IRELAND FULL-BACK GEORDAN Murphy has a novel idea for distracting Italy prop Martin Castrogiovanni during the sides’ crucial World Cup clash on Sunday – leave a plate of chips by the side of the pitch.

The Leicester Tigers clubmates are good pals off the field and even co-own an Italian restaurant together, with Murphy observing Castrogiovanni’s monster appetite at close quarters.

“I’m thinking of leaving some baskets of chips in the corners,” Murphy told reporters on Wednesday.

“That should do it. The amount he eats, it should distract him quite nicely.”

Murphy revealed that the ‘banter’ is very much mutual ahead of the game at Dunedin’s Otago Stadium, and that the husky Azzurri star has had plenty to say himself.

“The closer the game gets, I’m receiving more and more text messages from him,” Murphy said.

“I had one now just as I was walking through the door. He swears a lot at me in Italian and he’s trying to teach me all the bad words.

“I’m not going to repeat them.”

Italy have lost their last 15 clashes with Ireland, including every Six Nations game between the two countries, leaving Declan Kidney’s men as strong favourites going into the weekend’s tussle.

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