IRELAND vs ITALY
TEAM NEWS
Ireland: R Kearney; Trimble, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, D Kearney; Sexton, Murray; Healy, Best, Ross, Toner, O'Connell, Henderson, Henry, Heaslip.
Replacements: Cronin, McGrath, Moore, Ruddock, Murphy, Reddan, Jackson, McFadden.
Italy: McLean; Esposito, Campagnaro, Garcia, Sarto; Orquera, Tebaldi; De Marchi, Ghiraldini, Castrogiovanni, Geldenhuys, Bortolami, Furno, Derbyshire, Barbieri.
Replacements: Giazzon, Rizzo, Cittadini, Pavanello, Vosawai, Gori, Allan, Masi.
A couple of records today as Brian O'Driscoll sets a new record at 140 caps today (inclusive of 8 for the Lions), one ahead of Australian legend George Gregan.
Italian prop Martin Castrogiovanni sets a new national record of 105 caps.
Time on and Italy gets us under way...
Just over 6 minutes on the clock and the Irish break through the Italian ranks, O'Driscoll with a pass to Sexton and Jonathan Sexton gets the try, and an easy conversion,
7-0 up.
The Italians are not going to gift it to the Irish though and a decent spell from them but still a lot of defending, and that's a lucky escape as the Irish edge closer to the line again, only to knock on and give advantage to Italy who get the ball away downfield.
Christ on a stick, turn over after turn over and the Italians make a break out wide, Ireland miss the tackle and the winger Leonardo Sarto runs under the posts for a try, Luciano Orquera with an easy conversion,
7-7, that should wake the Irish up...
A break on the blind side by Ireland and it's held up on the try line, but Italy give a penalty away, Sexton with the kick to make it
10-7.
I'll have some of whatever the Italians took pre-game as they are now taking the game to the Irish, this is not going to plan at all, as far as Ireland is concerned.
The Irish have woken up and catch Italy on the hop a bit but Italy manages to stop the flow, but an O'Driscoll pass out to Andrew Trimble sees him dummy his man and over for the try, Sexton with the extra 2pts and a ten point lead, and that takes us nicely to the end of the half...
HALF TIME: IRELAND 17-7 ITALY
If you fancy Italy to come out and get the 4th try, you'll get 9/2, much better than the 2/11 offered for Ireland... Ireland though will definitely come out strong in the 2nd half and I wonder if Italy can keep up with the tempo for the next 40 minutes. -23.5 for Ireland still looks on the cards.
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Welsh ref Nigel Owens blows to get the 2nd half under way, if it's as fast paced as the 1st then we're in for a real treat.
lol, a scuffle on the field but nothing more serious than a wedgie
, the ref checks and warns both teams...
More pressure from the Irish and they take a quick penalty which results in Cian Healy pushing through for the try, Sexton cannot make it 4 from 4 as he pushes it wide left, but still a healthier
22-7 lead.
Ireland are giving it all, and they have to as the Italians are making them, and once again O'Driscoll hands off a ball to get it wide, and Sexton gets his 2nd try, utter silence in the stadium as he attempts the conversion which he misses,
27-7. O'Driscoll is taken off to rapturous applause from all.
You daren't take your eyes off this game for a second, the Italians look as if they're getting tired but they are defending solidly, however you can only defend for so long and they give the ball away again which the grateful Sean Cronin takes it over the line out wide, another try, and this time it's the replacement Paddy Jackson who makes the conversion for a
34-7 lead. That -23.5 handicap looks much better now, back to winning ways for me I hope...
The Italians can't keep the Irish out as Fergus McFadden pushes through to stretch over the line close to the posts and that give Jackson another easy conversion,
41-7
There's the
MOM announcement and no surprise it goes to
Brian O'Driscoll, and that's a popular decsision...
The 80 minutes are up and Ireland wants more points, they want o put a big gap between them and their chasing opponents in the championship, and they do get another try courtesy of Jack McGrath, but no conversion...
FULL TIME: IRELAND 46-7 ITALY
Well that puts Ireland squarely in the driving seat now with a +81 points difference and assures another hard game against France in Paris next week.
But kudos to Italy, they played really hard and were unlucky to go into the break 10 points down, they deserved a better looking scoreline than this....
So that's 1 win from 1 for me today, let's hope Scotland vs France gives me good news too....