'We want to play to the space' - Cooney eyes up Italy

Ahead of their round-three Under-20s Six Nations clash with Italy, Ireland centre Hugh Cooney says the team is learning as they go and can see improvements all the time.

Richie Murphy's side have already recorded two wins, 44-27 away to Wales and 33-31 in Musgrave Park against France, and sit in second place in the table on nine points, one behind England.

Despite losses to France and England, the young Azzurri side's pack come with a formidable reputation but Cooney says they won't necessarily get drawn into battle there just to prove a point.

"There is a lot of focus on their pack," said Cooney ahead of Friday night's tie at the Stadio Monigo (7.15pm, live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player).

"They are big, big ball players but we have a big pack too.

"We definitely think that we can take them on, we have the quality.

"We want to play to the space, if that's up front or out on the edges, we will play to where the space is.

"That’s the plan. We don’t want to be pack-focused, forward-focused, it is just when the opportunity presents itself we will play."

On the intensity of the grade, the former Blackrock College student says: "It is a step up from school. Defensively, it is not as easy as it was at school.

"It is definitely up a level from what I have experienced before. I played Ireland Under-19s last year, two Test against France (in Belfast and Templeville Road).

"It's a step up in terms of coaching and the amount of time we have put into it. I didn’t expect that.

"We stepped up from the Wales game and the France game we were much better as a unit defending. A few little fixes and it showed.

"Those small fixes that we implemented helped us in the France game.

"The Wales game, it was more a case of the momentum just changed, we had more of