6 Nations
Match Report: Ireland Scrape Past Energetic Italy
Ireland have kept their championship hopes alive with a fortunate win over Italy
Ireland were lucky to come away with a 26-16 win over an aggressive Italy side in the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.
#GuinnessSixNations
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) February 24, 2019
FULL TIME SCORE: Italy 16-26 IRELAND #TeamOfUs #ShoulderToShoulder #ITAvIRE pic.twitter.com/TlOoAQfTdO
Ireland who were looking to push on from their win over Scotland last time out caused most of their own problems with handling errors and silly penalties allowing Italy to stay in the game.
The visitors had a scrappy start up until the 12th minute when Quinn Roux finished off a 19 phase move after strong carries from the likes of Tadhg Furlong and Jacob Stockdale. Johnny Sexton kicked over the conversion to make it 7-0.
It seemed as though they might kick on from there, but within seven minutes Tomasso Allan got the hosts on the scoreboard with a penalty.
The Italian’s shot themselves in the foot immediately after scoring. Sexton kicked off, with Italy mistiming their catch, before a knock-on fell into Stockdale’s hands.
The winger did the rest, bursting through some defenders and touching down to give Ireland some breathing space. The kick was missed meaning it was 12-3 after 22 minutes.
Again, Ireland allowed Italy into the game, with Sean Cronin giving a penalty away for being offside which Allan slotted between the posts.
With the clock just ticking past the 30-minute mark Italy were in for their opening try of the game.
Edoardo Padovani capitalised on a Sean Cronin over-throw from a line-out. Jayden Hayward broke through the defence and after a couple of phases Allan sent a long-pass out to Padovani who scored.
Allan missed the extras, but it was a one-point game at 12-11.
With two minutes remaining in the first-half, Italy went in front. Breaking from their own 22, the Italian’s raced down the other end of the pitch with Luca Morisi getting the try. Again, the kick was missed, and it was 16-12 to Italy at half-time.
#GuinnessSixNations
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) February 24, 2019
HALF TIME SCORE: Italy 16-12 IRELAND #TeamOfUs #ShoulderToShoulder #ITAvIRE pic.twitter.com/fytAIK1Fpk
The second-half was filled with errors with two Irish tries the only highlights of the half.
Keith Earls scored with 49 minutes on the clock after sustained pressure from the men in green, Conor Murray took the kick this time and sent the ball flying over.
Ireland had to wait until the 66th minute for their bonus-point try, as Murray touched down after a rolling-maul from a line-out. He took the kick himself and scored once more to make it 26-16.
#GuinnessSixNations
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) February 24, 2019
Congratulations to @peterom6 who has been awarded Man of the Match! #TeamOfUs #ShoulderToShoulder #ITAvIRE pic.twitter.com/SXkVn1G0SH
That’s how it remained as Ireland picked up five points to move into third in the table and keep their championship hopes alive.
After the game Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt admitted his relief at getting the win but was not pleased with the overall performance.
“There’s a relief, it’s done, in the end we got our five points and that’s what we came for, but we were too inaccurate,” he said.
Winger and try-scorer Stockdale also spoke following the game and when asked why his team are not flourishing as they have been over the past couple of years, he couldn’t answer.
“That’s the million dollar question I suppose,” he said in relation to what his team’s problems are.
Ireland will have to be better when they host France in two weeks’ time if they want to have any chance of winning another title and while there were positives for Italy, they will play England next looking to now end a 20-game unbeaten run in the 6 Nations.
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The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is delighted to announce the return of the ‘A’ Interprovincial Men’s Championship which will kick off next month.
The times and dates of the opening three rounds of the Championship before Christmas have been confirmed, with a similar points-scoring system as used in the URC. A Championship winner will be declared after the final round of matches in May and the IRFU will be commissioning a legacy trophy to mark the 150th anniversary celebrations.
Welcoming the news, IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys commented:
“We’re delighted to kick-start the Men’s ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship which will provide a host of players with a further means of developing in a meaningful competition. With the success of the Emerging Ireland Tours, coupled with the return of an ‘A’ international against England next year, it is vital that we continue to provide players at provincial and Club levels with opportunities to impress outside of the traditional URC and EPCR fixture windows.
“Discussions have been ongoing for some time to provide players with meaningful games and all four provinces are unanimously supportive of this competition. It is also great to see provinces taking matches around their local Clubs.
“It is anticipated that as the competition progresses over the coming seasons these fixtures won’t clash with Energia All-Ireland League fixtures for the most part, thus potentially also offering players from the Club game with an opportunity to impress.
“This competition will form another important part of the representative pathway from Energia AIL to URC levels for Academy players upwards over the coming seasons.”
The dates for the post-Christmas fixtures will be confirmed in due course. Ticket details will be confirmed via the respective provinces.
