Ireland will be aiming to keep up a very good record against Italy, having won on all four trips to Rome since 2001.

Saturday, February 3rd, 2001, Stadio Flaminio

Italy 22 Ireland 41

THIS MATCH will largely be remembered for two things, Rob Henderson’s hat-trick of tries and the sending off of Italian scrumhalf Alessandro Troncon for punching his Irish counterpart, Peter Stringer. Just a year earlier Henderson had played a sizeable role in the three tries scored by Brian O’Driscoll in Paris but this time without his midfield sidekick – the two would combine brilliantly for the Lions in Australia later in the year – he took centre stage.

It was classic Henderson, barnstorming running replete with clever angles and power, something the home side simply couldn’t counter.

There were further tries from Shane Horgan and Ronan O’Gara with the latter also chipping in with two conversions and four penalties.

The Italians did muster a couple of tries through Carlo Checchinato and Mauro Bergamasco.

IRELAND:G Dempsey; S Horgan, M Mullins, R Henderson, T Howe; R O'Gara, P Stringer; P Clohessy, K Wood (capt), J Hayes; M Galwey, M O'Kelly; A Quinlan, D Wallace, A Foley.

Saturday, February 22nd, 2003, Stadio Flaminio

Italy 13 Ireland 37

ONCE AGAIN Ireland thoroughly enjoyed themselves in the Roman sunshine producing an irresistible all-round performance, although the backs would probably argue that they deserved the plaudits in that they scored all five of the Irish tries.

Fullback Geordan Murphy, right wing John Kelly and centre Brian O’Driscoll all crossed the Italian line as did halfbacks David Humphreys and Peter Stringer.

Humphreys added two penalties and also converted three of the tries.

The Italians simply couldn’t handle the pace of Ireland’s back play and for a couple of their players who had proved something of a nemesis for Ireland in the past, Paolo Vaccari and Diego Dominguez, it was to be their last appearance in this fixture in Rome.

Italy’s points came from Denis Dallan and Ramiro Pez.

IRELAND:G Murphy; J Kelly, B O'Driscoll (capt), K Maggs, D Hickie; D Humphreys, P Stringer; R Corrigan, S Byrne, J Hayes; G Longwell, M O'Kelly; V Costello, K Gleeson, A Foley.

Sunday, February 6th, 2005, Stadio Flaminio

Italy 17 Ireland 28

FOR THE second successive match in Rome, Geordan Murphy and Peter Stringer helped themselves to tries but this victory was far from the free-wheeling wins of previous times. Ireland had to fight extremely hard to prevail against a gritty Italian side, who were only outscored 2-1 in the try stakes on the afternoon. The home side celebrated when Leicester Tigers prop Martin Castrogiovanni crossed for a try but despite a further four penalties – three from the boot of fullback Roland di Marigny – they could not quite close the gap on the scoreboard.

Ronan O’Gara kicked three penalties and two conversions in a match that was to be Italy’s best performance against Ireland at home. It marked the first appearance in Rome of players like Gordon D’Arcy, Paul O’Connell, Simon Easterby and Denis Leamy.

IRELAND:G Murphy; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll (capt), G D'Arcy, D Hickie; R O'Gara, P Stringer; R Corrigan, S Byrne, J Hayes; M O'Kelly, P O'Connell; S Easterby, D Leamy, A Foley.

Saturday, March 17th, 2007, Stadio Flaminio

Italy 24 Ireland 51

IRELAND ULTIMATELY lost out on St Patrick’s Day in Rome, when Elvis refused to leave the building early in another European capital city, that same evening. French number eight Elvis Vermuelen’s late try denied Ireland the Six Nations championship, Ireland left to rue a couple of late tries they conceded to Marco Bortolami and Roland di Marigny on a day when they played some scintillating running rugby.

The match, while not quite the end of Denis Hickie and Simon Easterby’s career, was a final bow in Rome.

Hickie crossed for two tries as did Girvan Dempsey, while Easterby, Gordon D’Arcy, Shane Horgan and Ronan O’Gara also crossing the Italian line. The latter added four conversions and a penalty and Ireland came tantalisingly close to claiming the title.

IRELAND:G Dempsey; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll (capt), G D'Arcy, D Hickie; R O'Gara, P Stringer; M Horan, R Best, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll; S Easterby, D Wallace, D Leamy.

– John O’Sullivan