Ireland survived an almighty scare to claim a hard-fought 20-13 victory over Italy at the Aviva Stadium, but this unconvincing performance will do little to silence the growing concerns surrounding Andy Farrell’s side ahead of next week’s trip to Twickenham.
Key moments:
11′ – YELLOW CARD ITALY: Louis Lynagh is shown yellow for a deliberate knock-on after flinging out a hopeful arm to intercept Sam Prendergast’s looping pass. James Lowe was unmarked behind him with a clear run to the line, making the decision straightforward for referee Hollie Davidson (Ireland 0-0 Italy)
17′ – TRY IRELAND: Jamie Osborne opens the scoring after patient phase play. Stuart McCloskey spins through contact and produces a sublime offload just before hitting the deck, finding the onrushing full-back who coasts over untouched. Prendergast inexplicably misses the conversion from directly in front of the posts (Ireland 5-0 Italy)
20′ – PENALTY ITALY: Paolo Garbisi gets the Azzurri on the board after Cormac Izuchukwu is penalised for hands in the air at a lineout. A cheap penalty to concede immediately after scoring (Ireland 5-3 Italy)
25′ – ITALY REPRIEVE: Lorenzo Pani demonstrates his attacking threat, chipping over the Irish defence and beating Sam Prendergast’s tackle before racing into the 22. His offload to the unmarked Michele Lamaro is fumbled with the try line begging — a moment that will haunt the Italian captain (Ireland 5-3 Italy)
32′ – YELLOW CARD IRELAND: Craig Casey is sin-binned for an upright tackle that results in head contact with Lorenzo Cannone. The diminutive scrum-half comes off worse in the collision, sporting a bloodied nose, but the letter of the law is applied. The bunker review confirms no upgrade to red (Ireland 5-3 Italy)
33′ – TRY ITALY: The Azzurri capitalise immediately on their numerical advantage. From the resulting lineout, Italy’s forwards establish a rumbling maul that Ireland simply cannot repel. Giacomo Nicotera breaks away from the back to touch down as Italian celebrations erupt. Garbisi converts from the touchline to give the visitors a deserved lead (Ireland 5-10 Italy)
40′ – SCRUM DOMINANCE: Italy win a thunderous scrum penalty on Ireland’s own put-in, the pack marching the hosts backwards with alarming ease. Simone Ferrari and the Italian front row celebrate wildly as tensions flare between the forwards. A statement of intent from Gonzalo Quesada’s men heading into the break
Half-time: Ireland 5-10 Italy
Ireland statistics: 40% possession, 45% territory. Italy: 226 tackles attempted (86% success), 3 scrum penalties won, dominant at set-piece. Ireland: 2 entries to Italian 22 without scoring, 2 missed conversions from Sam Prendergast.
43′ – TRY IRELAND: Ireland respond immediately after the restart. Andy Farrell’s half-time words have the desired effect as Prendergast kicks to the corner from a penalty. Jeremy Loughman is held up twice before Jack Conan spots a gap around the fringes and forces his way over from close range. Prendergast’s conversion drifts wide again — four points left on the tee (Ireland 10-10 Italy)
51′ – TRY DISALLOWED ITALY: Heartbreak for the Azzurri. Tommaso Menoncello produces a moment of magic, bursting through the Irish midfield with devastating footwork before floating a pass to Louis Lynagh on the right wing. The finish is emphatic, but TMO Ian Tempest correctly identifies that Menoncello’s pass drifted forward. The try is chalked off — a pivotal moment that shifts momentum decisively (Ireland 10-10 Italy)
56′ – CROWLEY ON: Jack Crowley replaces Sam Prendergast to the biggest roar of the afternoon. Whether relief at the change or enthusiasm for the Munster fly-half, opinions differ, but Ireland’s attacking tempo transforms almost immediately (Ireland 10-10 Italy)
58′ – TRY IRELAND: Robert Baloucoune marks his Six Nations debut in spectacular fashion. Ireland work overlaps on both flanks with Crowley orchestrating proceedings. Stuart McCloskey produces an outrageous basketball-style pass over the Italian defence, finding Baloucoune in space. The Ulster wing shows devastating acceleration, beating two defenders before stretching over in the corner. Crowley converts to give Ireland breathing room (Ireland 17-10 Italy)
