IRELAND CAPTAIN CAELAN Doris admitted that relief was the main emotion after his side’s underwhelming victory over Italy in Rome.
A first-half try from Hugo Keenan and a Dan Sheehan hat-trick gave Ireland a 22-17 win over a gallant Italian side who were undone more by their own ill-discipline than by any Irish threat.
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“It was a tough Test match,” Doris told RTÉ afterwards.
“It was scrappy, a couple of disallowed tries — relieved that we got the four tries, the five points, and the rest is out of our hands.”
He added: “We were pretty inaccurate at times, especially in that first half. Probably overplayed a little bit too much in our half and gave them quite a few opportunities when we’re not being clean with ball in hand. A couple of last passes as well that we didn’t convert.”
Ireland started the championship in the hope of becoming the first side in the Six Nations era to win three titles in a row, but saw their Grand Slam bid evaporate and their championship defence taken out of their hands with defeat to France last week.
“I think we need to use these last two weeks as a springboard to keep evolving,” Doris said when asked to sum up the campaign.
“I think it’s a good reminder that there’s more in us, there’s so much more developing in us, that we’re by no means the finished article at all.
“I hope it’s a springboard for more evolution and growth.”
Reflecting on the championship overall, interim head coach Simon Easterby said that the team has “moved forward in some areas, in other areas we haven’t”.
“That’s probably the mark of the team,” he told RTÉ post-match. “We’ve won four out of five, and we’ll still feel that we can get better in lots of areas.”
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'It's a good reminder that there's more in us... we're by no means the finished article'
IRELAND CAPTAIN CAELAN Doris admitted that relief was the main emotion after his side’s underwhelming victory over Italy in Rome.
A first-half try from Hugo Keenan and a Dan Sheehan hat-trick gave Ireland a 22-17 win over a gallant Italian side who were undone more by their own ill-discipline than by any Irish threat.
“It was a tough Test match,” Doris told RTÉ afterwards.
“It was scrappy, a couple of disallowed tries — relieved that we got the four tries, the five points, and the rest is out of our hands.”
He added: “We were pretty inaccurate at times, especially in that first half. Probably overplayed a little bit too much in our half and gave them quite a few opportunities when we’re not being clean with ball in hand. A couple of last passes as well that we didn’t convert.”
Ireland started the championship in the hope of becoming the first side in the Six Nations era to win three titles in a row, but saw their Grand Slam bid evaporate and their championship defence taken out of their hands with defeat to France last week.
“I think we need to use these last two weeks as a springboard to keep evolving,” Doris said when asked to sum up the campaign.
“I hope it’s a springboard for more evolution and growth.”
Reflecting on the championship overall, interim head coach Simon Easterby said that the team has “moved forward in some areas, in other areas we haven’t”.
“That’s probably the mark of the team,” he told RTÉ post-match. “We’ve won four out of five, and we’ll still feel that we can get better in lots of areas.”
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Caelan Doris Six Nations Ireland Reaction Rugby Simon Easterby