Full-time wrap:
Awful back row, average scrum, no inspiration from the back division says George Hook and although I’m loath to agree with him at the best of times he makes a good point. Ireland should have been out of sight in this game, but wasted opportunity after opportunity and were lucky to escape with a win after an Italian onslaught in the last 20 minutes.
Errors littered the Irish performances and not from the newcomers like McFadden, Ross and O’Brien, but from the likes of Brian O’Driscoll and particularly, Gordon D’Arcy, who endured probably his most tortuous 80 minutes in an Irish jersey. At the end of the day, a win is a win, but the performance certainly doesn’t bode well for the rest of the tournament. That’s all from me for now, I hope your nerves are all still intact after an eventful afternoon.
Late drop goal attempt for Italy falls well short. Luke Fitzgerald gratefully grabs a hold of it, kicks it to touch and Ireland escape with a win. God there were a few heat beats missed in the last few minutes.
FINAL WHISTLE. ITALY 11-13 IRELAND
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Ireland never panicked and immediately worked the opportunity for O’Gara, who was as cool as a cucumber and sent his drop goal effort straight between the sticks. Dramatic end in Rome.
DROP GOAL IRELAND (O’GARA). ITALY 11-13 IRELAND
Tom Court, Sean Cronin and Paddy Wallace on for Ireland. O’Gara drop goal perhaps? Never has it been needed more than now…
I’m afraid to say it was coming. Italy drove and drove towards the line and when they spread it wide, they executed it perfectly, sending it through a number of hands McLean touched down despite the despairing dive of Brian O’Driscoll. Ireland a point down and staring down the barrel of a first ever defeat in Rome.
TRY ITALY (MCLEAN). ITALY 11-10 IRELAND.
Denis Leamy given a yellow card for Ireland, who will be down to 14 for the remaining seven minutes. Italy with a penalty, but despite it being well within kicking range, Italy kick to touch. They’re going for the win here. Leo Cullen comes on for Paul O’Connell.
Let off for Ireland. Italy go close with plenty of phases, but knock on at a vital time. O’Gara clears to touch at halfway and Ireland escape. Phew!
Penalty Italy again, Cian Healy under serious pressure in the scrum. Dangerously close to penalty try territory.
Penalty Italy five metres out after an excellent rolling maul from a lineout. They opt to take the scrum as Ireland look to hold on. In the meantime, Ronan O’Gara has come on for Johnny Sexton.
Despite Ireland’s dominance, this game is far from over. Sean O’Brien doesn’t roll away from the ruck and Italy send a penalty into Ireland’s 22′.
Italians empty the bench as their starters begin to tire. Eoin Reddan on for Tomas O’Leary for Ireland.
More handling errors from Ireland, Sean O’Brien the guilty party this time just outside the Italian 22′. The mistakes are beginning to wreck the head at this stage they are becoming so frequent.
It really, really isn’t D’Arcy’s day. The centre is extremely close to the Italian line in the corner but spills the ball forward once again. Constant pressure from Ireland though and a Ireland try looks almost inevitable at this stage.
Ireland beginning to put the squeeze on Italy now. O’Connell blocks down close to the Italian line, Italy clear but from the counter-attack Earls goes close in the corner. Ireland recycle but O’Driscoll throws an awful pass to an isolated McFadden on the wing when there was a try on the plate. Yet another missed opportunity for Ireland.
It’s just not Gordon D’Arcy’s day. The Leinster centre fumbles yet another ball in the centre of the pitch, knocks on and gives Italy the scrum. Pity.
Another sub for Italy – Bernabo for Sole in the back row.
Let-off for Ireland. Parisse very nearly intercepts a Sexton pass but knocks on in the process. Ireland recover and clear but a scare nonetheless.
CONVERSION IRELAND (SEXTON). ITALY 6-10 IRELAND.
Pre-rehearsed move from Ireland from the scrum falls just short of the line in front of the posts. Recycled to the wing and O’Driscoll darts between two Italian props and goes over. Simple but effective and the kick up the arse that Ireland needed. Sexton adds the extras and Ireland are four points in front.
TRY IRELAND (O’DRISCOLL). ITALY 6-8 IRELAND
Ireland scrum ten metres from the Italian line. Real opportunity for Ireland.
