Patchy Ireland pull through in Rome as Italy provide stern test of credentials

When the cameras panned on to Ireland’s assistant coaches, Mike Catt looked fairly calm, whereas Simon Easterby seemed close to chewing his fingers off. This was definitely a game to be enjoyed more by attacking than defensive coaches, and by extension a very engaged crowd.

Ireland were always likely to play somewhat patchily given the loss of half a dozen frontliners and despite remaining on course for both the Guinness Six Nations title and the Grand Slam with a third bonus-point win, so it proved.

Garry Ringrose was particularly missed in defence, with Ireland missing 27 tackles in all, while some of their play was frantic and, at times, needlessly ill-disciplined. The control and game management of Jamison Gibson-Park and, until he came come on, Conor Murray, was also missed, as well, of course, as Johnny Sexton.

With Paolo Garbisi back to pull the strings with his passing range, this Italian side are nothing if not entertaining to watch, matching Ireland for line breaks, and it was ultimately something of an achievement and a surprise that Ireland restricted them to just two tries – one of which was an intercept.

That said, Italy came within a whisker of drawing level in the 68th minute after another penetrating attack ended with Juan Ignacio Brex overcooking a crosskick for Niccolò Cannone.

While it added to the entertainment, Ireland emulated Italy in playing too much rugby in their own half and were also indebted to another superlative performance by Josh van der Flier. The openside’s typically tiresome work rate was also augmented by some hugely important defensive reads, work at the breakdown and carries, often at moments when Ireland needed a lift.

Some of Ireland’s attacking play was excellent, and James Lowe a constant menace, while Mack Hansen scored two tries and Hugo Keenan performed as strongly as ever. The bench had a good impact too, notably Murray and Ryan Baird.

There’s always something slightly giddy about Irish games at the Stadio Olimpico, and this applied even more after a four-year hiatus without crowds. There certainly appeared to be a good deal more Irish than the 5,000 which the FIR had estimated from their ticket sales.

Both supporters joined in a Mexican wave around the 25-minute mark, and for once this was not brought about by boredom. Far from it.

The tone for a loose, opening game was set by a particularly wild opening quarter, which featured four line breaks apiece. Both sides produced some well-choreographed running lines and intricate passing, but were equally culpable for falling off tackles.

Bundee Aki reverted to outside centre for the first time in some while alongside Stuart McCloskey in a new, makeshift midfield and had, it has to be said, an eventful game. Aki accounted for four of Ireland’s 18 missed tackles in the first half, and also coughed up the intercept for Italy’s second try, but as well as scoring one try he also had a creative hand in two more.

It certainly would have been a duller game without him.

There wasn’t a break in play for the opening 84 seconds, as Keenan ran back a Garbisi kick and Van der Flier took a lovely line off Aki’s short pass, but Lowe lost control of the ball just as he was attempting to slam the ball down.

Next moment, focused as ever, Ireland ran back the goal-line restart and Aki offloaded out of two tackles to release Lowe again up the touchline and his no-look pass inside found the supporting James Ryan, of all people, for the captain’s fifth Test try. The odds on him being opening try scorer were 45-1.

Within five minutes Giacomo Nicotera pulled the ball back for Garbisi to hit Cannone, who sped on to the ball with a lovely line, breaking out of Aki’s covering tackle before behind hauled down short of the line. Stephen Varney was alert to the possibilities when sniping over from the quick recycle before any pillar defenders could be set.

A nice strike move off a lineout saw Van der Flier feed Craig Casey and Ross Byrne pulled the ball back for Hansen’s quick hands to put Aki through a hole. He linked with Keenan who rode the poor tackles of Pierre Bruno and Garbisi to score under the posts.

Italy’s ambition and threat remained, Ange Capuozzo floating a wonderful pass on the counter to set Tommaso Menoncello away and when he was nudged by Hansen after kicking ahead, Garbisi landed the penalty.

