Preview: Cutting out errors vital as Ireland chase first win

Ireland and Italy face off tomorrow afternoon in the TikTok Six Nations over 80 minutes at Musgrave Park.

With no win for either team after two rounds there's a lot on the line.

The going will be firm, with the artificial surface at the Cork ground, which hosts a senior women's international for the first time.

Italy, World Cup-bound later this year, have already faced the tournament front-runners in France and England, losing 39-6 and 74-0 respectively.

That’s what happens when a novice races in Grade 1 company.

The hosts, meanwhile, lost 40-5 against France last week and opened up with a 27-19 defeat at home to Wales.

With Ireland’s sevens contingent to leave the XVs camp after this game ahead of ties with England and Scotland, this appears to be their best chance at a win.

Does that mean extra pressure?

"I think for any good team, the pressure comes on yourself and your own individual performance," says head coach Greg McWilliams.

"We need to focus on what we are trying to get better at.

"The better we get, the more external pressure and demand for a win will come on us.

"So, I think we need to focus on what we are trying to do to get better and put in a really good performance around what are going to be key tenets for us.

"We talk about set-piece, territory, looking after the ball. If we can get those things right or at least better this week, I think you'll see an exciting game.

"We do want to get that win but we don't focus on the win. That's next to irrelevant, we focus on all the small things that will make that happen."

The small things are, of course, the big things.

Anything like a repeat of last week’s 27 handling errors and repeated scrum and lineout failures will result in an Italian win for just the third time in 19