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2.15 Good afternoon and thanks for joining me, Jamie Allaway, for the Six Nations game between Ireland and Italy from Rome. After yesterday's clash at the Millennium Stadium this game may lack the history and the potential impact on the championship unless the Italians manage to pull off a shock win. However both sides will be going into the game with definite objectives; the Irish will want to put down a marker with a strong performance and continue to hone their edge with a view to securing silverware. O'Driscoll and Kidney have been busy this week studiously not dismissing the threat of Italy at home and are running out the side that won so impressively last week against the French.
The home side are determined to put last week's disasterous game behind them; Mauro Bergamasco moves back to his genuine position on the openside and with the world class Parisse and aggressive Zanni, this back row is the key to the Azzuri's chance of taking the game to there visitors. There is a re-jig in the backs with Mauro's brother, Mirco, moving into the centre and Prattichetti taking the 11 shirt. Vitally though, the veteren, Griffen, takes the scrum half berth to bring the international experience that Mallet wants but this time with the ability to play at the back of the scrum. Mercato is not fit after receiving a neck injury having been given a hospital half against the English; the capable McLean continues at outside half.
2:25pm The drums are beating raucously at the Flaminio Stadium, we have some people on the pitch in medieval armour, the stands are filling up and the players are coming out for the national anthems. It looks like the overhead conditions are fantastic and the atmosphere being whipped up fantastically. Everything is set for what I hope will be a highly entertaining game.
(For those of you who haven't been watching Italian domestic rugby, Griffin has lost his dreadlocks but is sporting a mighty fine pair of mutton chops!)
The Italians look genuinely pumped up during the anthems and McLean is ready to kick off for them.
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| 1 |
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A great chase by Bowe form the clearance turns the ball over for the Irish when he hits Parisse hard and they launch their first attack. A dreadful high tackle at pace by Masi on his opposite number Kearney leads to an early yellow card. Dreadful start for the Italians and their adrenaline will only help them if it is combined with a measure of control.
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| 2 |
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A series of rucks follows from the attacking lineout but Hayes holds on to the ball to concede a penalty. First risk averted for the Italians and this is already getting a bit feisty.
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| 4 |
3 - 0 |
David Wallace kills the ball in an Italian ruck to give McLean a first go at the posts about 40 metres out and slightly to the right. A sweet left foot connection puts the Italians into the lead.
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| 5 |
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Ronan O'Gara's restart doesn't make 10 so we go back to the scrum centre.
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| 6 |
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Ireland win the penalty but O'Gara fails to make touch. Not the best start from him. However, Kearney runs back the Italian clearance and we have our first flowing running attack until Hayes knocks the ball on.
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| 8 |
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However, Ireland win a penalty from the scrum and O'Gara makes no mistake this time to set up an attacking lineout, which they win and swing wide but lose on the wing and the Italians almost launch a counterattack but the ball bounces into touch.
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| 10 |
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Griffin launches an up and under and the Italian chasers concede the penalty taking the catcher out in the air. This game hasn't really settled into a rhythm yet, it is aggresive and scrappy as the Italians try to prevent the Irish imposing themselves on it.
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| 11 |
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Yet another penalty against the Italians as Zanni fails to roll away from the tackle. Ireland have an attacking line out and whilst the Irish can't settle yet the Italians will struggle if they continue to give away penalties at this rate. O'Gara makes touch.
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| 13 |
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Castrogiovanni this time comes in the wrong side, that was blatant. Interestingly, O'Gara doesn't take on the tricky kick and sets up an attacking lineout in the Italian 22. A telegraphed lineout is stolen by Parisse and the Italians run it past the halfway line.
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| 15 |
6 - 0 |
Some scrappy midfield exchanges lead to a knock on from O'Gara and an offside handling by O'Callaghan to give McLean another chance, 40 yards out and straight this time. He converts easily.
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| 16 |
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Ireland do look like the Italians have go to them a little, as they continue to make mistakes as well. O'Connell this time knocking on. The Italians with be very pleased with this lead, particularly as a kick from Griffin at the base of the scrum forces Ireland right back into their 22.
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| 18 |
6 - 7 |
TRY An Italian attack breaks down and Tommy Bowe collects the ball on the run having broken the first tackle he has the legs to race three quarters the length of the pitch evading a number of chasers to touch down under the posts. After a brief referral, it seemed fairly straight forward, as was O'Gara's regulation conversion.
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| 19 |
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Too early to see how that will effect the game but the Irish will hope that might help them settle into the game they want to play.
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| 21 |
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An Italian attack breaks down after several phases after yet another penalty, but the resulting Irish attack falls apart due to slow ball and knock ons. That about sums up the game so far.
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| 23 |
9 - 7 |
More fractious play as a high tackle on Ongaro by O'Callaghan gives McLean another straight shot at the goal. He again puts it over comfortably to regain the lead for Italy. They've all been fairly straightforward, but that's 3 out of 3 for him.
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| 26 |
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Ireland win an attacking lineout just outside the Italian 22, good ball off the top from O'Connell starts a promising move that ends in another error and knock on.
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| 28 |
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Castrogiovanni comes flying in from the side again at a ruck, which allows the Irish to set up another attacking lineout. This time the Irish string together a series of phases but without too much pace or quick ball, and the Italian defence is resolute. Honours even as we end up with an Irish scrum on the Italian 22.
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| 31 |
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More slow ball causes the attack to break down as Ireland can only concede a penalty and give Italy a chance to clear their lines. Canale charges down an O'Gara kick, trying to prevent the breakaway O'Gara tackles off the ball. The referee gives the penalty and bins O'Gara. However, McLean has his first miss of the afternoon.
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| 32 |
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Ireland make good ground on the hoof through O'Leary and half get behind the Italian defence. Sudenely the Irish are looking a bit more fluid, aggressive and direct, despite being down to 14 men.
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| 34 |
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A Kearney kick pushes the Italians deep into their own 22 and forces them to defend a lineout. The Italians appear to win it but their was an illegal use of an inside arm and Ireland are given a penalty, which they kick to touch for the attacking lineout.
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| 36 |
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Third yellow card Perugini is binned for a professional fowl, again the Irish kick the penalty to touch for the lineout, in O'Gara's absence. They really need to score here, to gain adequate reward for this pressure on the Italian line.
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| 38 |
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Another penalty against the Italians is kicked for the attacking lineout, despite being further in midfield. Slow ball again in the ensuing ruck, consequently the Irish force a run through a few more phases as they try to draw in the Italian defence. Canale makes a critical tackle on O'Driscoll to repel the Irish again. We've now had over a dozen phases and things are getting a little stretched in attack and defence.
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| 40 |
9 - 12 |
TRY Ferris, who has been crunching in attack and defence for the whole half, takes two men in contact but manages to offload to Luke Fitzgerald, who crosses the line at pace. The try was scored under the posts so O'Gara's stand-in, Rob Kearney, has no problem making it 7.
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| 40+1 |
9 - 14 |
Kearney - conversion
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Really important for the Irish that they got over the line there- they had sustained pressure and opted for several line-outs. The Italians would have been hugely boosted if they had gone into half time having resisted all of that. As it is Ireland lead but they will not be satisfied as this does not suggest the form of potential Champions, they have been scrappy and made errors with the ball in hand which has disrupted with any fluency in attack. O'Gara's has looked out of sorts too and they have spurned several chances to kick even when he was on the field. Italy have been physical and got into the game, the penalty count has been very high, though, as a result.
The players are coming out for the second half- can Ireland find their attacking game or can the Italians keep up their in-your-face approach and possibly pull off a famous win?
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| 41 |
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Better from O'Gara straight away, who kicks with the breeze to immediately establish Irish pressure in the Italian 22.
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| 43 |
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O'Gara plays a lovely chip over the defence, after a few phases of attack in the midfield, which then scuttles into touch, again making the Italians defend a lineout 5 metres from their line.
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| 45 |
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Italy clear their lines. Not a huge amount to report yet, but the Irish are retaining possession, maintaining pressure and territory and will want to continue like this to establish some dominance in this half.
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| 46 |
9 - 19 |
TRY Heaslip, stepping in where the backs have been unable to, receives an offload from O'Driscoll and cuts through the Italian midfield and is dragged down a yard short of the line. He gets the ball back adn the Irish recycle the ball and Heaslip's fellow backrower finds a gap in the Italian defence to score the try. O'Gara converts and that should do the Irish no end of good as well as giving them a two score lead.
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| 47 |
9 - 21 |
Bachetti, himself a sub, is helped from the field with his face a messy pulp. Between yellow cards and injuries this game has seen players coming and going in high numbers.
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| 49 |
9 - 24 |
More Irish pressure gains a penalty for a stray Italian arm across the neck of O'Gara, who picks himself up, dusts himself off and slots it. The Irish lead is now 15 and they are looking more comfortable on the field as well as the scoreboard.
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| 51 |
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The Italans knock the ball forward in a half-hearted attack and then concede a penalty in the scrum. They don't seem to have been able to come out with the same fervour and are puched back in their own territory, where have spent most of this half.
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| 53 |
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This period of play is not producing anything notable, the Italians run the ball nicely but the the chip and chase is marked and cleared and we return to the inconclusive tussle in the middle of the field.