But their ambition was undone when Lowe intercepted and from the ensuing attack Van der Flier took a lovely line on to McCloskey’s pass and then fed Lowe, whose no-look pass inside allowed Aki to complete a good finish in the corner.

The bonus-point try emanated from a more traditional route, penalties, catch-and-drive and route one off tap penalties to create the space for Casey and McCloskey to put Hansen over in the corner.

However, next it was Ireland’s turn to be punished for their ambition with the last attack of the half-time, with the clock in the red, off a lineout when Aki’s attempted pullback for Byrne on the wrap was read by Bruno for a 60-metre intercept try. So, it was a one-score game at half-time.

On the resumption, Ireland failed to convert another foothold and create more daylight between the sides with some blunt attacking before Cannone beat Caelan Doris to Rónan Kelleher’s throw to the front of the lineout. Furthermore, after Andrew Porter’s block on Brex enabled Garbisi to trim the Irish lead to four, Aki had a try chalked off for a slight knock-on as he hit the deck.

Van der Flier’s line speed and Baird’s strength over ball led to Byrne restoring the seven-point lead. Another potent Italian move should have seen them go in front but Brex’s crosskick was overcooked for Cannone.

Instead, Murray marked his timely introduction when, after a sustained 18-phase attack in which Doris featured prominently, he sniped and offloaded inside for Hansen to beat the last man and finally seal the win as Ireland completed a third win with a multiphase try inside the last 10 minutes.

Far, far from perfect, but their fitness and ability execute when fatigued shone through again.

SCORING SEQUENCE – 3 mins: Ryan try 0-5; 7: Varney try, Garbisi con 7-5; 13: Keenan try, Byrne con 7-12; 19: Garbisi pen 10-12; 20: Aki try, Byrne con 10-19; 35: Hansen try 10-24; 40+1: Bruno try, Garbisi con 17-24; (half-time 17-24); 56: Garbisi pen 20-24; 65: Byrne pen 20-27; 71: Hansen try, Byrne con 20-34.

ITALY: Ange Capuozzo (Toulouse); Edoardo Padovani (Benetton), Juan Ignacio Brex (Benetton), Tommaso Menoncello (Benetton), Pierre Bruno (Zebre Parma); Paolo Garbisi (Montpellier), Stephen Varney (Gloucester); Danilo Fischetti (London Irish), Giacomo Nicotera (Benetton), Simone Ferrari (Benetton); Niccolò Cannone (Benetton), Federico Ruzza (Benetton); Sebastian Negri (Benetton), Michele Lamaro (Benetton, capt), Lorenzo Cannone (Benetton).

Replacements: Luca Bigi (Zebre Parma) for Nicotera (31-40 mins and 61); Marco Riccioni (Saracens) for Ferrari, Marco Riccioni (Saracens) for Ferrari (both 47), Federico Zani (Benetton) for Fischetti (61); Edoardo Iachizzi (Vannes, Fra) for N Cannone, Giovanni Pettinelli (Benetton) for L Cannone (both 65); Alessandro Fusco (Zebre Parma) for Varney (68), Tommaso Allan (Harlequins) for Garbisi (72), Luca Morisi (London Irish) for Menoncello (78).

IRELAND: Hugo Keenan (Leinster); Mack Hansen (Connacht), Bundee Aki (Connacht), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), James Lowe (Leinster); Ross Byrne (Leinster), Craig Casey (Munster); Andrew Porter (Leinster), Rónan Kelleher (Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht); Iain Henderson (Ulster), James Ryan (Leinster, capt); Caelan Doris (Leinster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster), Jack Conan (Leinster).

Replacements: Tom O’Toole (Ulster) for Bealham (37 mins); Ryan Baird (Leinster) for Henderson (53); Dan Sheehan (Leinster) for Kelleher, Peter O’Mahony (Munster) for Conan (both 57), Dave Kilcoyne (Munster) for Porter, Conor Murray (Munster) for Casey (both 65), Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster) for McCloskey (72), Jack Crowley (Munster) (78).

Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland).