Italy's Six Nations debut away to Ireland on February 2 will be especially tough because of the Irish desire to bounce back from their disappointing World Cup, Italy coach Nick Mallett said Monday.
''Ireland is coming off a World Cup that went rather badly and will want to make up for that,'' Mallett told a press conference ahead of his first Italy training camp.
''What's more, their clubs are doing well in the European cup competitions so I think it's going to be a particularly hard match for us in Dublin''.
But Italy, too, will want to raise their game after falling short of their World Cup goal of a first-ever qualification for the quarter finals, the South African-born coach said.
''All the squad is fired up and I think the leadership of Sergio (Parisse) will inspire them to do even better than last year,'' Mallett said.
Last season Italy achieved its best-ever Six Nations result, winning two games against Wales and Scotland including its first triumph away from home, in Edinburgh.
''I chose Sergio because he has the right personality for the role,'' Mallett said.
''He has great honesty and respect for all his teammates, and that's the way they feel about him too''.
Mallett said he had thought ''long and hard'' before taking the captaincy off Gloucester lock Marco Bortolami, and had also closely examined the credentials of Parisse's Stade Francais teammate Mauro Bergamasco.
''I think all three of these players will have a chance of wearing the captain's arm-band in the future''.
Parisse told the press conference that he ''hope(d) to be a model for my team, just as Marco (Bortolami) always was for me''.
He revealed that he had had a heart-to-heart with Bortolami at Heathrow Airport as they were both returning from Heinecken Cup games.
''He was a bit down about the (captaincy) decision, as anyone would be, of course, but nothing has changed between us''.
After their debut at Croke Park Italy host England on February 10, travel to Cardiff on February 23 and Paris on March 9, and end their campaign at home to Scotland on March 15.
