Ireland v Italy descends into farce as hosts put nine tries past 13-man visitors

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Joey Carbery, keeping his place at 10 with Johnny Sexton kept in reserve following his recent hamstring injury, crossed after just three minutes following some lovely interplay between Peter O’Mahony, Caelan Doris and Dan Sheehan. But Italy were back in it with Edoardo Padovani kicking a penalty to make it 7-3 when the madness started.

Italy had lost hooker Gianmarco Lucchesi to an injury early on, but when his replacement Faiva was then sent off for connecting with the chin of Sheehan, there followed a bizarre few minutes as Amashukeli tried to apply the correct laws. Effectively, because the starting hooker had already gone off injured, Italy had to bring on a front-row player (prop Ivan Nemer) for a back (winger Pierre Bruno). But that meant they also had to move to uncontested scrums. And because they had forced the uncontested scrums, that meant they also had to lose another player – meaning No 8 Halafihi left the field, too. What was already Mission Impossible for Kieran Crowley’s men became Mission Farcical. The results were predictably ugly.

Jamison Gibson Park scored from Lowe’s break and pass, then Ulster’s fleet-footed, diminutive debutant Michael Lowry left Juan Ignacio Brex clutching in thin air.

As Italy tired and the gaps started to become yawning chasms, O’Mahony touched down in the corner, although Italy did score with another penalty just before the break to make it 24-6 at half time.

The second half was predictably disjointed as Ireland’s players queued up to get in on the act. Lowe ended up getting two, with Lowry joining him on that mark, while Ryan Baird charged down a kick and showed an impressive set of wheels, not to mention a useful pick-up for a 6ft6in player, to cross for a fine score.

Italy were reduced to 12 men for the last five minutes after Braam Steyn was shown a yellow card for deliberately batting the ball into touch, with replacement lock Kieran Treadwell bulldozing his way over from close range.

But it had long ceased to be a contest, with many fans at the Aviva sloping off early. The odd muffled rendition of Fields of Athenry came drifting across the turf like tumbleweed.

Poor old Italy. There has been plenty written over the last few weeks about their Six Nations status, and whether it should continue to be protected given their last win in the competition came seven years ago. But it is difficult to judge this defeat – their 100th since they joined back in 2000 – too harshly.

And poor old Amashukeli, too; the young Georgian referee making history by becoming the first of his nation to referee a Six Nations game. It was hardly his fault.

Safe to say, England will present Andy Farrell’s men with a stiffer challenge at Twickenham in a couple of weeks. But this was not the ideal prelude, neither for them nor the Six Nations as a whole.

Match details

Scoring sequence: 5-0 Carbery try; 7-0 Carbery con; 7-3 Padovani pen; 12-3 Gibson-Park try; 14-3 Carbery; 19-3 Lowry try; 24-3 O’Mahony; 24-6 Garbisi pen; 29-6 Low try; 34-6 Lowry try; 36-6 Sexton con; 41-6 Baird try; 43-6 Sexton con; 48-6 Low try; 50-6 Sexton con; 55-6 Treadwell try; 57-6 Sexton con.

Ireland: M Lowry, M Hansen, G Ringrose (J Hume 53), R Henshaw, J Lowe, J Carbery (J Sexton 53), J Gibson-Park (C Casey 61); A Porter (D Kilcoyne 43), D Sheehan (R Herring 68), T Furlong (F Bealham 61), T Beirne (K Treadwell 61), R Baird, P O’Mahony, J Van der Flier, C Doris (J Conan 54).

Italy: E Padovani, P Bruno (I Nemer 20), JI Brex, L Marin (M Zanon 66), M Ioane; P Garbisi, S Varney (A Fusco ht); D Fischetti, G Lucchesi (H Faiva 8), P Ceccarelli (T Pasquali ht), N Cannone (M Zuliani 49), F Ruzza (D Sisi 67), G Pettinelli (B Steyn 55), M Lamaro, T Halafihi (Withdrawn 20).

Red card: H Faiva 19

Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)

Ireland v Italy: as it happened .

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