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Ireland coach Declan Kidney has named an unchanged team for Sunday's RBS Six Nations game against Italy in Rome.

Kidney's decision not to tinker with his 22-man squad is no surprise after the team's hugely impressive opening win over France at Croke Park.

Paddy Wallace holds on to his inside centre berth, despite Gordon D'Arcy's crucial late try against the French.

Ronan O'Gara, Marcus Horan and Jamie Heaslip did not train on Wednesday morning but they will be fit to start.

Wallace (facial cuts) and Jerry Flannery (shoulder) had been minor fitness doubts but they have been passed fit to take their places.

Full-back Rob Kearney has also recovered from the ankle strain which made him a doubt for last weekend's opener.

Captain Brian O'Driscoll will earn his 90th cap on Sunday while prop John Hayes will equal the Irish cap record of 91 appearances of his fellow squad member Malcolm O'Kelly.

Ulster prop Tom Court remains on an unchanged bench.

Kidney explained that he had considered changing his starting line-up but decided to opt for continuity.

"We talked long and hard about whether we would alternate things," said Kidney.

"We put a good bit of thought into it, not so much as a negative reflection on how the lads played last Saturday, just the fact we're in a tournament.

"We've a stated objection of trying to build a squad since the start of the season, but on the balance of everything I felt it was best to go with the team the way it was because it had done well."

Kidney says he expects a tough test from the Italians in Rome on Sunday.

"As the game against England went on, they got stronger and stronger.

"This was a team of experienced men who knew how to garner their resources, how to become far more resilient and got scores in the second half.

"They tightened up and when Italy tighten up you just look at the possession stakes.

"When you go into a match like Sunday you can't be too surprised if we'll have only 40 per cent possession because when they get it they hold it for long periods of time.

"If your discipline isn't right up there, they'll pick off their points and it could become a very difficult day."


   R Kearney; Bowe, B O'Driscoll (capt), P Wallace, Fitzgerald; O'Gara, O'Leary; Horan, Flannery, Hayes, O'Callaghan, O'Connell, Ferris, D Wallace, Heaslip.

Replacements: R Best, Court, O'Kelly, Leamy, Stringer, D'Arcy, G Murphy.

Masi; Robertson, Canale, Mi Bergamasco, Pratichetti; McLean, Griffen; Perugini, Ongaro, Castrogiovanni; Dellape, Reato; Zanni, Ma Bergamasco, Parisse.

Replacements: Festuccia, Nieto, del Fava, Sole, Toniolatti, Garcia, Bacchetti.

'Mon the  

 :Jimmie O':  

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Italy (9) 9
Pens: McLean (3)


Ireland (14) 38
Tries: Bowe, Fitzgerald (2), D Wallace, O'Driscoll Cons: O'Gara (4), Kearney Pen: O'Gara

Ireland went top of the RBS Six Nations table after overcoming some spirited resistance from Italy in Rome.

The Irish looked unsettled early on and gave away two penalties which fly-half Luke Mclean landed for a 6-0 lead.

But after that sloppy start, tries from Tommy Bowe and Luke Fitzgerald saw the Irish assume control by half-time.

The visitors added a third try when flanker David Wallace got over early in the second half, and Fitzgerald and Brian O'Driscoll pounced late on.

The late tries gave Ireland a scoreline which had looked unlikely after a torrid opening 20 minutes.

Italy set their stall out right from the off with full-back Andrea Masi sin-binned in the first minute for a reckless and high straight arm challenge on Rob Kearney.

The challenge, and Italy's uncompromising approach, seemed to shake Ireland up and it was the home side that made the better start.

McLean's penalties put them six points to the good before Ospreys star Bowe raced away for an 18th-minute touchdown.

The former Ulster player pounced on a misplaced pass and, with three Italians chasing him, just made the line despite the challenge of Kaine Robertson.

McLean's third penalty then edged Italy 9-7 ahead, and Ireland seemed to be headed for trouble when fly-half Ronan O'Gara was sin-binned for tackling Gonzalo Canale without the ball.

O'Gara's fellow playmaker Paddy Wallace soon followed him off the pitch with blood gushing from his head.

But the numbers were evened up when Italy prop Salvatore Perugini joined O'Gara in the sin-bin for infringing at the line-out.

Ireland spent a long spell at the end of the first half encamped close to the Italian line and 19 phases of play ended with Ulster's Stephen Ferris charging forward to offload for Leinster wing Fitzgerald to dash home for his first international try.

In the absence of O'Gara and Paddy Wallace, full-back Kearney added the simple conversion.

The pattern was similar at the start of the second half as Ireland sought to end Italy's stiff resistance.

The visitors capped another period of pressure with flanker David Wallace finding a way through for this 11th international try and O'Gara adding the conversion.

In the last five minutes, Ireland got two more tries to give the final result a one-sided look.

Fitzgerald's nice exchange with Leinster team-mate Gordon D'Arcy gave the winger his second try.

Then skipper O'Driscoll ran away for an intercept try - his 19th in the Six Nations and 34th for Ireland overall.

 :Jimmie O':