Ireland limp to victory against inspired Italy

Guinness Six Nations

Italy 17-22 Ireland

Ireland rounded off their Guinness Six Nations campaign with a bonus-point 22-17 win against Italy in Rome, although Simon Easterby’s side will need huge upsets in Cardiff and Paris later today if they’re to win the championship for the third year in a row.

While the defending champions did pick up a fourth win from five games, the small margin of victory at the Olimpico means a win of any kind for England against Wales will see them jump ahead of Ireland in the table, even before France host Scotland at Stade de France.

For large portions of the game Ireland were laboured in their execution in Rome, despite playing 30 minutes of the contest with a man advantage; Italy lost Michele Lamaro to a yellow card before Ross Vintcent followed him with a 20-minute red card just after the break. Giacomo Nicotera was also sin-binned in the final minute for a cheap shot to the head of Peter O’Mahony, which will likely secure him a ban next week.

The narrative before the game was that of Ireland chasing as big a score as they could to put pressure on the later games, but in reality it ended with a relieved Sam Prendergast kicking the ball out of play just to ensure the win.

Monty Ioane’s early try and a penalty for Tommasso Allan had the Italians 10-7 ahead approaching half-time, with Hugo Keenan’s try in between keeping Ireland in touch.

A Dan Sheehan try on half-time put Ireland ahead at the break, and the hooker would go on to score a hat-trick in a man-of-the-match display, but three missed conversions from Jack Crowley saw Italy remain in the contest.

Stephen Varney’s try in the final quarter put a real scare under Ireland, but Ireland just about held on for victory, allowing O’Mahony and Conor Murray end their international careers with a win.

Italy controlled possession in what was a cagey opening, and deservedly took the lead on 11 minutes when Mack Hansen left his wing exposed for Ioane to score the opening try.

It began with a powerful carry by Tommaso Menoncello, who did brilliantly to free the ball and offload to Paolo Garbisi, despite the tackle attempts of Caelan Doris and Dan Sheehan. With Hansen having drifted in off his wing, it left Ioane free on the left touchline, and Garbisi’s grubber into space was latched onto by the winger, who ran in to score, as Tommaso Allan’s conversion gave his side a 7-0 lead.

In the 16th minute Ireland were given a further scare when Menoncello broke through Robbie Henshaw and Jack Crowley off a midfield scrum, only for Josh van der Flier to chase him down in the 22, before the hosts gave up a penalty two phases later.

It took Ireland until the end of the first quarter to get a first real look at the Italian 22, with Crowley kicking a penalty into a promising position, and while they did force their way over the line through Finlay Bealham, the try was disallowed after a TMO referral, which showed the Irish prop making an extra movement on the ground.

It would be short-term relief for the Italians though, as Ireland eventually drew level on 23 minutes when Crowley attacked the line from a five-metre scrum, and his late pass allowed Keenan charge in to score, as the out-half converted to level the game.

The score didn’t particularly settle Ireland. A frustrating spill from James Ryan ended a counter-attack, among six handling errors in the first 30 minutes, while there was another defensive mistake when Gibson-Park bought a dummy off his opposite number Martin Page-Relo.

An Allan penalty saw Italy retake the lead, 10-7, on 33 minutes after Garry Ringrose went offside, and Simon Easterby’s frustrations were obvious in the coaches’ box moments later when Tadhg Beirne conceded a penalty in the Italian 22.

As Ireland continued to look flustered, Italy edged towards a half time lead, before a moment of madness from Lamaro gifted them one final chance to score. The replacement flanker slapped the ball out of Gibson-Park’s hands at a ruck and was swiftly yellow-carded, as Ireland kicked to the corner and mauled over for a second try through Sheehan, although Crowley’s poor conversion flew wide, leaving it 12-10 at the break.

Chasing scores, Ireland came out with better energy after the break, and a piercing run from Hansen and clever inside ball to Ringrose put them on the front-foot, but a poor pass from Doris saw Ryan spill the ball as he attempted to score a try.

Fortunately, Ireland were playing with advantage, and their maul continued to impress, as they drove their way over for another Sheehan try, although Crowley’s conversion was off target again, with Ireland 17-10 ahead on 48 minutes.

Straight from the restart, Italy lost another player to a card, Vintcent shown a yellow – which would soon be upgraded to a 20-minute red – for a dangerous tackle on Keenan. Just as Lamaro was returning from his sin-bin, the home side would have to stay with 14 players.

It looked like Ireland were in for their bonus-point try on 53 minutes when Hansen’s mazy run into the 22 laid the platform for Keenan to get in for his second try, but it would be disallowed after the TMO spotted a knock-on from Doris in the build-up.

By now, Ireland were in complete control, and they did indeed have their bonus-point try four minutes later. It was a mirror-image of Jamie Osborne’s score in Cardiff, with Gibson-Park’s crossfield kick batted down by Hansen in the corner, and Sheehan ran in uncontested to complete his hat-trick and make it 22-10, as Crowley’s frustrations off the tee continued with another missed conversion.

Just as it looked like Ireland were about to kick on, a defensive lapse saw Italy blow the game wide open, as James Lowe shot up in defence to leave Ange Capuozzo free on the wing, and his kick down the line bounced back over the head of the onrushing Hansen, landing perfectly for Varney to score, as Allan converted to make it 22-17 with 17 minutes to play.

There should have been one final Irish try on 72 minutes when James Lowe showed incredible feet to stay infield and offload to Keenan to score, but the try couldn’t be allowed after the assistant referee’s flag went up before the Irish full-back touched down.

In the final minutes it looked like Italy could even snatch the draw, or a win, but Ireland had Lowe to thank when he picked off an intercept on the touchline with two minutes to go.

Italy: Tommaso Allan; Ange Capuozzo, Juan Ignacio Brex (capt), Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Martin Page-Relo; Danilo Fischetti, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Simone Ferrari; Dino Lamb, Federico Ruzza; Sebastian Negri, Manuel Zuliani, Lorenzo Cannone.

Replacements: Giacomo Nicotera (for Vintcent, 68), Mirco Spagnolo (for Fischetti, 56), Giosue Zilocchi (for Ferrari, 56), Niccolo Cannone (for Lamb, 18), Michele Lamaro (for Negri, 29), Ross Vintcent (for Lorenzo Cannone, 29), Stephen Varney (for Page-Relo, 45), Leonardo Marin (for Allan, 75).

Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Jack Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Finlay Bealham; James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne; Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).

Replacements: Gus McCarthy (for Sheehan, 70), Jack Boyle (for Porter, 64), Tadhg Furlong (for Bealham, 46), Joe McCarthy (for Ryan, 46), Peter O’Mahony (for Van der Flier, 52), Conor Murray (for Gibson-Park), Sam Prendergast (for Crowley, 64), Bundee Aki (for Henshaw, 56).

Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)