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Why Ireland could be undone by Croker choker

  • Jim Stokes - BBC Northern Ireland Sport
  • 8 Feb 07, 03:39 PM

j_stokes_6666.gifire_badge.gifDublin – La France, un accueil chaleureux au parc de Croke.

Gauls against Gaels at the cathedral of Irish sport where this weekend a little bit of history will be recorded.

The French are certainly accustomed to what Dublin itself has to offer, and were well used to the concrete mausoleum that was Lansdowne Road with its shifting, swirling winds.

However, the little corner in the north of the city may surprise, or even shock the visitors. They’ll enjoy themselves, but hopefully not too much on the green acreage around Jones’s Road!

Yes, Les Bleus do like to embrace their rugby in the purest sense, particularly on hard, perfect surfaces with wide open spaces like the one that will be offered on Sunday.

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Crucial times for the Azzurri

  • Mark Orlovac - BBC Sport journalist
  • 8 Feb 07, 03:11 PM

m_orlavac_6666.gif eng_badge.gifIt must be pretty difficult being an Italian sports fan at the moment.

Serie A is again in chaos following the death of a policeman in riots last weekend (which followed last year’s massive corruption scandal) while the rugby team were thumped 39-3 by France in their opening Six Nations game.

So to judge the Azzurri mood ahead of Saturday’s clash against England at Twickenham, I spoke to the rugby correspondent of Gazzetta dello Sport, Andrea Buongiovanni.

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