Ireland unimpressive but get 'opener' win

Ireland 29, Italy 11, Croke Park, Saturday, February 6, 2010:

By Aidan Corr

DECLAN Kidney's side got off to a winning start as they set out to win back to back Six Nations grand slams.

Against a side that has yet to beat them in this biggest prize of the northern hemisphere, Ireland did not look like a side that can add successive victories in France and in London over the next three weeks. They showed that they had the pace and the skill to out-fox the Azzuri when they ran the ball through the hands and when Jamie Heaslip got over at the end of a flowing double phase move for a 10-0 lead after 14 minutes, the platform was set up for a romp at Croker.

O'Gara was having another of his impeccable performances and by half time he had contributed 13 of his side's 23 point haul.

The stats show Rog's influence on this game: 9 mins, a penalty from inside ten metre line, 3-0; 14 mins, conversion of Heaslip try, 10-0; 28 mins, penalty, 13-3; 32 mins, penalty, 16-3; 35 mins, conversion of Tomas O'Leary try, 23-3.

Italy's response came from a penalty by Craig Gower on 25 minutes (10-3), and a try by Kaine Robertson after he charged down Rob Kearney's attempted clearance (ht 23-8), 45, conversion of O'Leary try. With his touch kicking, covering and linking with the threequarters also of high quality, O'Gara is now playing some of the best rugby of his career.

We all expected Ireland to drive on from there during the second half and bring the score well into the 30s. All they could add to the scoreboard during the second 40 minutes was a penalty each from O'Gara and Paddy Wallace. The Munster out-half had to retire with an ankle injury with 20 minutes remaining but he had done enough to make sure that he would be in the starting fifteen in Stade de France next Saturday.

The Italians got a boost on 43 minutes when Mirco Bergamasco kicked a penalty from 24 metres but Ireland's responses on 45 and 66 minutes sealed the win for the home side.

Irish coach Declan Kidney admitted that improvement was needed for the next game against the French. For certain, there will be some changes for that showdown with Donnacha O'Callaghan likely to return, despite a solid display by Leo Cullen, and a possible call-up for Keith Earls at full-back.

Both Paddy Wallace and Eoin Reddan impressed when they were introduced with Wallace adding pace to the attack at out-half.

Ireland: Rob Kearney; Tommy Bowe, Brian O'Driscoll (captain), Gordon D'Arcy, Andrew Trimble; Ronan O'Gara, Tomas O'Leary; Cian Healy, Jerry Flannery, John Hayes; Leo Cullen, Paul O'Connell; Kevin McLaughlin, David Wallace, Jamie Heaslip.

Replacements: Rory Best for Flannery, Tom Court for Hayes, Donnacha Ryan for O'Connell, Eoin Reddan for O'Leary, Paddy Wallace for O'Gara, Keith Earls for Trimble.

Italy: 15-Luke McLean, 14-Kaine Robertson, 13-Gonzalo Canale, 12-Gonzalo Garcia, 11-Mirco Bergamasco, 10-Craig Gower, 9-Tito Tebaldi; 8-Alessandro Zanni, 7-Mauro Bergamasco, 6-Josh Sole, 5-Quintin Geldenhuys, 4-Carlo Antonio Del Fava, 3-Martin Castrogiovanni, 2-Leonardo Ghiraldini (captain) 1-Salvatore Perugini.

Replacements: 16-Fabio Ongaro, 17-Matias Aguero, 18-Marco Bortolami, 19-Paul Derbyshire, 20-Simon Picone, 21-Riccardo Bocchino, 22-Andrea Masi.

Referee: Romain Poite (France)