Ireland 20-13 Italy: Six Nations rugby union – as it happened
Time to sign off with Brendan Fanning’s report from the Aviva Stadium,Thanks for joining us,Until next time …A huge game at Murrayfield, with kick-off in 10 minutes time …Some post-game reaction from Cormac Izuchukwu, via RTÉ,“We needed more fight and edge about us [after losing to France], and we showed that in the second half,It was tough this week, maybe we pushed too much.
Sometimes you try and give 101%, it’s too much,But we have our process, we believe in it,Quick turnaround, but we’ll go again,”And player of the match, Rob Baloucoune: “It’s been three years since my last chance to play Ireland,To make my Six Nations debut, and get a try as well, it’s unbelievable.
Hopefully there’s more to come.Close game, but we got the win.”“It was a brilliant performance from Italy, they didn’t get the win but they backed up the performance after Scotland,” Maggie Alphonsi says on ITV.“I feel for Italy because they didn’t get the result, but next week will be big for them.”Next week, the Azzurri head to Paris for a showdown with France, while Ireland travel to Twickenham to face England.
What a brilliant game! Ireland turned a 10-5 deficit at half-time into a victory that won’t silence every critic, but at least kickstarts their Six Nations campaign.Italy were fantastic and looked to run away with it but Lynagh’s try was chalked off which then sparked the Irish resurgence.Excellent stuff.80+3 min: Turonver! Lowe with the intercept on his own 22! He’s tearing up field.Can he go all the way.
NO! He runs out of steam but they keep the ball alive.They’re forming down the left.Into Italy’s 22.Ireland could pinch a bonus point win! Italy stray off side on the scramble.They give away a penalty.
Game over but not quite because Ireland want it all with a four try bonus point.80+2: Italy still hammering the line from the line-out.10 phases.22 metres short.Ireland’s defence, with Ringrose leading it, holding firm.
80 min: Penalty for Italy as Ireland slowed the ball down illegally,Garbisi makes a proper mess of his touch finder but find touch he does,About seven metres short of the line,One last chance for a draw,79 min: Garbisi kicks a ball off the floor and chases.
But Ireland mop up.They’re five out from their own line where they clear.Italy back on the ball.30 metres out.Now 22.
Can they do it? Seems they’ve run out of puff.Ireland’s defence looking strong.78 min: Ireland’s scrum holds firm.That might have been their best scrum of the match.That allows Osborne to catch the pass under no pressure and launch a big clearance kick.
Italy have to come back from 40 metres out,77 min: Italy win the line-out and Garbisi chips over the rush defence and Menoncello almost grabs it! But he can’t,Oh, so close! He spills and Ireland clear,But they knock on,Scrum for Ireland under the shade of their own poles.
Can Italy force a penalty here? They can’t go early.75 min: Penalty for Italy after Menoncello, for the millionth time, broke from midfield, forcing the covering defence to scramble.Not sure who, but an Irish defender strayed off side as he tried to pinch the ball.That means Garbisi can kick for touch.Not quite to the corner but they have the line-out just inside Ireland’s 22.
They can’t rumble over from here,Too far out,Ireland probably have the freedom to compete for the ball,74 min: Up to the Irish 22 thanks to neat work from Lynagh cutting in off his right wing,Garbisi keeps it ticking.
Now Garbisi kicks high into the 22,It’s a 50/50 that lands for Ireland and Gibson-Park clears,Ireland’s defence is holding firm,Getting close to now or never for Italy who have the line-out between halfway and Ireland’s 22,71 min: Italy were going nowhere from their own half so Garbisi hoisted a speculative kick.
Lowe gathered but the ball went loose and Italy had it back with Odogwu.Now they’re inside Ireland’s half and trying to find a crack in the green wall.70 min: Warm applause for the Irish second rower, Edwin Edogbo, who comes on to make his Test debut.A lot of work to do.A forward pass as Ireland were mounting something threatening down the left means we’ll have an Italian scrum deep in their own patch.
They’ll want a penalty to kick long.69 min: Gibson-Park, take a bow.He has just unfurled a majestic box kick that lands in space and rolls out of touch in the corner.Sublime.That pins Italy right back in their own patch.
Before that, Italy were looking slick on the ball until Ruzza spilled in contact.Ireland playing this game where they want it played.Italy choose to take the three and Garbisi nails a kick under immense pressure! They needed to score twice but first so it was the right decision.But if he missed that, that might have been the game.He didn’t.
Cool as you like.65 min: Another monstrous Italian scrum ends with a penalty.Furlong pops up as he’s folded in half.Not sure the legendary prop has expereinecd that too often.64 min: Now it’s time for Italy to respond.
They kick deep from the restart and manage to smother Osborne, holding him up and forcing the turnover,We’ll have an Italian scrum on Ireland’s 22,very short blind to the right,Allesandro Garbisi is on and will feed the ball,Ireland are taking control of this! Since the Lynagh try was scrapped it’s been all Ireland.
They have romped to a deserving 10 point lead.62 min: Ireland are under the Italian poles and have another advantage.Ringrose has come into this game.He’s everywhere.With the advantage, Gibson-Park looks for Lowe on the left wing with a raking cross-field kick, but he doesn’t get it right.
No matter, the easy three will be taken by Crowley.60 min: Ireland are on it! Italy spill the ball from their own line-out and Ireland spark a move down the line.Quick passes and swift hands has it with Osborne who lands a kick deep into Italian territory.Lowe is after it and putting pressure on Ioane.Italy almost over play but just about get away thanks to Menoncello’s hack that doesn’t clear the 22.
Ireland will have the throw with momentum truly with them,What,A,TRY! My word,Ireland, that is what you’re capable of.
Crowley is on for Prendergast and, I have to say, things have started to click.Lowe heavily involved.Ryan with a big carry and the flood of Irish green jerseys forward was irresistible.With an advantage McCloskey passed to Baloucoune as if he were a quarterback in the NFL.He found the winger off his line and the finish from about 15 metres away was something.
All strength, all speed and a long reach to dot down,The extras are landed and Ireland now have some breathing room,56 min: This is madness,End to end,Both teams throwing the kitchen sink at each other.
Zuliani made a break after gathering a loos ball,Then Menoncello dropped it under pressure,Ireland kicked away their advantage so Ioane countered and found Fusco in support,Menconcello then had it again and attempted an outrageous off load after being tackled and almost found Lynagh but the winger ran out of space as the ball dribbled out,Irish throw to the line just inside their own half on the left
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