Back underway in Rome
Half-time wrap:
Poor stuff from Ireland it has to be said. We have dominated possession if not territory, but have been let down time and time again by basic errors, often close to the Italian try line. Good to see that Ireland are trying to play rugby at least but it’s just not coming off at the moment.
Italy, to be fair, have defended extremely well and have taken their opportunities when they have come along. Whether they’ll be able to keep up that discipline and that work rate with so little possession remains to be seen, but Nick Mallett will be more than happy with the opening 40 minutes and a three-point lead.
No mistake this time from Bergamasco who draws it in beautifully from the right to put Italy three points ahead at the break.
PENALTY ITALY (BERGAMASCO). ITALY 6-3 IRELAND
Drog goal attempt by Kristopher Burton goes well wide after repeated Italian attempts to break the line come to nothing. Good defence from Ireland, and just as I type that, they give away a penalty just outside their own 22′. Typical commentator’s curse coming into play there.
Andrea Lo Cicero on for Perugini in the Italian front row.
Again, a mistake foils a promising Ireland attack, Gordon D’Arcy’s pass to Fergus McFadden is adjudged to have gone forward which is a pity because the Leinster winger was absolutely flying down the right wing.
Luke Fitzgerald looking to attack at every opportunity, but this time he throws a wayward pass in midfield. Ireland’s attempts to attack from their own half not coming off, so O’Driscoll pings a lovely kick into the Italian 22′ to gain some territory.
Immediately following Ireland’s penalty, they give one away for joining the ruck from the side. Bergamasco’s attempt drifts to the right from straight in front of the posts and Ireland are let off the hook.
Finally…Sexton taps over an easy penalty from close range to draw Ireland on level terms. Good to get on the board but Ireland should be a lot further ahead if it wasn’t for so many basic errors, most of them handling errors in what seem like perfect conditions.
PENALTY IRELAND (SEXTON). ITALY 3-3 IRELAND
30′
Liam from Enfield is a tad peeved watching Ireland so far.
Is the ball f***ing hot or what today? So frustrating to watch from Ireland.
It would seem that way certainly. If Ireland continue to dominate possession like this though, it can’t be long until they make the breakthrough.
28′
Nothing going right for Ireland at the moment…O’Driscoll chips ahead in midfield and almost collects but the ball just bounces away at the crucial moment and the captain knocks on. Lovely attempt by O’Driscoll all the same.
Yet another spill by Ireland, this time in the 22′ by Gordon D’Arcy after Ireland had gone close to tries through O’Driscoll and Healy. Disappointing end to an otherwise excellent passage of play.
So close for Ireland. A lovely move sees Luke Fitzgerald give it to Johnny Sexton inches from the line but the out-half is tackled well by Alberto Sgarbi and knocks the ball on. Way better from Ireland, though.
Another ball spilled in the midfield, O’Driscoll the guilty party again and Ireland concede a penalty, which is kicked to touch inside the Ireland 22′.
Ireland have an attacking lineout on the Italian 22′, lose it but win it back through Leamy, but then lose it again and Italy clear deep into the Ireland half. Brian O’Driscoll then throws the ball straight out of play to give Italy possession and decent field position. Scrappy from Ireland so far.
Early blow for Italy, scrum half Eduardo Gori is forced off with what looks like a bad shoulder injury and is replaced by Canavosio.
Early signs that Ireland are trying to keep the ball in hand and spread it wide, but the move breaks down on the Italian 22′ when Keith Earls decides to kick ahead with David Wallace in front of him. Encouraging stuff all the same.
No bother to Bergamasco and Italy take an early lead.
PENALTY ITALY (BERGAMASCO). ITALY 3-0 IRELAND
First chance for Sean O’Brien to show what he can do and true to form, he runs over three Italian opponents with ease. After the ball is recycled, however, Ireland give away a penalty, giving a chance to Mirco Bergamasco to put the first points on the board.
David Wallace spills the ball in midfield and Ireland are on the defensive once again…
Bit of kick tennis so far, but safe hands shown by O’Leary and Fitzgerald already. Ireland with a lineout close to the 22′ and a first chance to set up an attacking platform.
We’re underway in Rome.
Shane has been back on and is challenging me to make a prediction:
Make your prediction Conor. I’m going with 24-8 to the bowld Irish. Absolutely no reasoning behind it so expect it to be well off the mark!
Not a bad effort Shane. I reckon Italy will stay well in it until the last 15 or so, when Ireland might tack on a couple of tries. With that in mind, I’ll go for 30-12 Ireland.
Brian O’Driscoll leads the Irish team on to the field and we’re only minutes away from the start. The RTE studio have given off a tense vibe about this one…nervous anyone?
Another Tipp man, Shane Stapleton from Borrisoleigh, is not a big fan of my analysis of the Italian front row:
Aboy the bowld Conor!
You’re some bluffer like meself, ‘Castrogiovanni is one of the best scrummagers’ – haha! Man after me own heart 🙂
I may not be a rugby expert Shane, but perhaps influenced by George Hook’s analysis of things, I think Castrogiovanni is a bit of a monster, he’ll certainly give Cian Healy a tough time today!
Thumper in Thurles has been in touch to add his two cents to the RTE studio debate:
Conor O’Shea puts Pope and Bren in their box by saying their opinions don’t mean feck all to most. In words to that effect anyway! Come on Ireland!!!
I’m sure you meant Pope and Hook there Thumper, but I take your point; he’s certainly the voice of reason compared to those two. Let’s hope for a big performance from your fellow county man Denis Leamy today.
I wonder what Hook’s good mate Brent Pope made of George’s ‘highly-paid foreigners coming in telling us what to do’ rant?
I digress…20 minutes until kick-off in Rome.
George Hook is shooting his mouth off once again on RTE, this time about forwards coach Gert Smal. “I’m fed up of seeing highly paid foreigners coming in here telling us what to do. We were crying out for Mike Ross all November and now he’s being thrown in at the deep end.”
“He won a World Cup with the Springboks,” counters Tom McGurk.
“He didn’t win a World Cup with Ireland,” says George.
Smal must be a UPC customer then…
OK, one more…injury victim Tommy Bowe is acting as a guest pundit for the BBC today. Tommy was the recent recipient of the JOE Rugby Player of the Year award for 2010 and we caught up with him for a chat about the year ahead. Read it all here.
The crew from the Weekly Maul, JOE’s rugby podcast – Malcolm O’Kelly, Johnny O’Connor and Rob Murphy, have been having their say on how they think the competition will pan out. Read what they had to say here, while there’s plenty of time to listen to the podcast itself before the game and you can do so if you wish by clicking here. Finally, if you want to read Malcolm O’Kelly’s latest column, click here.
That will be the last of the shameless, bare-faced plugging for the afternoon, I promise!
From Italy’s perspective, Castrogiovanni is one of the best scrummagers around, while Sergio Parisse is one of the best players around full stop. Aironi and Treviso’s Magners League exposure is bound to help them no end and they will be determined not to be pushed around on their own turf. Difficult task then, but definitely winnable all the same.
From an Irish point of view, there’s a few interesting selections in the starting XV. Injuries dictated Declan Kidney’s options somewhat, but at the same time a few players in there haven’t been exactly flying of late. Munster pair Donncha O’Callaghan and Tomas O’Leary could be included in that category, while what happens if one of Luke Fitzgerald, Keith Earls or Fergus McFadden gets injured? Paddy Wallace to come on at full-back? Gavin Duffy and Leo Cullen can definitely feel hard done by, but Kidney has earned the right to be trusted at this stage.
The teams:
Ireland: Luke Fitzgerald; Fergus McFadden, Brian O’Driscoll (captain), Gordon D’Arcy, Keith Earls; Jonathan Sexton, Tomas O’Leary; Cian Healy, Rory Best, Mike Ross; Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell; Denis Leamy, David Wallace, Sean O’Brien.
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Tom Court, Leo Cullen, Shane Jennings, Eoin Reddan, Ronan O’Gara, Paddy Wallace.
Italy: L McLean; A Masi, G Canale, A Sgarbi, M Bergamasco; K Burton, E Gori; S Perugini, L Ghiraldini, M Castrogiovanni, S Dellape, Q Geldenhuys, J Sole, A Zanni, S Parisse (capt).
Replacements: F Ongaro, A Lo Cicero, C Del Fava, V Bernabo, P Canavosio, L Orquera, G Garcia.
Good afternoon folks and welcome to JOE’s live coverage of Ireland’s opening Six Nations clash with Italy in Rome. It seems like an age since November, but the international bandwagon is about to get going once again in what could be one of the biggest years in the history of Irish Rugby.
Feel free to send in any comments throughout our coverage to shout@joe.ie. Just under an hour until kick-off, I’ll be back with the teams very shortly.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