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| 55 |
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The game remains physical and abrasive but the first quarter of an hour hasn't generated much of note except for the try. The Irish will be perfectly happy with that, as they win a penalty from a series of messy scrums and consequently a lineout in the Italian 22 off the boot of O'Gara.
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| 57 |
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A messy scrum leads to a penalty against Hayes and the Italians have the opportunity to clear their lines. The game remains ticking along without coming to life.
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| 59 |
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The Italians are trying to build from the back and link together a series of running phases that are competent without being effective, and get them up to their own 10 metre line, where they secure a scrum.
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| 60 |
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As the Italians continue to run the ball, without leaving their own half, you wonder whether the Irish are happy taking this win and hopefully getting away without any more injuries, having a bit of a defensive workout. It would not be a hugely impressive win and surely they want to finish with a bit more of a flourish.
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| 62 |
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That's a little bit more like it. Having won turnover ball, the Irish put some passes together, O'Driscoll makes a half-break with a trademark dart past his opposite number, but a knock on continues the stop-start nature of this game.
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| 64 |
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The Italians have an attacking lineout from a penalty but don't get over excited just yet, the game remains pretty flat. At least the crowd wake up a little, as Griffin spots a gap and makes a break, and eventually forces an Irish lineout deep in their 22. I believe this may be the first time Italy have been significantly inside the Irish half since the break.
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| 66 |
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We have a series of messy scrums again, leading to an Irish penalty as Castrogiovanni collapses. He believes that he may have been turned by his opposite man, with some justification. However, this is typical of a game that has been littered with errors and infringements and forced the referree to use his whistle at the cost of the game's flow.
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| 68 |
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I'm sorry if my commentary is becoming a bit intermittent, but I'm reluctant to bring you news of another knock on and scrum that doesn't have any meaningful effect on the game.
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| 69 |
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Ireland give away a penalty as they run the ball into the Italian half, and the Italians clear upfield through McLean.
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| 71 |
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A sliced kick by O'Gara goes straight to Pratichetti, faced with a chance to run he becomes confused and runs into an obstruction with a teammate to snuff out the chance of any excitement.
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| 73 |
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Ireland manage to find some running through a charge by O'Connell and then breaks by Wallace, P and Heaslip again. For the first time in a while the we are seeing some consistently attacking and, more importantly, threatening running as the Irish work their way up to the Italian 5 metre line.
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| 74 |
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Ireland gain a penalty and after a short break for some treatmento Griffin, who has run himself into the ground and been Italy's best player on his return, O'Gara makes touch for the attacking lineout.
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| 75 |
9 - 29 |
TRY A dreadful lineout misses all the jumpers but the Italian counterattack fizzles out as Bergomasco slices a kick ahead into touch. A quickly taken lineout releases Fitzgerald, who is home free and touches down under the posts. He was largely unopposed and the try, whilst giving a certain sheen to the score, will not give Declan Kidney much cause for celebration. O'Gara converts the relatively tricky extras.
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| 76 |
9 - 31 |
Luke Fitzgerald is Man of the Match He has been one of Ireland's better players, although Heaslip or Wallace have probably done more for me.
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| 77 |
9 - 36 |
TRY O'Driscoll adds to his record tally with an interception and simple run in under the posts, which is easily converted. Not one of his most spectacular, and again, not one to demonstrate the best aspects of this Irish team's rugby.
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| 78 |
9 - 38 |
O'Gara - conversion
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| 79 |
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Griffin's kick misses touch from a penalty to remove any chance of a final Italian flourish.
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| 80 |
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After an exchange of a couple of kicks O'Gara calls a mark in his 22 and, the clock ticking past 80 mins, puts the ball into touch to put an end to a game which was decided half an hour ago and was limping towards this conclusion ever since.
So Ireland have the win and join Wales on 4 points, we're still on for a title decider at Cardiff between those two sides. However, they will not be too pleased at the manner of the win, having never found their rhythm or been able to impose themselves on the game. The score was comprehensive and flattering to the Irish due to some late tries, more of the Italians' making than the Irish. They will hope to put this behind them as an example of a good team being able to win ugly, and that they will be able to step up their game against England in a fortnight.
The Italians came out to impose themselves on the game physically, which they did for the first half, but were unable to continue in the second half, when they were pinned in their own territory for long periods.
It wasn't the greatest game, it was abrasive and brutal, as witnessed by a number of players leaving the field with nasty looking injuries. As a spectacle it lacked shape and a certain quality, mainly due to Irish errors and Italian infringements. The first half was competetive but the game was decided by 15 mins into the second half.
Thanks for following this game with Scrum.com and me, Jamie Allaway. We have a break from 6 Nations rugby next weekend, but please join us in a fortnight's time for another three games of international rugby.
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