One former All Black, John Kirwan, has replaced another former All Black, Brad Johnstone, as coach of Italy.

Johnstone, who took over from Georges Coste in January 2000, has a very un-All Black record that has tested the patience of the notoriously impatient Italian sporting media.

Under Johnstone's command Italy have won just five victories in 27 games. In the Six Nations they have been whitewashed in their last two campaigns and have lost 14 successive matches since their debut win over Scotland.

Kirwan, a member of the 1987 World Cup-winning team, has been Johnstone's assistant in the last year

The Italian federation last night also confirmed that they have arranged an interna tional against the world champions, Australia, in Genoa next November, a daunting task for a side whose two wins last year came against Uruguay and Fiji.

Kirwan will take charge of Italy until the end of next year's World Cup in Australia. The former wing scored 35 tries in 63 Tests, including a memorable 90-metre solo effort in New Zealand's 70-6 demolition of Italy in their opening 1987 World Cup match.

The 37-year-old Kirwan played club rugby in Italy during the 1980s, is married to an Italian, has a house in the rugby heartland of Treviso and unlike Johnstone, he speaks Italian fluently.

Meanwhile, a former New Zealand rugby league international, Henry Paul, is on the Gloucester bench for tomorrow's Parker Pen European Shield semi-final against Sale at Northampton.

Gloucester's director of rugby, Nigel Melville, has made changes in his midfield, but none of the alterations include Paul.

Pontypridd are one of Welsh rugby's form clubs but they face an uphill task against the Powergen Cup winners, London Irish, in the other semi-final at Oxford tonight. "It was a marvellous day at Twickenham, but now we are focused on Pontypridd," said Irish's Welsh international lock Steve Williams.

Williams is well aware that Pontypridd's collection of unsung figures could cause an upset. "I might not know all the current Pontypridd players," he said, "but I do know everything about the Pontypridd attitude, their pride in the jersey and playing for the club."

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