-on side at Belfield as well as several replacements. Both teams have beaten France this season, Ireland in their opening Six Nations match a brilliant 37-31 win in Aix-en-Provence, Italy in a pre-tournament friendly.
Irish head coach Richie Murphy has had to plan without number eight Brian Gleeson who has an ankle issue, tighthead prop Andrew Sparrow, also injured while there has been an element of rotation too.
Stephen Smyth starts at hooker, Jacob Boyd at tighthead and Shannon’s Luke Murphy at number eight. Sale Sharks’s Patreece Bell and Munster’s Sean Edogbo are new faces to Ireland’s Six Nations matchday 23. The Italians made just one alteration, Piero Gritti promoted to partner Tommaso Redondi in the secondrow.
The two countries have very close ties in age-grade rugby, and before Ireland’s back-to-back Grand Slam campaigns, they lost to Italy on both occasions in the December fixture.
Italian head coach Massimo Brunello was reasonably satisfied with the performance in defeat against England but pointed to the fact that there were aspects of their loss to Ireland from which they could draw. “I am convinced that we will take a step forward both in terms of play and mentality; we can’t wait to get on the pitch.”
Ireland too have progressed from that day, and they’ll need to have especially in the scrum where they lost two props to the sin bin and conceded seven penalties in that facet of the game. Irish loosehead prop Alex Usanov pointed to the fact that they had very little time together before that match and they have worked hard to address those issues.
Wilhelm de Klerk cut the Italians apart the last day and his midfield partnership with Hugh Gavin, outstanding against the French, is an axis that promises a great deal in a three-quarter line with plenty of footballing ability. Jack Murphy and Ollie Coffey have the game management skills to put their side in the right places on the pitch, while also being able to pursue the wider game.
The key as always is the platform. The scrum will need to be resilient, the lineout a lucrative source of possession and the carrying game will rely on footwork and pace, the breakdown a crucial contact point.
The Irish bench had a significant impact the last day and will need to do so again. If Ireland gets any of these core elements wrong, then Italy has the players to punish them. The home side will have to earn a win.
Ireland: B O’Connor (UCC); F Treacy (Galwegians), W de Klerk (UCD), H Gavin (Galwegians), H McLaughlin (Lansdowne); J Murphy (Clontarf), O Coffey (Blackrock College); A Usanov (Clontarf); S Smyth (Old Wesley), J Boyd (QUB); A Spicer (UCD), E O’Connell (UL Bohemian, capt); J Hopes (QUB), B Ward (Ballynahinch), L Murphy (Shannon). Replacements: D Sheahan (Cork Constitution), B Howard (Terenure College) P Bell (Sale Sharks), B Corrigan (Old Wesley), S Edogbo (UCC), T Brophy (Naas), S Naughton (Galway Corinthians), E Graham (Ballynahinch).
Italy: M Belloni; M Scalabrin, F Zanandrea, N Bozzo, L Elettri; M Pucciariello, L Casilio; F Pisani, N Gasperini, M Gallorini; T Redondi, P Gritti; C Zucconi, L Bellucci, J Botturi (capt). Replacements: V Siciliano, S Pelliccioli, D Ascari, G Milano, O D’Alessandro, M Jimenez, F Fusari, P de Villiers.
Referee: J Rozier (France)
