Andy Farrell apologised to his mum after being caught biting his nails during the second half of this see-sawing and highly entertainnig game. “Was I?” asked Ireland’s head coach, laughing. “I shouldn’t do that. My mother’s going to be mad.”
He could be forgiven. This Italy team under Kieran Crowley are fast improving and the Six Nations is all the better for it.
Ultimately, Ireland’s Grand Slam bid goes on. A five-try bonus point win making it three from three for the men in green. But this was far squeakier than anyone really expected.
Partly that was because Ireland were less accurate than usual. So remorseless, so machine-like in dismantling France in Dublin a fortnight ago, they were less far convincing here, missing 27 tackles in all (they only missed 66 in the whole of last year’s Six Nations) as well as showing uncharacteristic profligacy in the dangerzone. James Lowe dropped the ball while attempting to touch down one-handed after just a minute. Bundee Aki knocked on while attemping to slide in another try in the second half. Ireland also bungled a lineout when well placed, not to mention handing Italy a length-of-the-field interception score on the stroke of half time which brought them back into proceedings.
But to blame this performance solely on Irish wastefulness would be to do Italy a gross disservice. Crowley’s team were wonderfully entertaining to watch, their ruck speed was impressive, and they attacked from anywhere and everywhere, much to the delight of the 51,000 present.
As Farrell said afterwards: “We played against a good side today. That was a proper Test match. Yes, you can say we were off in certain parts. But they had a big say in how the game unfolded. It was a real tough battle in the forwards, the maul, and their defence… they kept us out time and time again. And cut us open quite a few times with their attack.”
Farrell did acknowledge that Ireland were their own worst enemy at times. Perhaps it was the fact that the pre-match band played Ireland’s Call at a snail’s pace, but they never quite found their rhythm in Rome.
It was, as Bundee Aki admitted afterwards, “a mixed bag”. Lowe’s fumble in the first minute did not look as if it would prove too costly as James Ryan, Hugo Keenan, Aki and Mack Hansen all scored tries in the first half hour to rack up the all-important bonus point. But they never quite put Italy away. Stephen Varney sniped his way over from close range – Wales, who visit in two weeks’ time, will hope that he is not the only Welsh-born player to score at the Stadio Olympico this Six Nations – and generally found plenty of holes in Ireland’s defence. Niccolo Cannone was a juggernaut, punching huge holes.
A lot of the pre-match talk in Ireland had revolved around Ross Byrne, standing in for captain Johnny Sexton. He did perfectly well, although Ireland certainly missed Sexton’s reassuring presence.
They arguably missed Garry Ringrose’s defensive nous even more. When Aki passed straight to Italy wing Pierre Bruno with the clock already in the red at the end of the first half, suddenly it was only a seven-point game again.
Paolo Garbisi then reduced the deficit to four points with a penalty early in the second half. The Stadio Olimpico sniffed a major upset. Farrell started chewing his fingers.
In the end the introduction of big hitters such as Dan Sheehan, Peter O’Mahony and particularly Ryan Baird just about wrestled back control of the contest.
But it remained a one score game until 10 minutes to go, man-of-the-match Hansen scoring his second try of the contest.
Ultimately, Italy’s turnover count of 16 was just too many. But they gave their all, and were deservedly applauded off the field at the end. Not that Crowley was consoled by that.
“We don’t want to be a team that gets pats on the back,” he said. “We’re absolutely gutted about that result today. We just weren’t accurate enough in certain areas, attack and defence.
“They’re the number one side in the world but we thought we could give them a crack. We gave them a crack. We need to get over the line in these games.
“Rugby today is a game of inches. Do I think we could have won that game? Yes I do. But we didn’t. That’s all there is to it.”
Ireland will need to play a lot better to beat a resurgent Scotland at Murrayfield next time out. But the world’s No 1 ranked team can be forgiven the odd sub-par performance. Farrell was happy to focus on the positives, saying he felt Byrne had done well, not only in the game itself, but in running the backline all week in Sexton’s absence. “I thought Ross did great. It was a big day for him having the responsibility of leading the side, and he was very impressive all week. I’m delighted for him.”
The loss of Finlay Bealham to a twisted knee in the first half was a blow. With Tadhg Furlong already out injured, Ireland’s tighthead reserves are certainly being stretched. But this is what Farrell wanted in a World Cup year – the chance to prove that Ireland are not reliant on Sexton, or Furlong, or anyone.
“We’re obviously very pleased to come away with a bonus point win,” he concluded. “I thought we showed great character because we were under the cosh a little bit.
“We’re three from three and have 15 points so we’re where we want to be. We’ve got lads on the mend coming back into the mix for the final two weeks of the campaign. The bench was excellent coming on. Nice and calm, accurate and added to the performance which was great. To come away with a bonus point win; we’ll take that and move on.”
Match detailsScoring: 0-5 Ryan try; 5-5 Varney try; 7-5 Garbisi con; 7-10 Keenan try; 7-12 Byrne con; 10-12 Garbisi pen; 10-17 Aki try; 10-19 Byrne con; 10-24 Hansen try; 15-24 Bruno try; 17-24 Garbisi; 20-24 Garbisi pen; 20-27 Byrne pen; 20-32 Hansen try; 20-34 Byrne con
Italy: A Capuozzo; E Padovani, J I Brex, T Menoncello (L Morisi 78), P Bruno; L Garbisi (T Allan 72), S Varney (A Fusco 67); D Fischetti (F Zani 61), G Nicotera (L Bigi 61), S Ferrari (M Riccioni 47), N Cannone (G Pettinelli 65), F Ruzza, S Negri, M Lamaro, L Cannone (I Iachizzi 65)
Ireland: H Keenan; M Hansen, B Aki, S McCloskey (J O’Brien 73), J Lowe; R Byrne (J Crowley 78), C Casey (C Murray, 65); A Porter (D Kilcoyne 65), R Kelleher (D Sheehan 56), F Bealham (T O’Toole 36); I Henderson (R Baird 53), J Ryan; C Doris, J Van der Flier, J Conan (P O’Mahony 56)
