Good afternoon, and welcome along to our live coverage of the 2023 Six Nations meeting of Italy and Ireland.
Andy Farrell’s Ireland are looking to make it three wins from three in Rome.
Kick-off is 2.15pm, with the game live on RTÉ 2. We’ll have all the updates you need right here, though.
Before anything else, a look at today’s teams:
Italy
- 15. Ange Capuozzo
- 14. Edoardo Padovani
- 13. Juan Ignacio Brex
- 12. Tommaso Menoncello
- 11. Pierre Bruno
- 10. Paolo Garbisi
- 9. Stephen Varney
- 1. Danilo Fischetti
- 2. Giacomo Nicotera
- 3. Simone Ferrari
- 4. Niccolo Cannone
- 5. Federico Ruzza
- 6. Sebastian Negri
- 7. Michele Lamaro (capt)
- 8. Lorenzo Cannone
Replacements
- 16. Luca Bigi
- 17. Federico Zani
- 18. Marco Riccioni
- 19. Edoardo Iachizzi
- 20. Giovanni Pettinelli
- 21. Alessandro Fusco
- 22. Luca Morisi
- 23. Tommaso Allan
Ireland
- 15. Hugo Keenan
- 14. Mack Hansen
- 13. Bundee Aki
- 12. Stuart McCloskey
- 11. James Lowe
- 10. Ross Byrne
- 9. Craig Casey
- 1. Andrew Porter
- 2. Rónan Kelleher
- 3. Finlay Bealham
- 4. Iain Henderson
- 5. James Ryan (captain)
- 6. Caelan Doris
- 7. Josh van der Flier
- 8. Jack Conan
Replacements
- 16. Dan Sheehan
- 17. Dave Kilcoyne
- 18. Tom O’Toole
- 19. Ryan Baird
- 20. Peter O’Mahony
- 21. Conor Murray
- 22. Jack Crowley
- 23. Jimmy O’Brien
Referee: Mike Adamson [Scotland].
Some pre-match words from Andy Farrell to RTÉ: “We expect ourselves to be at our best, preparation has been fantastic, it’s about managing the game as it unfolds. At the moment, all I see is composure.”
Jerry Flannery labels it a “potential banana skin” but the general consensus is, despite an injury-hit build-up, a 13th win in-a-row for Ireland over the Italians.
The Irish fans in Rome are, understandably, in great spirits.
Murray Kinsella is our man on the ground at Stadio Olimpico.
Match day. pic.twitter.com/97ZKSAjkIS
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) February 25, 2023
Some spot. pic.twitter.com/PVME70FGtF
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) February 25, 2023
There’s no shortage of pre-match reading available on The42.
As kick-off nears, here’s a look at Murray Kinsella’s big match preview:
“Add Garry Ringrose to the list. Already on there were Johnny Sexton, Tadhg Furlong, Jamison Gibson-Park, Tadhg Beirne, Robbie Henshaw, Cian Healy, Rob Herring, Keith Earls, and Joe McCarthy.
“That’s two-thirds of a team and a good one at that. All out injured as Ireland continue their quest for a Grand Slam. The next step is beating Italy in Rome today, and even without that missing crew, they’re firm favourites to do so.”
There’s also an excellent Ciarán Kennedy interview with Andrew Porter, Murray’s Postcard from Rome and much, much more in the rugby section.
The teams are in the tunnel, and James Ryan leads Ireland out in Jonny Sexton’s absence. Ross Byrne makes his first Six Nations start. Here we go!
The anthems and pre-match formalities are underway.
Another big game for Ireland, but this one is overshadowed by the untimely passing of Tom Tierney. Rest in peace.
KICK-OFF: Ireland gets us underway.
Italy 0-0 Ireland
2 mins – Ireland make an excellent early break, and James Lowe looks to be in for a try but as per a TMO call, there’s clear separation between hand and ball just before the ball is grounded. Knock-on, we go again.
3 mins – Ireland 5-0 Italy
TRY! Just a few seconds later, exact same corner, James Ryan makes no mistake!
Ireland 5-0 Italy
5 mins – Ross Byrne misses the conversion, but what a start for Ireland in Rome.
Until…..
Italy 7-5 Ireland
8 mins – TRY! Stephen Varney. Fantastic from Italy, great carry from Cannone in the build-up. What a response. The extras are added, and Italy take the lead.
Woah, time to take a breath after an electric opening 10 minutes.
Rewinding to the very start, the Italians looked nervy early doors. Ireland’s first opportunity is excellent: Bundee Aki sends Josh Van der Flier free, Hugo Keenan links up with Lowe, but the try is disallowed.
On the restart, Ireland work it well. Aki finds Lowe, who pops to Ryan for his fifth international try. And then Italy struck back.
The looked to do so again, Cannone leading the charge, but Ireland can get settled.
Italy 7-5 Ireland
12 mins – Italy are putting Ireland under serious pressure here, and Andy Farrell’s side look to be really missing Garry Ringrose in defence.
