Ireland vs Italy
Ireland welcome Italy to the Aviva Stadium for this second round match in the Six Nations. The home side were brilliant in their opening match as they brushed aside a strong French outfit 37-17 while Italy gave a good account of themselves in a 27-24 defeat to England. Ireland will be looking for another bonus point victory with anything less being considered a major failure. Italy showed some excellent touches in their match with the first try being the try of the opening weekend. Both sides have suffered injuries to significant players with Captain Peter O’Mahony and the visitors Lorenzo Cannone also out.
TIP: There are several mouthwatering contests within this match but the battle between the two young tens in Jack Crowley and Paolo Garbisi will prove pivotal in the outcome of the match. They are two of the brightest young talents in the competition although Garbisi is much more experienced. The loss of O’Mahony is a massive blow as Ireland lose their best jackler and lineout stealer. It remains to be seen how Caelan Doris performs in his first match as skipper. The bookies have Ireland as favorites and I’m also tipping them for the win. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Betway 1.01, Gbets 1.01 and Hollywoodbets 1.01
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATS
Ireland vs Italy
- Ireland have won the last 14 matches against the Italians.
- The last time Italy beat Ireland was in 2013.
Latest results for both teams
Ireland beat France 38-17 in their last match while Italy were beaten 27-24 by England in their last match.
PREDICTION
Ireland have made six changes to the team that thrashed France and could initially struggle with cohesion. This will provide Italy with an early opportunity to put the home side under pressure. The electric Ange Capuozzo is back for the visitors and they will be looking to get the ball into his hands as he can create something out of nothing. Ireland will look to dominate up front which should lay the platform for their exciting backline that includes the likes of James Lowe and Hugo Keenan. If the Italians can at least get parity in the forwards, they can make it difficult for the home side. I am predicting an Irish win by 20 points.
Probable Starting XVs
Ireland
15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Robbie Henshaw, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 James Lowe, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Craig Casey, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Caelan Doris (c), 6 Ryan Baird, 5 James Ryan, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Andrew Porter
Italy
15 Ange Capuozzo, 14 Lorenzo Pani, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Stephen Varney, 8 Michele Lamaro (c), 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Alessandro Izekor, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Pietro Ceccarelli, 2 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 1 Danilo Fischetti
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Ireland victory are as follows:
Betway 1.01
Gbets 1.01
Hollywoodbets 1.01
Odds comparison on the Italy handicap:
The complete odds on the Italy handicap:
Betway 1.90 (+32.5)
Gbets 1.90 (+32.5)
Hollywoodbets 1.90 (+32.5)
Predictions and Odds in details
There are poor odds on the Ireland outright win therefore we suggest backing the away team on the handicap for better odds. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Betway 1.90 (+32.5), Gbets 1.90 (+32.5) and Hollywoodbets 1.90 (+32.5)
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Sports crazy fan that follows all major sport but the game with the oval ball is my real passion. Was an age level rugby coach and a huge supporter of the Springboks and diehard Liverpool man. I’m an experienced punter and sports writer whose predictions/tips are sure to stir up the emotions. I love the occasional wager on the underdog.