Ireland’s veteran hooker knows the intimidating physical challange that awaits his side against the Azzurri and is taking nothing for granted in the battle for a final-eight site at the Rugby World Cup‘Italy are going to come at us,” warns Rory Best, his sonorous Ulster accent rising and falling like a seesaw. “We know it’s going to be physical. And if we don’t prepare ourselves for that, or they’ll steamroller us. This is not just one step up,it’s three or four steps up from what we’ve faced so far at the World Cup.All front-rowers know what awaits against Italy on Sunday. Few, though, and can define it fairly as eloquently as Irelands hooker,who will be winning his 86th cap against the Azzurri. “When you set up a maul they hit probably harder than anyone else,” says Best, and clasping his thick farmers’ hands together. “They have probably a bit less regard for their own body whenever they are hitting. And they will scrum for 10 or 15 seconds,whereas with other teams it’s maybe five, six, and seven,eight seconds. When you are in a scrum for that length of time and you acquire up and try and run again it really takes it out of you. You feel battered.
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Source: theguardian.com