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I am Shaun Rusk and I will be guiding you through the highs and lows of the opening game of the 2010 RBS Six Nations Championship today.
The 2009 Grand Slam winners take on Italy at home and Ireland, who didn't lose in 2009, look highly likely to continue the winning streak at Croke Park in Dublin today. Leon Cullen is a late replacement for injured Irish lock Donncha O'Callaghan. Italy are without their truly great player and captain Sergio Parisse - a man most teams would miss. It would be great for Italy to really be competitive especially after the Magners League arrogantly turned the Italians down to join it. There will be an 80-odd thousand crowd crammed in to the stadium with the match kicking off at 2.30GMT.
Lets have your thoughts on the match via our feedback and we'll see if we can give you a chance to shine as a rugby pundit!
To kick things off, here is a question for you all: Is Brian Moore the best rugby summariser? In my opinion he is far less PC than Stuart Barnes and if the guy deserves a 'shooing' then he says it like it is.
Scrum.com Editor Graham Jenkins on Twitter: Super Morgan Freeman 'Captain of my soul' promo at the start of their Six Nations coverage - full marks BBC.
The freckled one is a fantastic actor.
These two sides have produced a few crackers - and we featured some in our latest Scrum Seven - read it.
Italy enter the pitch looking pensive but controled. The crowd give a huge roar for Ireland.
Scrum.com Editor Graham Jenkins on Twitter: Can you believe it is ten years since BOD announced himself on the international stage with a hat-trick against France in Paris!
As its Ireland the pre-match show turns in to a music fest with anthems! Should Ireland only have one tune before the match? Let me know.
Nick Mullins, commentating for the BBC is a terrific speaker - and a great bloke!
OK - the Anthems!
Italy first and with a large travelling support singing it.
Ireland - Anthem one!
Ireland - Anthem two! Hey - stay awake at the back!
While the song goes on...and on....look out for the Italian flyhalf Craig Gower, the former Aussie rugby league player.
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Frenchman Romain Poite is the ref. Italy kick off.
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Ireland mess up from a high kick - First scrum and Italy are very good at this set piece.
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It is difficult seeing where Italy can attack the Irish defence.
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HUGE tackle by Mauro Bergamasco.
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Ireland have changed so much these last few years. It wasn't long ago when the Irish game plan was the kick ahead - any head! Now they are a highly professional defence and attack team.
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Italy pressing but give away a penalty just a few metres from the Irish line. That is always going to be a problem for them. They just don't have enough quality players to keep the ball safe legally.
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It is John Hayes 50th 6xth Nations appearance.
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Another scrum - Ireland get a penalty and are going for the posts.
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3 - 0 |
Fly-half Ronan O'Gara with a straightish kick and he opens the scoring with three points.
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A bit of 'tennis' going on and eventually it becomes an Irish drop out.
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With those points O'Gara has broken the 500 points barrier.
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Ireland, for the first time, move the ball wide with intent - high kick - Italy mark called.
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It is good to see the rolling maul back in the game - especially as it really annoys the Aussies.
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8 - 0 |
TRY Great break by winger Andrew Trimble down the left - ball recycled and moved quickly right and flanker Jamie Heaslip strolls over the line.
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10 - 0 |
O'Gara converts. The Irish do look confident and in control. It is amazing what winning can instill in the brain.
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Italy have had quite a bit of ball, but the Irish smother the attacks quite easily. Well with Wallace, O'Connell etc they would wouldn't they.
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Scum to Ireland on their 22. Italy must try and increase the pace of the game.
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The crowd are quite quiet. Whether this is because they now expect to win - I don't know.
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Great play by BOD - on his 22 - three Italian players bearing down - but he chips and gathers - great play.
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Italy get a penalty to relieve the pressure. It is difficult to see what the Italians can do as the Irish seem to have all the bases covered whether in set-piece or in the loose.
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Great scrum by Italy pushing back the Irish a number of metres. That will encourage the Azzurri.
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Flyhalf Craig Gower, the former 'chicken-scratcher', going for the posts. And a really lovely kick - Italy with points from 45 metres out.
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10 - 3 |
Gower - penalty goal
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13 - 3 |
Italy immediately give away a penalty - O'Gara for the posts - and scores to restore the 10-point lead.
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Ireland are using the chip over the on-coming defence to try and stop the Italian defensive charge.
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Full-back Luke McLean makes a nice break but Italy give away the ball again.
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16 - 3 |
Ireland are in control without doing anything amazing. Again I think it is a measure of the Irish growing (if not grown) confidence in their own ability.
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O'Connell leaps - not quite like a salmon - to take another Italian throw. Ireland get another penalty. It is a flash of yellow for a dangerous tackle - Italian inside centre Gonzalo Garcia going for the half-time sandwiches a bit early.
