Kearney says Ireland ready for Italy 'knockout'
Ireland full-back Rob Kearney believes the squad's experience of knockout rugby will benefit them when they face Italy in a potentially decisive World Cup match here on Sunday.
Should the Azzurri beat the United States on Tuesday and Australia record a bonus point win over Russia on Saturday, it will be down to the winners of Sunday's match to decide which of Six Nations rivals Ireland and Italy go through to the quarter-finals along with the Wallabies out of Pool C.
For an Ireland team who've already produced the upset of this World Cup with a 15-6 win over Australia, the prospect of a first ever semi-final appearance at rugby's showpiece tournament is now on the horizon.
"It would be fantastic to get into the quarter-finals, semi-finals and your mind can sometimes wonder a little bit," Kearney told reporters here on Tuesday before intoning the mantra of 'one game at a time'.
Ireland, despite their win over the Wallabies, could yet be eliminated from the World Cup at the group stage as happened four years ago in France.
But the 25-year-old Kearney, who in 2009 helped both Irish province Leinster win the European Cup and Ireland complete a Six Nations 'grand slam', said: "That's knockout rugby.
"We are sort of lucky with the Heineken (European) Cup at home that we often find ourselves in these scenarios that come round six (knock-out stages), you could be going one or either way," added Kearney, whose brilliant 2009 concluded with three Test appearances for the British and Irish Lions in South Africa.
"Knockout rugby, it's different and it's something you might not always be used to," said Kearney, who missed Leinster's 2011 European Cup triumph because of a season-ending knee injury suffered playing for Ireland against New Zealand in November.
"Whether you like it or not, it's a much higher pressure situation, knowing if you do lose, you could be going home."
Irish provinces though have won four of the last six European Cups and Kearney, who returned to international duty during Ireland's 10-6 defeat by Scotland in their opening World Cup warm-up match last month, said: "I'd like to think those games will stand to us hugely."
"Experience is the word," insisted Kearney, capped 31 times by Ireland.
"It comes down to having played in those big games before and having to fight your way back in the last few minutes when things might not be going your way.
"You've got to be patient, do the basics well, get yourself in good positions and take your opportunities when they come."
Ireland head into this weekend's match on the back of a 62-12 rout of Russia and they've also won 15 successive Tests against Italy.
But Kearney said Ireland's last encounter with Italy, a 13-11 Six Nations victory in Rome in February secured only by Ronan O'Gara's last minute drop-goal, would guard against complacency.
"We do have a huge amount of respect for Italy and in our last game against them they came very close to beating us in a game we played poorly in.
"We did leave a lot of opportunities behind but it was a last-minute drop-goal that got the win for us and we were very lucky."
"Everybody knows Italy have been targeting this game, massively. It's the one all along where they felt they could create a huge upset."
Date published : 27 Sep 201103:35:33
