James Haskell: Italians can cause chaos

Smash and grab: Sergio Parisse crashes through Ireland’s Sean O’Brien in Italy last weekend
10 April 2012

Flanker James Haskell today warned England they face a powerful Italian team capable of causing havoc in Saturday's RBS Six Nations clash at Twickenham.

Having helped defeat Wales 29-16 in Cardiff, Haskell is desperate to hang on to the No7 jersey he wore and is hoping his knowledge of key Italian players will work in his favour when team manager Martin Johnson announces the side on Thursday.

Haskell is well qualified to talk about the threat posed by the Italians as he plays club rugby alongside Sergio Parisse, the Azzurri captain, and until the start of this season with the Bergamasco brothers, Mauro and Mirco.

This season, Mirco took the unusual step of leaving Stade Francais to join Paris rivals Racing Metro.

Haskell watched on television as Italy were unlucky to lose 13-11 to Ireland, and said: "These Italian guys are really top players and every time they pull on the national jersey they go very close to turning over one of the so called big teams in the Six Nations.

"They have achieved significant wins in the past and we know it is going to be a very physical battle. They like to cause chaos at the break down."

Despite helping England to a morale-boosting win over Wales, Haskell knows he faces a fight to stay in the starting XV. The 25-year-old was given the job of being combative at the breakdown, where Sam Warburton, of Wales, had a good game.

Now, Hendre Fourie, the Leeds open-side flanker, has proved his return to fitness after a calf problem and will be right at the heart of England's back-row deliberations with skipper Lewis Moody still missing.

With Italy hell bent on committing as many players as possible to the breakdown to slow opposition ball, it is vital for England to have a player well versed in the art of getting hands on the ball after a tackle and forcing turnovers.

Haskell added: "Sometimes you get more from winning dirty than blowing an opposition team away and the win in Cardiff was very pleasing.

"It was very important we didn't start slowly against Wales and that was something we identified as a problem from the November Test matches.

"Let's hope we can repeat our quick start and, while it wasn't world-beating stuff in Cardiff, it's now about backing up that performance and I hope I am going to be involved."

Italy are closely monitoring the fitness of captain Parisse, who has a worrying hand injury, sustained in the narrow loss to Ireland. Parisse would be good enough to win a starting place in any international team and the Azzurri struggled without their leading star in last season's Six Nations while he was recovering cruciate ligament damage suffered in training with Stade.

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