Ireland wing Tommy Bowe has predicted a fast-paced game against Italy © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Tommy Bowe

Tournaments/Tours: Six Nations

Teams: Ireland | Italy

Ireland winger Tommy Bowe has predicted a fast-and-furious pace for this weekend's clash with Italy at the Stadio Flaminio.

Bowe and his fellow back-three members Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald were on song against France last weekend, but the Ospreys wing knows that the Italians will present a host of problems on their home patch, despite their poor performance against England at Twickenham.

"I think it's definitely going to be a fast game against the Italians," said Bowe. "You can't take anything for granted against them either. They bring a new line speed with 'blitzers' coming at you from everywhere.

"However, I think it's a great opportunity for us to hopefully get a bit of ball in hand. If we can get the sort of set-piece that the forwards gave us at the weekend (against France), I think it's going to be a very exciting time for us as backs to really take them on out wide and, hopefully, come away with a few tries."

Bowe played a crucial role in Ireland's opening try against France last weekend, splitting their defence before No.8 Jamie Heaslip crashed over. The game was nip-and-tuck throughout, with Ireland showing fine nerve to scrap to victory against a strong French side.

"The French were so dangerous but at different stages I think we were able to show our own dangers as well," said Bowe. "It's great to play in a match like that - it was so tight at different stages but, at the same time, we won well in the end. I think we were quite convincing and there are still areas we can improve on as well."

Bowe made the switch from Ulster to Welsh side Ospreys at the beginning of the season, and has grown to admire his team-mates including Wales stars Lee Byrne and IRB World Player of the Year Shane Williams.

"Shane is a class act," Bowe said. "For someone who isn't a very big size, he can leave you planted on your two feet and could be gone like that. It's been great for me to go over there, train with him, chat to him about different wing play, give him my opinion on things, while he is also generous with his opinions with me.

"Then you have someone who is a total different size like Nikki Walker. At 6ft 4in, he's lightning-quick. He doesn't look as fast as Shane but would be just as fast. It's great to have both ends. To be able to train with him you just see how classy he really is."

Bowe also maintained that he had not seriously considered the possibility of an Ireland v Wales Six Nations decider at the Millennium Stadium on March 21.

"We'll leave that to the press to think about that!" he quipped. "I had a bit of banter with Shane but that's at the back of our minds at the minute. However, if it did come down to that match, for me personally it would be the biggest game of the year for me to come up against those boys; to beat them over there would be something else and would be as good as then going to Thomond Park in a couple of weeks and beating the Munster boys there (in the Heineken Cup quarter final).

"I think it's do-able on both counts but, on the back of my mind at the minute, are Italy. They're the number one priority at the moment and it's a match that can't be taken lightly."