THAT THIS GAME ended on a mistake was about the only thing that felt fitting across another nervy, disjointed Ireland performance.
Jack Crowley had enjoyed a good cameo, instantly helping change the game upon his second-half introduction. Yet no-one was going to get out of here feeling good about themselves, so as Ireland, somehow, prepared to attack for a late bonus-point score just moments after they had been defending their own 22 against a potential late Italian equaliser, Crowley shaped up his kick for the corner and whacked it into touch. A frustrating end to another frustrating Ireland display.
Was there too much doom and gloom around this Ireland team in the aftermath of Paris? Perhaps, but even if that was the case, the picture didn’t feel too much prettier come full-time today.
By half-time, the cold possibility of an Italian win in Dublin was staring this Ireland team in the face. Italy led 10-5, having weathered a positive start by the hosts to finish the opening 40 comfortably in the ascendancy. One of the final plays of the first period saw Gonzalo Quesada’s men eat Ireland alive in the scrum (again), bulldozing the Irish front row to win a penalty against the head. Maybe Italy could have kicked another three to extend their lead, building on a Paolo Garbisi penalty and Giacomo Nicotera try, both of which arrived after Jamie Osborne had finished a slick Ireland team move.
Instead, Italy went searching for more, and the half ended with a massive defensive effort by Stuart McCloskey to rip the ball back. Ireland went down the tunnel relieved to be only five behind.
The Italians in the crowd were enjoying themselves. Even in days when you feared for Italian teams visiting Dublin, the Azzurri were always guaranteed to bring passion to the occasion. There was no lack of that today, and as the anthems played, it became clear the visitors had a stronger than usual presence in the stands.
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There was a strong Italian crowd in Dublin. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Captain Michele Lamaro had a hand tucked inside his jacket pocket, placed over his heart, as he leaned forward to belt out the final line of Il Canto degli Italiani. That passion was shared in the stands, even in the places you don’t expect it. At the front of the press box, three Italians squeezed into a two-seater bench, heartily roaring their approval at early positive moments from their team. The fun stopped when one of the three returned from the bar with three pints. Even the famed Irish hospitality doesn’t extend that far (maybe why said trio didn’t return to their seats for the second half).
Yet Ireland could be accused of being too welcoming to their visitors on the pitch. Initially, that had not been the case. Many of the elements missing in France had returned to Ireland’s game. Players in green jerseys were carrying hard, winning the ball in the air and taking it to the line, where they were rewarded with gaps to attack and space to throw offloads. Osborne’s try was the result of well-executed, accurate play. Sam Prendergast combined with Garry Ringrose before McCloskey – perhaps Ireland’s best player for two weeks running – put a bow on it, spinning out of contact and offloading on one knee to Osborne, who ran it home. Sam Prendergast’s poor miss off the tee ensured any early nerves weren’t fully settled in the stands. It wouldn’t be the out-half’s only regrettable moment on a tough day for Ireland’s starting 10.
That score was the moment Ireland were waiting for, but from there they looked increasingly vulnerable. The early exchanges had seen Ireland’s changes make a notable difference. Robert Baloucoune’s speed brought instant impact, stepping out of tight situations and attacking spaces Italy were slow to close. James Lowe looked more like his old self, using his power out wide and even executing a neat chip-and-collect further infield. Cormac Izuchukwu was putting his big frame to good use at the lineout. James Ryan was aggressive in contact, as were most of the pack who failed to sufficiently impose themselves in round one.
All of that faded as Italy grew in confidence, the scrum proving a reliable source of momentum for the men in blue. Ireland’s half-backs were struggling to put their stamp on the game as the pack battled a ferocious, surging Italian effort.
It soon became clear we would not be witnessing the type of response Farrell’s men wanted to deliver after the humbling opening loss to France.
Italy's Lorenzo Pani evades Ireland's Sam Prendergast. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Jack Conan’s close-range finish was just the start Ireland needed to the second half, but what followed was more of the rash, sloppy play we saw against France. The forward pass which saw a Louis Lynagh try chalked off was a major let-off after Ireland were sliced open again, Italy now clearly looking more ambitious and dangerous with ball in hand.
It’s astonishing how quiet this stadium can feel when things aren’t going well for Ireland.