IRFU 150 Interprovincial ‘A’ Championship Fixtures:
Saturday, 16th November:
Connacht Eagles v Leinster ‘A’ (Creggs RFC, 1pm)
Friday, 22nd November:
Ulster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (Ballymacaran Park, 3pm), Leinster ‘A’ v Munster ‘A’ (Lakelands, 5pm)
Friday, 29th November:
Munster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’ (New Ormond Park, 3pm)
Friday, 20th December:
Ulster ‘A’ v Munster ‘A’ (tbc, 3pm)
Saturday, 21st December:
Leinster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (Ollie Campbell Park, 2pm)
Weekend of 28/29 December:
Connacht Eagles v Ulster ‘A’ (tbc), Munster ‘A’ v Leinster ‘A’ (tbc)
Weekend of 9/10 May:
Connacht Eagles v Munster ‘A’ (tbc), Leinster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’ (tbc)
Weekend of 16/17 May:
Munster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (tbc), Ulster ‘A’ v Leinster ‘A’ (tbc)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
The Emerging Ireland team to face the Cheetahs in the final game of the three-match series in Bloemfontein on Wednesday evening (kick off 6pm Irish time, 7pm local time) has been named.
Leinster’s James Culhane will lead the team and he forms a new back-row alongside Harry Sheridan and Sean Edogbo, who makes his first start of the tour having come on as a replacement in the 29-24 win over Western Force on Sunday afternoon. Former Ireland Under-20 captain Evan O’Connell locks down with Darragh Murray, who featured in the opening 36-24 victory over the Pumas, with Alex Usanov named in the front row alongside hooker Stephen Smyth and Jack Aungier.
Darragh Murray of Emerging Ireland scores his sides second try – Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/Darren Stewart
In the backline, Sam Prendergast starts his third game of the tour at out-half and he will be partnered by Cormac Foley, who featured as a second half replacements against the Australian Super Rugby side last time out. Connacht’s Hugh Gavin forms a midfield partnership with Hugh Cooney, with Ulster’s Zac Ward named in an exciting back tree alongside the returning Ben O’Connor at full-back and Andrew Osborne who moves to the right wing.
Munster loosehead prop George Hadden, who was called up to the squad last weekend, is set to make his first appearance after being named on the bench alongside Conor O’Tighearnaigh and Alex Soroka who started Sunday’s win. Hadden’s provincial team-mate Danny Sheahan provides cover once more at hooker, while Scott Wilson and Charlie Tector are also named on the bench for the Toyota Stadium clash alongside out-half Jack Murphy.
Looking ahead to the game, Emerging Ireland Head Coach Simon Easterby said: “When we set out at the beginning of our pre-camp in Dublin, we knew about the challenge of facing three sides in a week and we knew that every player in the group would have the opportunity to play his part. To a man each player has given his all so far and we are aiming to finish off the series with another positive performance on Wednesday.
The Cheetahs are a fiercely proud and strong side and it should be a lively game with a vocal home support behind them. It has been a fruitful past few weeks to date and we have learned a lot. While our performances haven’t been perfect, the players have embraced the challenge and played some brilliant rugby at times. The action has come thick and fast and we know that we have to be clinical in our execution. We will need to go up another level on Wednesday to get the performance we want and hopefully finish the tour on a high.”
Wednesday’s game will be broadcast once more on IrishRugby+ – click here.
Emerging Ireland (v The Cheetahs, Wednesday, October 9, 7pm local time, 6pm Irish time)
15: Ben O’Connor (UCC RFC/Munster)
14: Andrew Osborne (Naas RFC/Leinster)
13: Hugh Cooney (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
12: Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)
11: Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster/Ireland Sevens)
10: Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
9: Cormac Foley (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
1: Alex Usanov (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
2: Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)
3: Jack Aungier (Clontarf FC/Connacht)
4: Evan O’Connell (Young Munster RFC/Munster)
5: Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
6: Harry Sheridan (Dublin University FC/Ulster)
7: Sean Edogbo (UCC RFC/Munster)
8: James Culhane (UCD RFC/Leinster) (captain)
Replacements:
16: Danny Sheahan (Cork Constitution FC/Munster)
17: George Hadden (Garryowen FC/Munster)
18: Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster)
19: Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster)
20: Alex Soroka (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
21: Matthew Devine (Corinthians RFC/Connacht)
22: Jack Murphy (Clontarf FC/Ulster)
23: Charlie Tector (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Following Emerging Ireland’s 29-24 victory over Western Force in Bloemfontein on Sunday three players, Gus McCarthy (Leinster), Sean O’Brien (Munster) and Jude Postlethwaite (Ulster) will return to their provinces.
The trio will leave South Africa on Monday afternoon and will be available for selection for their respective URC fixtures this weekend.
The squad will visit Heidedal Township this afternoon and will conclude the three-match series on Wednesday evening against The Cheetahs (kick off 7pm local, 6pm Irish time). That match will be live on irishrugby+
Watch the full match back here on irishrugby+
Check out the highlights from the win against Western Force below.
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Jordan signs for Bristol Bears
IRFU Announces Return Of ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship
