Italy coach Brad Johnstone accused Ireland of deliberately provoking his players into retaliating after a fiery Lloyds TSB Six Nations encounter in Dublin today.

Johnstone saw both his props Giampiero de Carli and Salvatore Perugini sin-binned in the first-half as the Italian's were beaten 32-17 at Lansdowne Road.

Perugini was lucky to escape being sent-off for his lunging head-butt on scrum-half Peter Stringer while de Carli was given the yellow card for punching prop Peter Clohessy.

"The Irish game plan was to provoke us and get us to retaliate," said New Zealander Johnstone after seeing his side slide to a 13th successive championship defeat.

"They went onto the field with a plan of agitation.

"Those who retaliate always get punished. You should not retaliate - but you should not provoke either.

"We must learn the discipline of not responding. We have a reputation for not being disciplined and people tend to watch us more than the opposition sometimes.

"But there is a Latin attitude to the Italian game. They have got to learn that when you are in the big league everything is in black and white. There are no grey areas - like when you are at a red traffic light in Rome.

"But I am proud of my players. Overall we played some very good rugby, some of the best rugby we have played in the championship."

Perugini, let-off by Scottish referee Rob Dickson on the advice of a touch-judge, singled out Stringer - who was punched by opposite number Alessandro Troncon in Rome last year - as the main provocateur.

"The Irish scrum-half stamped on Alessandro. The ref just gave them a free rein so we reacted."

Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan rejected Johnstone's claim and insisted Italy had played as he expected them to all week.

"I'd disagree with those comments," said O'Sullivan. "It was a very physical game and in international rugby you expect flashpoints and there were some in this game.

"But we went out to play what we have been trying to do all along - that is a good brand of rugby.

"We got exactly what we expected from Italy which was a very physical game. They put us under a lot of pressure and made us work for our scores which is what we had expected all week."