Farrell needed more energy in his team, and having been slow to get his replacements into the action in Paris, he was quick to act here. Getting Tadhg Furlong in to try shore up the scrum at half-time was an absolute necessity, but even he would be sent skywards before the day was out. Ten minutes into the half, Craig Casey, Dan Sheehan and Joe McCarthy were making way for Jamison Gibson-Park, Tadhg Beirne and Ronán Kelleher.
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A few minutes later Jack Crowley was joining them, his introduction generating one of the loudest cheers of the day. Prendergast took a seat to watch the Munster man play a central role in getting Ireland back on the front foot. There must be a growing likelihood the young Leinster player starts next weekend’s meeting with England from a similar vantage point.
Ireland scored their third try just a minute after Crowley’s entrance, and his fingerprints were all over it. Carrying with intent, the Munster man was minced in the tackle after moving the ball on in the middle of a flowing Ireland move full of quality. The finishing touches were sublime, McCloskey freeing a hand to release the ball to Baloucoune – a popular try-scorer on his Six Nations debut, and another pushing hard to play in Twickenham. Post game, Farrell reckoned the try was one of the finest Ireland have scored under his watch.
Robert Baloucoune was excellent on his Six Nations debut. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
The reception for Crowley’s introduction was perhaps surpassed by the one which later greeted debutant Edwin Edogbo. With 10 to play and Ireland seven points up, maybe the home fans were simply, finally, starting to enjoy themselves.
‘Enjoy’ might even be too strong a word. This was a nervy, tight win that won’t quash fears Ireland are trending in the wrong direction. Ireland needed character to see this game out, but there were too many errors, too many periods where Ireland struggled to control the momentum of the contest.
Farrell’s team came perilously close to another utterly deflating result here – if the forward pass for Lynagh’s try was fortunate, the bounce of a ball denying Tommaso Menoncello a certain score under the posts in the final minutes was a gift from above.
Italy will rue those moments. As the clock hit 80, Garbisi missed touch, only for Baloucoune to misjudge the flight of the ball and knock it out of play. One last chance, but the final Italian attack ended with an intercept that saw Lowe carry the play from Ireland’s half deep into Italian territory. Somehow, Ireland managed to squeeze in one final error as Crowley kicked the ball dead when the hosts were hoping to use a late penalty to push for a bonus point score.
A win is a win, but the performance doesn’t change what we already knew before kick-off today. This team need to find another level if they are to do any damage in Twickenham.
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Ireland come perilously close to the (previously) unthinkable against spirited Italians
THAT THIS GAME ended on a mistake was about the only thing that felt fitting across another nervy, disjointed Ireland performance.
Jack Crowley had enjoyed a good cameo, instantly helping change the game upon his second-half introduction. Yet no-one was going to get out of here feeling good about themselves, so as Ireland, somehow, prepared to attack for a late bonus-point score just moments after they had been defending their own 22 against a potential late Italian equaliser, Crowley shaped up his kick for the corner and whacked it into touch. A frustrating end to another frustrating Ireland display.
Was there too much doom and gloom around this Ireland team in the aftermath of Paris? Perhaps, but even if that was the case, the picture didn’t feel too much prettier come full-time today.
By half-time, the cold possibility of an Italian win in Dublin was staring this Ireland team in the face. Italy led 10-5, having weathered a positive start by the hosts to finish the opening 40 comfortably in the ascendancy. One of the final plays of the first period saw Gonzalo Quesada’s men eat Ireland alive in the scrum (again), bulldozing the Irish front row to win a penalty against the head. Maybe Italy could have kicked another three to extend their lead, building on a Paolo Garbisi penalty and Giacomo Nicotera try, both of which arrived after Jamie Osborne had finished a slick Ireland team move.
Instead, Italy went searching for more, and the half ended with a massive defensive effort by Stuart McCloskey to rip the ball back. Ireland went down the tunnel relieved to be only five behind.
The Italians in the crowd were enjoying themselves. Even in days when you feared for Italian teams visiting Dublin, the Azzurri were always guaranteed to bring passion to the occasion. There was no lack of that today, and as the anthems played, it became clear the visitors had a stronger than usual presence in the stands.
Captain Michele Lamaro had a hand tucked inside his jacket pocket, placed over his heart, as he leaned forward to belt out the final line of Il Canto degli Italiani. That passion was shared in the stands, even in the places you don’t expect it. At the front of the press box, three Italians squeezed into a two-seater bench, heartily roaring their approval at early positive moments from their team. The fun stopped when one of the three returned from the bar with three pints. Even the famed Irish hospitality doesn’t extend that far (maybe why said trio didn’t return to their seats for the second half).