63′ – PENALTY IRELAND: Crowley adds three more after Ireland’s patient phase play earns a penalty in front of the posts. The Munster fly-half is two from two since his introduction as Ireland establish a ten-point cushion (Ireland 20-10 Italy)
66′ – PENALTY ITALY: The Italian scrum continues to dominate as Tadhg Furlong is lifted clean off his feet by replacement loosehead Mirco Spagnolo — a sight rarely witnessed in the veteran prop’s illustrious career. Garbisi makes no mistake with the resulting kick to reduce the deficit to seven (Ireland 20-13 Italy)
70′ – DEBUT FOR EDOGBO: Edwin Edogbo enters the field to warm applause, becoming the first player from Cobh Pirates to represent Ireland. The Munster second row’s remarkable journey — through two ruptured Achilles tendons — reaches its destination with ten minutes remaining
77′ – ITALY AGONISINGLY CLOSE: Paolo Garbisi chips over the rushing Irish defence and Tommaso Menoncello is one bounce of the ball away from scoring under the posts. The ball bobbles agonisingly past his fingertips as Ireland survive another heart-stopping moment (Ireland 20-13 Italy)
83′ – LOWE INTERCEPT SEALS VICTORY: The match-winning moment arrives from Italian error. With the Azzurri camped on the edge of the Irish 22 and desperately seeking an equalising score, Monty Ioane inexplicably throws a pass straight into the arms of James Lowe. The Irish wing sprints 80 metres upfield to earn a penalty that would have set up a bonus-point opportunity (Ireland 20-13 Italy)
83′ – CROWLEY KICKS DEAD: An anticlimactic ending as Crowley, pointing to the corner in pursuit of a fourth try, misjudges his kick and sends the ball dead. The bonus point slips away, but Ireland have the victory. A fitting conclusion to a fitful afternoon (Ireland 20-13 Italy)
Full-time: Ireland 20-13 Italy
The hosts trailed 10-5 at half-time — Italy’s first ever Six Nations lead in Dublin — against opponents brimming with confidence following their opening-round victory over Scotland. It required the introduction of Jack Crowley and Jamison Gibson-Park from the bench to inject the tempo and precision that had been sorely lacking throughout a disjointed first-half display.
Robert Baloucoune marked his Six Nations debut with a try that proved decisive, while James Lowe’s intercept in the dying moments finally allowed Ireland’s supporters to exhale after 83 minutes of anxiety. Yet the manner of victory, achieved against opponents who have never won a championship match in Dublin, raised more questions than it answered about Ireland’s title credentials.
Italy, who made 226 tackles against Scotland last week, were even more ferocious in the Irish capital. Their scrum dominated Ireland’s vaunted pack throughout, with Simone Ferrari and the impressive front row earning three penalties and leaving even the legendary Tadhg Furlong struggling when he entered the fray. The Azzurri will rue the disallowed try for Louis Lynagh, chalked off for Menoncello’s forward pass, and Michele Lamaro’s fumbled offload when a try seemed certain in the first half.
Early exchanges promised much before familiar failings emerged
Ireland began with the intent that Andy Farrell had demanded, Robert Baloucoune claiming an early high ball with authority and James Lowe looking dangerous with ball in hand. The hosts won an early scrum penalty when Danilo Fischetti collapsed, and when Dan Sheehan attempted to power over from close range, it appeared Ireland would make their dominance count.
However, Ferrari’s thunderous hit on the hooker — who illegally leapt into contact — set the tone for Italian resistance that would define the afternoon. It was a portent of things to come; Ireland would repeatedly threaten the Italian 22 only to be repelled by desperate defending or undone by their own profligacy.
Louis Lynagh’s yellow card for a deliberate knock-on in the 11th minute, preventing what would have been a certain try for Lowe, should have opened the floodgates. Instead, Ireland laboured for six more minutes before Jamie Osborne finally crossed, the full-back timing his run perfectly to receive Stuart McCloskey’s offload after the Ulster centre had spun through contact.
Sam Prendergast’s missed conversion from directly in front of the posts proved emblematic of Ireland’s afternoon. The young fly-half, under intense scrutiny following his struggles in Paris, endured another difficult outing — his tactical kicking wayward, his defence exposed — before being replaced by Crowley midway through the second half.
Italy seize control as scrum dominance tells
Paolo Garbisi’s penalty reduced the deficit to two points before Italy truly found their rhythm. Lorenzo Pani, earning his first start in almost two years, demonstrated the kicking range that had earned him selection by threatening repeatedly from deep. His chip and chase in the 25th minute saw him beat Prendergast’s tackle and race into the Irish 22, only for Lamaro to fumble the offload with the try line beckoning.
The reprieve proved temporary. Craig Casey’s yellow card for an upright tackle on Lorenzo Cannone — the scrum-half coming off worse in a collision that left him with a bloodied nose — handed Italy the numerical advantage they craved. Within a minute, Giacomo Nicotera had crashed over from a driving maul that Ireland simply could not repel, Garbisi’s conversion giving the visitors a deserved 10-5 lead at the interval.
The Italian celebrations were raucous, their media contingent in the press box reportedly on their feet when Ferrari won a scrum penalty against Sheehan. They sensed history; they were 40 minutes from becoming the first Italian side to win a Six Nations match at the Aviva Stadium.
Farrell’s bench proves decisive as Ireland rally
Whatever Andy Farrell said at half-time had immediate effect. Tadhg Furlong’s introduction stabilised the scrum sufficiently for Ireland to win a penalty from which they kicked to the corner. c powered over from close range after Jeremy Loughman had been held up twice, though Prendergast’s second missed conversion from a kickable position kept Italy within touching distance.
The game’s pivotal moment arrived in the 51st minute. Menoncello, who had been outstanding throughout, burst through the Irish midfield with devastating footwork before floating a pass to Lynagh on the right wing. The finish was emphatic, but TMO Ian Tempest correctly identified that Menoncello’s pass had drifted forward. The try was disallowed, and the momentum shifted irrevocably.
Crowley’s introduction for Prendergast was greeted with the biggest roar of the afternoon. What proved undeniable was the transformation in Ireland’s attacking tempo. Gibson-Park’s arrival added further urgency, and within three minutes of entering the fray, Crowley had orchestrated the try that would seal victory.
McCloskey’s basketball-style pass over the Italian defence found Baloucoune in space, and the Ulster wing showed devastating acceleration to beat two defenders and stretch over in the corner. Crowley’s conversion and subsequent penalty stretched the lead to ten points, though Garbisi’s three-pointer from another dominant scrum ensured Italy remained within a converted try.
Nerve-shredding finale as Italy throw everything at Ireland
The final quarter was an exercise in anxiety management for Irish supporters. Italy’s scrum continued to dominate, with Furlong lifted clean off his feet by replacement loosehead Mirco Spagnolo — a sight rarely witnessed in the veteran prop’s illustrious career. Garbisi’s resulting penalty reduced the deficit to seven with 14 minutes remaining.
Italy threw everything at Ireland in the closing stages. Menoncello repeatedly found gaps in the Irish midfield, while Garbisi’s tactical kicking pinned the hosts deep in their own territory. In the 77th minute, the Italian fly-half chipped over the rush defence and Menoncello was agonisingly close to gathering a favourable bounce that would have put him clear under the posts.
Edwin Edogbo, the Munster second row, was introduced for his Ireland debut with ten minutes remaining, becoming the first player from Cobh Pirates to represent his country. His remarkable journey — through two ruptured Achilles tendons that sidelined him for two years — reached its destination at a moment when Ireland required fresh legs and renewed energy.
Gibson-Park’s box-kicking proved crucial in the final exchanges, repeatedly finding touch deep in Italian territory. But the decisive moment arrived from Italian error rather than Irish excellence.
With the Azzurri camped on the edge of the Irish 22 and desperately seeking the converted try that would level the scores, the ball was worked wide to Monty Ioane. The experienced wing inexplicably threw a pass straight into the arms of James Lowe, who sprinted 80 metres upfield to earn a penalty.
Ireland sensed an opportunity to claim a bonus point that had seemed unlikely for much of the afternoon. Crowley pointed to the corner, seeking one final assault on the Italian line. But his kick sailed too long, drifting into the in-goal area and out of play. The chance was gone, the bonus point squandered, but the victory secured.
“It’s not my fault it was a bad kick,” referee Hollie Davidson could be heard saying as Ireland players questioned why play wasn’t brought back. An unfortunate ending for Crowley, whose introduction had otherwise transformed Ireland’s fortunes.
Verdict: More questions than answers for Farrell
Captain Caelan Doris acknowledged the scale of Ireland’s struggles: “It was a proper battle the whole way through. That last ten-minute period, we defended quite a bit in our own 22, so I’m happy with some of the character we showed. Italy played some very good stuff and tested us throughout. I feel there’s some stuff we left out there, we weren’t clinical enough, some of our discipline was a little bit off.”
Man of the match Baloucoune reflected on a memorable Six Nations debut: “Even to get a chance to get into the Six Nations camp was unbelievable, but to get to play and score on my Six Nations debut has been unreal. Faz told me to go out there and express myself, and I feel like I’ve done that.”
For Italy, despite extending their winless run in Dublin, this was a performance that confirmed their opening victory over Scotland was no fluke. Gonzalo Quesada’s side were physically dominant for long periods, their scrum a revelation against vaunted opposition, and only a forward pass and a fumbled offload separated them from a historic triumph.
The statistics told a damning story for Ireland: physically dominated at the scrum, second best at the gainline on both sides of the ball, and reliant on their bench to rescue a performance that had drifted alarmingly off course. The return of Crowley and Gibson-Park proved decisive, raising inevitable questions about whether Farrell’s starting selections were correct.
Ireland now travel to Twickenham to face an England side who demolished Wales 48-7 earlier in the afternoon, Henry Arundell claiming a hat-trick as Steve Borthwick’s men ran riot. On this evidence, the visit represents a formidable challenge that will expose any recurring frailties. The scrum, in particular, requires urgent attention if Ireland are to avoid another chastening afternoon.
For Italy, a trip to Paris awaits against the defending champions. While victory seems unlikely, this performance suggests Quesada’s side will provide France with a far sterner examination than many might expect. The days of Italy being Six Nations whipping boys are emphatically over.
Ireland: Jamie Osborne; Robert Baloucoune, Garry Ringrose, Stuart McCloskey, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast (Jack Crowley 56), Craig Casey (Jamison Gibson-Park 53); Jeremy Loughman (Tom O’Toole 66), Dan Sheehan (Rónan Kelleher 53), Thomas Clarkson (Tadhg Furlong 40); Joe McCarthy (Tadhg Beirne 53), James Ryan (Edwin Edogbo 70); Cormac Izuchukwu (Nick Timoney 59), Caelan Doris (capt), Jack Conan.
Italy: Lorenzo Pani; Louis Lynagh, Leonardo Marin, Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Alessandro Fusco (Alessandro Garbisi 70); Danilo Fischetti (Mirco Spagnolo 60), Giacomo Nicotera (Tommaso Di Bartolomeo 60), Simone Ferrari (Muhamed Hasa 60); Niccolò Cannone, Andrea Zambonin (Federico Ruzza 53); Michele Lamaro (capt), Manuel Zuliani (Riccardo Favretto 66), Lorenzo Cannone (David Odiase 70).
Replacements not used: Italy — Paolo Odogwu.
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
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