Ireland are ready to build momentum against Italy on the back of France’s stunning victory in their Six Nations opener, as Andy Farrell demands: We want more!

• Ireland defeated France 38-17 in Marseille last week.
• Head coach Farrell expressed his desire for the team to further develop.
• Ireland face Italy in Dublin on Sunday afternoon with what is expected to be a resounding victory.

Manager Andy Farrell wants more from Ireland after last week’s sensational Six Nations opener against France, and Italy will bear the brunt of that ambition at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Farrell made six changes to Italy’s squad for the match against Marseille, three of whom were sidelined with injuries. Taj Furlong and Peter O’Mahony were ruled out due to calf injuries, while Bundy Aki was rested due to concerns about his knee.

Finlay Bealham, Ryan Baird and Stuart McCloskey are among the beneficiaries, along with Craig Casey, James Ryan and Jack Conan.

A stunning victory for Ireland looks certain as the Italians were hampered by injury as they failed to defeat a pedestrian England in Rome in the first round.

But even with the disastrous effort that embarrassed France, the desire to get better and improve worries Farrell.

“You know, I’m not disrespectful to anybody. It’s not my style, but honestly, it’s who we are,” Farrell said this weekend, asking if overconfidence is dangerous. He asked and said:

“It’s about the progress we’ve made since last week and the expectations we have within our own four walls and, as I always say, how we do in every part of our game. It’s an expectation of knowing how to kick.”

“It’s real and it’s there. It’s clear to us the level we need to reach, not only on the field but also off the field.”

Caelan Doris captained the team for the first time in O’Mahony’s absence, with the Leinster No. 8 earning his 38th cap, this time as an openside flanker.

He was one of the standout players against France, but Baird and Connan joined him in the All-Lein Stars, as Farrell pointed out that this was one area of ​​potential gains in the Ireland game. The back-row will be expected to lead another breakdown masterclass. Even better.

When asked where there was room for improvement, he answered, “It’s tough.” “Last week’s breakdown and lineout were great, but it can be even better. It’s possible and we can see the evidence of that.

“Paul (O’Connell) did a review/preview yesterday and our breakdown against France was huge. But just because it’s important, you don’t think we’re rubbish in that area. You’ll end those five minutes thinking that it is.

“It’s important to show people what it means to strive to be better. It was a hard enough week. When you get a win like that, you think, ‘No, I’m not at that level.’ Body.

“Hopefully, our ambition will drive us to continue to aim to be better in any case.”

Sunday’s game will be Ireland’s first home match since their World Cup debut in August.

In France, the bond between team and supporters grew even stronger, and a famous night at the Stade de France became an unforgettable memory.

Italy’s match is unlikely to be that spectacular, especially since it is a Sunday afternoon kick-off and manager Farrell believes Italy will be durable and as realistic as they need to be. right.

The head coach said, “Hopefully we can get them excited in a way that will get us ready for the game.”

“I think our fans are educated enough to understand the difference between a good team and a team that isn’t as threatening to us as Italy on Sunday.

“I think everyone who watched last week’s game knows they’re going to be a threat, and I think our fans will definitely be rooting for our team.”

“The players have been talking this week about our first (home) game since the World Cup warm-up and are looking forward to it.”

Five substitutes have been called up, with Jeremy Rahman, Tom O’Toole, Ian Henderson, Harry Byrne and Jordan Larmour all coming in.

It’s a tough decision for Ciaran Frawley, who was one of two backline substitutes at Marseille after Farrell split the bench with six forwards and two backs.

Sunday saw a return to a more traditional five-on-three division between forwards and backs, with Byrne filling in at out half and utility back Frawley absent.

Jack Crowley’s retention is no surprise, but now confirms his status as first-choice out-half. Byrne has been touted as a future talent for years, but injuries have derailed his efforts to break out.

The battle for a spot in Round 23 between him, Frawley and Byrne’s currently injured brother Ross is likely to continue for some time.

Farrell said of Frawley’s absence: “We all know that ideally he would be covering off the bench, not just covering off the bench, but with the right to start the game.” Ta. “I’m sure he will prove in training that he can do it.

“Having said that, Harry did fantastically in training. He was excellent against Leicester, his last game for Leinster, and I thought he was a good player to come off the bench.

“When you have a player like Harry who can push in the number 10 and another position, it’s probably tough enough to remove him from the position at this stage of his international career, so that tends to dictate whether it’s Ciaran or not. There is.”

“Probably what keeps the competition going is that the teen teams compete. We have to try to find opportunities for others as well.”

Garry Ringrose was not considered, but the manager hinted that he expects all absent players to be fit for the match against Wales on February 24th.