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O'Gara continues to add points.
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21 - 3 |
TRY Ireland are really going for the Italians - Good breaks by full-back Kearney, BOD and others but they make a mistake. Ball in touch five metres from the Italian line. Cullen nicks the Italian ball at the throw and scrum-half Tomas O'Leary dives over to score.
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23 - 3 |
BBC Sports Commentator Nick Mullin: This is the worst I have seen Italy play for a long, long time.
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23 - 8 |
TRY Italy are so very, very slow at the breakdown. Kearney tries to kick the ball down field but winger Kaine Robertson charges the ball down to score.
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Really bad mistake by the full-back. It wasn't so much of Robertson charging down the ball but more Kearney picking him out to hit. Conversion failed.
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Half-time - Despite that late try for Italy, Ireland are in complete control and they could easily put on quite a few points in the second-half.
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Scrum.com Editor Graham Jenkins on Twitter: You could hear a pin drop at Croke Park - is this Thomond Park? Where's the atmosphere gone?
As I mentioned earlier, I agree with Graham, is it because the Irish now expect to win and so need to be 'entertained'.
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Both teams back on the park. Ireland to start and going right. I feel that Italy could be on the bad end of a real threashing - 50 points?
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Italy need to up the pace at the breakdown. It seems that the Italians are having a cup of tea everytime there is a ruck or maul.
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Apart from being arrogant why did the Celts/Magners League turn down two Italian teams joining them?
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Italy get the first penalty of the half. I agree with the BBC summariser Phillip Matthews Italy seem to be upping tha pace.
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23 - 11 |
Craig Gower isn't kicking now - he has some sort of injury - but is still playing. Mirco Bergamasco doing well to score.
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26 - 11 |
O'Gara, who came back in the team for Jonathan Sexton, scores again with the boot. Should the Munster man be in for the younger Leinster man? - let me know
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Italy have had a huge amount of ball - but have simply not done ANYTHING with it.
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It has to be said the Irish are also doing nothing. Their wingers have rarely got their hands on the ball - not compared with how much control the Irish have. The Italians fans raise their voices well.
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If Ireland do have asperations to be the best then the Irish need to put the Italians away - just like the All-Blacks would do. The Kiwis would really attack at any opportunity.
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Ulsterman Andrew Trimble, who is only in because Luke Fitzgerald is injured, is playing a fine game. He looks dangerous whenever he has the ball and looks safe under the many high balls going around this game.
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Tomas O'Leary gives away a penalty for a high tackle. NO yellow card - why not. Garcia got one for a spear tackle so why not the same for the Irishman?
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Neither team are really getting in to the 'red zone' of the 22.
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Quiz question: who played for the British and Irish Lions before playing for his country? Answer: Keith Earls who has just come on for Andrew Trimble on the Irish wing.
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Ireland are doing OK at the scrum, but really Italy should be hammering them. Both John Hayes and Cian Healy are not great scrummagers.
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Again the Irish are near the Italian line - but where is the crowd noise? Ireland lose the ball and the crowd boo.
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BBC Summariser Philip Matthews is not a happy bunny with Ireland. He feels that Ireland are also taking too much time at the breakdown. O'Connell goes off with a huge lump on his left eye.
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Final quarter and Ireland still could add a lot more points, but at the moment it doesn't look like they will.
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To say this is a journeyman game is giving it a credit it really doesn't deserve. Tommy Bowe make a break down the centre but Italy manage to block the attack.
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BBC's Nick Mullin on Ireland: 'Oh Dear!'
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Craig Gower off with a big blood injury.
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29 - 11 |
Ireland are in Paris next weekend and they will need to be much improved if they are to maintain their challenge for a second successive Grand Slam. At the moment the omens don't look good.
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Paddy Wallace have taken over the kicking duties from Ronan O'Gara who is now off.
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I have heard the name D'Arcy mentioned. I didn't realise the Irish centre was playing!
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Italy will be disappointed with their performance especially after getting 80,000 fans at the San Siro Stadium for their match against the ABs recently.
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Ireland are still kicking to touch in to the corners, but do they need to really be doing that? Surely they have the skill to open up the Italians with ball in hand?
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Ireland are trying to raise the pace of the game.
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I am not convinced if the World Cup is going to be a bit late for the Irish. The props are getting on - if not got - OK Cian Healy is young - but the others are not and have never been great scrummagers. I feel they may take a pasting up front by the time New Zealand arrives.
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It is said that a Six Nations match is worth £25millions to the local economy, well they will make that tonight in Dublin because a lot of people will be trying to drink enough so that they can forget about this match as quickly as possible.
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The game ends - thank God!. Not a great start to the Six Nations - but the competition is great - and there will be great games to come. See you next time with scrum.com - Onwards and upwards!
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