Yet Ireland could be accused of being too welcoming to their visitors on the pitch. Initially, that had not been the case. Many of the elements missing in France had returned to Ireland’s game. Players in green jerseys were carrying hard, winning the ball in the air and taking it to the line, where they were rewarded with gaps to attack and space to throw offloads. Osborne’s try was the result of well-executed, accurate play. Sam Prendergast combined with Garry Ringrose before McCloskey – perhaps Ireland’s best player for two weeks running – put a bow on it, spinning out of contact and offloading on one knee to Osborne, who ran it home. Sam Prendergast’s poor miss off the tee ensured any early nerves weren’t fully settled in the stands. It wouldn’t be the out-half’s only regrettable moment on a tough day for Ireland’s starting 10.
That score was the moment Ireland were waiting for, but from there they looked increasingly vulnerable. The early exchanges had seen Ireland’s changes make a notable difference. Robert Baloucoune’s speed brought instant impact, stepping out of tight situations and attacking spaces Italy were slow to close. James Lowe looked more like his old self, using his power out wide and even executing a neat chip-and-collect further infield. Cormac Izuchukwu was putting his big frame to good use at the lineout. James Ryan was aggressive in contact, as were most of the pack who failed to sufficiently impose themselves in round one.
All of that faded as Italy grew in confidence, the scrum proving a reliable source of momentum for the men in blue. Ireland’s half-backs were struggling to put their stamp on the game as the pack battled a ferocious, surging Italian effort.
It soon became clear we would not be witnessing the type of response Farrell’s men wanted to deliver after the humbling opening loss to France.
Jack Conan’s close-range finish was just the start Ireland needed to the second half, but what followed was more of the rash, sloppy play we saw against France. The forward pass which saw a Louis Lynagh try chalked off was a major let-off after Ireland were sliced open again, Italy now clearly looking more ambitious and dangerous with ball in hand.
It’s astonishing how quiet this stadium can feel when things aren’t going well for Ireland.
Farrell needed more energy in his team, and having been slow to get his replacements into the action in Paris, he was quick to act here. Getting Tadhg Furlong in to try shore up the scrum at half-time was an absolute necessity, but even he would be sent skywards before the day was out. Ten minutes into the half, Craig Casey, Dan Sheehan and Joe McCarthy were making way for Jamison Gibson-Park, Tadhg Beirne and Ronán Kelleher.
A few minutes later Jack Crowley was joining them, his introduction generating one of the loudest cheers of the day. Prendergast took a seat to watch the Munster man play a central role in getting Ireland back on the front foot. There must be a growing likelihood the young Leinster player starts next weekend’s meeting with England from a similar vantage point.
Ireland scored their third try just a minute after Crowley’s entrance, and his fingerprints were all over it. Carrying with intent, the Munster man was minced in the tackle after moving the ball on in the middle of a flowing Ireland move full of quality. The finishing touches were sublime, McCloskey freeing a hand to release the ball to Baloucoune – a popular try-scorer on his Six Nations debut, and another pushing hard to play in Twickenham. Post game, Farrell reckoned the try was one of the finest Ireland have scored under his watch.
The reception for Crowley’s introduction was perhaps surpassed by the one which later greeted debutant Edwin Edogbo. With 10 to play and Ireland seven points up, maybe the home fans were simply, finally, starting to enjoy themselves.
‘Enjoy’ might even be too strong a word. This was a nervy, tight win that won’t quash fears Ireland are trending in the wrong direction. Ireland needed character to see this game out, but there were too many errors, too many periods where Ireland struggled to control the momentum of the contest.
Farrell’s team came perilously close to another utterly deflating result here – if the forward pass for Lynagh’s try was fortunate, the bounce of a ball denying Tommaso Menoncello a certain score under the posts in the final minutes was a gift from above.
Italy will rue those moments. As the clock hit 80, Garbisi missed touch, only for Baloucoune to misjudge the flight of the ball and knock it out of play. One last chance, but the final Italian attack ended with an intercept that saw Lowe carry the play from Ireland’s half deep into Italian territory. Somehow, Ireland managed to squeeze in one final error as Crowley kicked the ball dead when the hosts were hoping to use a late penalty to push for a bonus point score.
A win is a win, but the performance doesn’t change what we already knew before kick-off today. This team need to find another level if they are to do any damage in Twickenham.
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Comment Ireland Rugby Sam Prendergast Six Nations 2026