Ireland 12-7 Italy
13 mins – TRY! Hugo Keenan. And problems for Byrne from the tee this time. It’s all go.
Aki again plays a central role, making a burst in the centre. Hansen plays the link the role to Keenan, the full-back evading Italian tackles to crash down under the posts.
Ireland 12-10 Italy
18 mins – Perfect strike as Paolo Garbisi reduces the gap to two with a penalty.
It all came cheaply after a late, and needless, Mack Hansen shoulder. It followed a great break down the left Tommaso Menoncello, Craig Casey getting backfield to claim the ball but left isolated.
Ireland 19-10 Italy
20 mins – TRY! Bundee Aki. This is non-stop…
Aki has been good so far today, and he gets his name on the try-sheet. It’s almost identical to Lowe’s early effort which was chalked off. Lowe originally intercepted, while there was also great work from Byrne and Van der Flier in the build-up.
Aki grounds it one-handed in the corner, before Byrne nails the conversion.
Ireland 19-10 Italy
24 mins – Italy waste a golden opportunity. Lowe makes an unforced error, knocking on and giving away a scrum to Italy right under the Irish posts. The Leinster man can breathe a sigh of relief as he eventually clears Ireland’s lines, Caelan Doris with the turnover.
The Fields of Athenry in Rome! pic.twitter.com/f5w4AoOSeH
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) February 25, 2023
Ireland 19-10 Italy
28 mins – Italy win a penalty at the scrum, Finlay Bealham the culprit. Bit of over and back follows. We’re going to the TMO — Craig Casey is down after a knock, sustained in contact with Niccolo Cannone.
Just a penalty, it’s deemed Cannone stood his ground rather than turn his shoulder in. Casey is back on his feet, and we’re ready to go again.
Ireland 19-10 Italy
30 mins – Andrew Porter slams the ball on the ground in frustration as Italy win a penalty on their 5m line. After finding touch and working the line-out, Ireland build through the phases and find themselves in a a promising position but Van der Flier is penalised for obstruction with Porter on the charge. Disappointment with the mistake.
Giacomo Nicotera is off for a HIA, Luca Bigi comes on at hooker.
Ireland 19-10 Italy
33 mins – Bealham is back on his feet after receiving treatment for what looked like a knee injury. Seemed an innocuous incident, his studs caught in the ground and his knee going the other way, but hopefully no major damaged done.
Before that, Byrne had put Ireland right into the corner from a penalty, and they won another shortly after for an Italy offside.
Ireland 24-10 Italy
35 mins – TRY! Mack Hansen. Bonus point in the bag.
The Connacht man dots down in the opposite corner to the opening two, Ireland reaping the rewards after a sustained period of pressure. Casey plays Stuart McCloskey, who finds Hansen in the corner for Ireland’s fourth try of the day.
Byrne is well off with the conversion, still 14 points in it.
Ireland substitution
37 mins – Tom O’Toole comes in for Bealham, that knee unable to hold up until half time.
Ireland 24-17 Italy
40 mins – TRY! Pierre Bruno intercepts a sloppy Aki pass and races up the field to cross, never to be caught by Van der Flier. Garbisi adds the extras, for a very different half-time outlook.
HALF-TIME: Ireland 24-17 Italy
Full value for fans at Stadio Olimpico!
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) February 25, 2023
Loved the bravery of that read from Bruno.
An entertaining game in Rome, to say the very least. What a first half at the Stadio Olimpico; James Ryan, Hugo Keenan, Bundee Aki and Mack Hansen with the Ireland tries. Andy Farrell’s side have ultimately seized control of an all-action opening period, but there have been no shortage of mistakes too. What do you reckon?
Here are the four Ireland tries from the first half:
Italy 0-5 Ireland: James Ryan opens the scoring for the visitors with a well-taken try after a lightening start for the visitors.
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) February 25, 2023
📺 Watch on @RTE2 and @RTEplayer: https://t.co/mQ6SwzbNla
📱 Live updates: https://t.co/g2bfYO7CDj pic.twitter.com/MyBS5lvsbO
Italy 7-12 Ireland: The visitors retake the lead thanks to some great footwork from Hugo Keenan who goes over under the posts.
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) February 25, 2023
Watch on @RTE2 and @RTEplayer: https://t.co/mQ6SwzbNla
📱 Live updates: https://t.co/g2bfYO7CDj pic.twitter.com/WSqSA3QbXw
Italy 10-19 Ireland: James Lowe and Bundee Aki combine once more, with Aki touching down in the corner to extend Ireland's lead.
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) February 25, 2023
📺 Watch on @RTE2 and @RTEplayer: https://t.co/UW8C8Yc1Pb
📱 Live updates: https://t.co/yrkfeBiT3I pic.twitter.com/Ng3dxHepy0
Italy 10-24 Ireland: Andy Farrell's men secure the bonus point before half-time as Mack Hansen finds space out wide before going over.
