Ireland edge ding-dong Italian battle to get Six Nations campaign back on track
Ireland's Donnacha McGuire and Derry Moloney celebrate with fans after scoring a try. Pic: Nick Elliott/Inpho
Ireland Under 20s got their Six Nations campaign back on track after edging Italy in a ding-dong battle at Virgin Media Park on Friday night.
Tries from Christopher Barrett, Daniel Ryan, Derry Moloney and Josh Neill ensured Ireland got their first win of the Championship, after withstanding a late Italy attempt to snatch the points from an encounter that either side could have justifiably taken victory from.
Browne made three alterations to the side that lost 50-21 to France, with Munster's Rob Carney coming into the starting 15 at outside centre in place of Johnny O'Sullivan.
In the pack, Leinster hooker Lee Fitzpatrick comes in for Rian Handley, while in the back-row, Munster’s Joe Finn was preferred to Billy Hayes.
An early Ireland entry into the Italy 22 and illegal Azzurri play at the ruck was duly capitalised on by Tom Wood, the Munster out-half kicking over from in front of the posts to open the Ireland account inside three minutes.
That lead would be extended by the 10-minute mark.
With Ireland launching a slick attack from deep, Moloney showed the Italian defence a clean pair of heels before finding the support run of Noah Byrne, who found Barrett on a trail run, and the ex-CBC scrum-half had the necessary gas to get over.
Wood took his point tally to five with the left-footed conversion.
Italian would find decent territory soon after but the poaching ability of Leinster’s South African-born, Irish-qualified Neill won Browne’s outfit a penalty.
The Italian wave kept coming and winger Luca Rossi would finish in the corner after 19 minutes.
Livewire scrum-half Alessandro Teodosio was first to weave his way past the Irish cover and slick hands from the Italians allowed Rossi do his thing down the left wing. Five became seven with the Francesco Braga add-ons.
Ireland fired the next shot, however. Former PBC powerhouse centre James O’Leary played creator to get midfield partner Carney through a hole. Multiple one-out carries followed before it was the backs' turn once more as full-back Noah Byrne showed great awareness to ensure Daniel Ryan crossed the whitewash.
Italy wasted no time in coming out of the blue corner swinging, as Ireland found themselves mauled over just a matter of minutes after Wood had missed the extras.
Hooker Valerio Pelli was the beneficiary of a powerful maul, Braga cut the gap to a single point as we neared the halfway mark and the out-half struck once more from a penalty after sloppy Irish infringement to give the visitors the interval lead – 17-15. Italian Job to do for those in green.
Wood and Carney’s fingerprints were all over Ireland’s third try on 45 minutes. Despite the out-half’s somewhat slight build, his hit dislodged possession from Italian clutches and Carney found himself in space down the right flank.
The thirteen held onto the ball, sucked in two Italian defenders, before releasing a measured kick that allowed rapid winger Moloney to dot down.
Wood pushed his conversion wide and Italy spent the next stanza of play camped on the Irish line with Browne’s defence giving up penalty after penalty and after losing Finn to the sin bin, Pelli crashed over for his second, but Braga’s miss off the tee meant their lead only stood at two – 22-20.
In this back-and-forth tussle, the Ireland pack won a penalty against the head, and it led to a try – and Ireland’s bonus-point – through the impressive Neill.
With Ireland now starting to turn the screw, a Wood penalty on 62 minutes coincided with a Davide Sette yellow card to stretch the green lead to eight.
But back came that Italian wave. Of course it did. That maul provided the key once more. A hooker the try scorer once more. Jacopo de Rossi crossed for the blue bonus-point. Three in it.
From there, Ireland negotiated the inevitable late Italy push. Just about.
N Byrne; D Moloney, R Carney (J O’Sullivan, 76), J O’Leary, D Ryan; T Wood (C O’Shea, 69), C Barrett (J O’Dwyer, 69); M Doyle (C Foley, 69), L Fitzpatrick (R Handley, 55), S Bishti (B McClean, 69); D McNeice (B Hayes, 7-14 temporary, 61 permanent), D McGuire; J Finn, J Neill, D O’Connell (Ben Blaney, 50).
Joe Finn (50-60).
E Vitale (T Del Sureto, 65); M Faisal, D Coluzzi (A Scaramazza, 65), R Cassarin, L Rossi; F Braga, A Teodosio (N Varotto, 61); C Brasini (G Messori, 65), V Pelli (J de Rossi, 65), L Trevisan (Leonardo Tosi, 50); S Fardin, E Opoku-Gyamfi (M Spreafichi, 65); A I Miranda, C A Bianchi, D Sette (J N Wilson, 72).
D Sette. (62-72).
Luke Rogan (USA).
App?
