Italian rugby coach Nick Mallett was upbeat on Italy's chances of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time despite being drawn in a tough group with Australia and Ireland for the 2011 tournament in New Zealand.
''We're still aiming for the quarters, our goal hasn't changed,'' Mallett said after the draw in London Monday night.
Italy ran Australia close in their recent autumn test matches, producing by far their best performance to have a chance of snatching victory with a late penalty that drifted wide.
Despite losing their last 11 games to the Wallabies, they managed to beat the Southern Hemisphere giants three times in a row in the mid 1990s.
Ireland has an ageing squad and has failed to make the World Cup quarter finals twice so the prospect of an upset is not inconceivable despite Italy's poor displays in its other autumn tests.
Italy Captain Sergio Parisse noted that Ireland had fallen to 8th in the world rugby rankings, only three places above Italy.
But both Mallett and Italy Rugby Federation chief Giancarlo Dondi acknowledged that they ''would have preferred Argentina''.
Despite their recent 22-14 loss on home soil, Italy beat Argentina (ranked 4th in the world) in Argentina in June and their tussles, based around two of the most feared packs in the world, are often close-run things.
Here is the draw for the 2011 rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Pool A
New Zealand
France
Tonga
Americas 1
Asia 1
Pool B
Argentina
England
Scotland
Europe 1
Play-off winner
Pool C
Australia
Ireland
Italy
Europe 2
Americas 2
Pool D
South Africa
Wales
Fiji
Oceania 1
Africa 1
Knockout stages
Quarter Final 1: Winner Pool B v Runner-up Pool A
Quarter Final 2: Winner Pool C v Runner-up Pool D
Quarter Final 3: Winner Pool A v Runner-up Pool B
Quarter Final 4: Winner Pool D v Runner-up Pool C
Semi-Final 1: Winner QF1 v Winner QF2
Semi-Final 2: Winner QF3 v Winner QF4
Bronze Final: Loser SF1 v Loser SF2
Final: Winner SF1 v Winner SF2
Tournament starts on September 10 2011 and ends on October 22