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) February 25, 2023
📺 Watch on @RTE2 and @RTEplayer: https://t.co/mQ6SwzclaI
📱 Live updates: https://t.co/g2bfYO8asR pic.twitter.com/7HyoODkV5T
The teams are back out for the second half; the RTÉ panel call for control, composure and tempo, as Andy Farrell’s side look to make it three wins from three.
SECOND-HALF: We’re off again.
Ireland 24-17 Italy
42 mins – Italy are looking to pick up where they left off, the momentum with the Azzurri. It’s as you were for both sides, but Giacomo Nicotera is back in for Bigi after passing his HIA.
Ireland 24-17 Italy
45 mins – Ireland win a penalty from a scrum to relieve some early pressure after Aki coughed it up. ‘Well done boys, fucking excellent!’ Good work from O’Toole and Doris.
Another great driving Ireland scrum, and Ross Byrne eventually plays a nice kick in behind.
Ireland 24-17 Italy
49 mins – Frustration for Italy, they think they’ve won a penalty and can clear their lines after Ireland build through the phases and edge closer and closer, but seems there was an Italian body in the way so we now go to the scrum.
Another one, all of that coming after a penalty in the previous one out the field and Byrne kicking to the corner.
Ireland 24-17 Italy
52 mins – Ireland win penalty under the posts, but Byrne opts to go to the corner again, pushing for another try as they look to stretch their lead. Ruzza gets up in front of Doris in the line out, wasted opportunity…
Ireland 24-17 Italy
55 mins – Ireland steal it back a few minutes later, shortly after a let-off as Stuart McCloskey wrap-tackles Ange Capuozzo high. It’s short-lived though, Porter giving away a penalty.
Ireland 24-20 Italy
57 mins – Garbisi splits the posts with the penalty, the Italian crowd loving it…
Ireland 24-20 Italy
58 mins – TMO – no try for Bundee Aki. He knocked it on in the build-up — after nice work down the blindside, played through by Byrne and Hansen but Aki lost the ball before regathering it and dotting down.
There were a few Irish changes just before that: Peter O’Mahony and Dan Sheehan coming on, with Doris shifting to number 8. Ryan Baird also comes in for Henderson.
Ireland 24-20 Italy
62 mins – Over the hour-mark now, and Italy are trying to turn the screw. A big final quarter is needed from Ireland to see this one out.
Ireland 27-20 Italy
64 mins – Penalty scored by Ross Byrne. Big kick, clutch moment. Applause from the injured Jonny Sexton. Baird made his impact felt with the hard-earned turnover at the breakdown.
Ireland 27-20 Italy
66 mins – Conor Murray and Dave Kilcoyne come in for Casey and Porter respectively. The RTÉ cameras flick to the bench, where Bealham is wearing a brace on his knee after his first-half removal.
Italy are on the charge here, they aren’t going away…
Ireland 27-20 Italy
68 mins – Huge frustration for Italy, head coach Kieran Crowley banging his hand off his knee as they blow a big chance. They’re in and Juan Ignacio Brex opts for a cross-field kick/goes for the corner, which evades Ruzza — Ireland were outnumbered and Brex really should have just passed it off. It all came from a massive surge from replacement Giovanni Peettinelli. A moment of madness, relief for the visitors.
Ireland 34-20 Italy
71 mins – TRY! Hansen gets in behind the posts, after a lovely offload from Conor Murray. Ross Byrne bangs the conversion over, and Ireland are 14 points up as the clock runs down.
The stadium was like a cauldron in the build-up to that crucial try, Ireland moving through the gears through up on 20 phases. Could that have just killed off the Italian challenge?
Ireland 34-20 Italy
74 mins – ‘Stupid Bundee’ Aki roars at himself, the door opened again for Italy. He goes off his feet at a ruck, penalty and Italy kick to the corner. The electric Menoncello races down the left-hand side, Hansen cuts it out and we go to the line-out.
Ireland 34-20 Italy
77 mins – Ireland can draw breath once more as Italy gift them a scrum and a route out. ‘Well done,’ they scream, Dave Kilcoyne the leading light in there.
Hansen is named RTÉ’s Man of the Match, Jack Crowley comes in and Ross Byrne makes way. Sexton appears to go down to greet him.
Ireland 34-20 Italy
80 mins – One last play… Ireland looking for another try but there’s a mix-up on the break and it’s out for a line-out. Italy, under serious pressure, eventually win a penalty and look to keep playing. The Fields is ringing out…
Ireland 34-20 Italy
83 mins – Lowe intercepts, and looks to finish with a try but it’s not to be. Final whistle, job done.
FULL-TIME: Ireland 34-20 Italy
Far from perfect, but job done against a good Italy side. Three wins out of three, maximum points secured and Ireland’s Grand Slam bid rolls on.
That’s a wrap in terms of the liveblog. Murray Kinsella’s report from Rome will follow, with plenty more colour, reaction and analysis to appear on The42 in the coming hours and days. Thanks for tuning in, enjoy the rest of your Saturday.
