Italy can come into the Ireland game with some confidence according to ex-Ireland U20 and Leinster out-half Ian McKinley.
The 24-year-old, who had to retire from rugby after losing sight in one eye, is currently coaching and playing in Italy.
On this week's Monday Rewind, he told Oisin Langan that the Azzurri's November form will give them a boost ahead of the Six Nations opener in Rome.
"They'll really take the form from the last three games and I think they'll use that as much as they can and really try to put in a positive start because the first two games that they have are difficult fixtures. But if they focus on that energy, they should give Ireland a good game," he said.
Italy's strength in the pack has often been cited over the years, as has the lack of a world class No 10.
However, newcomer Kelly Haimona appears to be a promising talent in that position according to McKinley.
"He's a calming presence and he's 28. He has relatively good rugby experience, although maybe not at international level. Definitely in the games that he played, he showed a maturity and calmness," he said, before discussing the development of out-halves and the general game in Italy, as well as worries over an ageing pack.
Listen to the full interview via the Monday Rewind podcast (41 minutes in):
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