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Ireland breezed past callow Italy 50-17 to tee up a tilt at a fourth Six Nations crown in seven years.<\/p>\nIreland breezed past callow Italy 50-17 to tee up a tilt at a fourth Six Nations crown in seven years.<\/p>\n
Hugo Keenan bagged a debut brace, with fellow newcomer Will Connors also on the score sheet.<\/p>\n
CJ Stander, Johnny Sexton, Bundee Aki and Dave Heffernan all crossed too, with Edoardo Padovani and Paolo Garbisi finishing for the Italians.<\/p>\n
Garry Ringrose suffered a head injury scare in one of the few blows to Ireland\u2019s straightforward afternoon at an Aviva Stadium empty of fans due to coronavirus restrictions.<\/p>\n
Captain Sexton told ITV afterwards: \u201cIt was scrappy at times, that\u2019s how it is when you haven\u2019t played together for six or seven months.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew it was going to be a bit like that but I\u2019m proud of the effort of the lads, it was outstanding. Anytime you put 50 points on an international team you\u2019ve done a lot of good.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did a couple of things we\u2019d like to take back \u2013 I\u2019d like to take the intercept back \u2013 but these things happen and it\u2019s how you bounce back from the mistakes you make.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Azzurri\u2019s record Six Nations losing streak was extended to 26 with precious little issue, and with the home side hardly having to hit full stride.<\/p>\n
Italy stunned Farrell\u2019s men from the off, Seb Negri haring through a gap in the hosts\u2019 defensive line for a major break.<\/p>\n
Scrum-half Marcello Violi latched on to Negri\u2019s pass and so nearly opened the try-scoring, only to be hauled back.<\/p>\n
Murray killed the ball and duly walked for a yellow card, and Garbisi slotted the penalty to put the Azzurri 3-0 ahead.<\/p>\n
Unfazed Ireland shook off their numerical disadvantage however, with center Ringrose starring in a fine scrum-half cameo.<\/p>\n
The Irish quickly vindicated punting a penalty to the corner, with Stander barreling home for the game\u2019s first try. Sexton converted and shortly added a penalty after Ireland squeezed Italy at the scrum.<\/p>\n
Ireland bungled a maul in Italy\u2019s 22, then lost Ringrose after the center took a heavy whack to his jaw.<\/p>\n
Robbie Henshaw joined the fray and quickly sent Keenan in at the corner for his maiden Test score, floating out a fine pass to the Leinster flyer.<\/p>\n
Sexton\u2019s inch-perfect touchline conversion had Ireland 17-3 up and coasting on the half-hour.<\/p>\n
Keenan hared home again just three minutes later, only for the try to be chalked off.<\/p>\n
James Ryan was harshly judged to have blocked Marco Lazzaroni, creating the space for a rangy Stockdale break. So despite Keenan\u2019s neat finish, the try was ruled out following a video review.<\/p>\n
The undeterred Keenan quickly sealed his second score, with Ireland completing a deadly counter-attack.<\/p>\n
Caelan Doris robbed Italy on the deck in Ireland\u2019s 22 before feeding Aki on the break. The center set Murray racing away and the astute half-back picked the perfect moment to turn the defense with a cute grubber.<\/p>\n
Keenan beat the cover to the loose ball, gathered cleanly and scored, before Sexton\u2019s conversion extended Ireland\u2019s interval lead to 24-3.<\/p>\n
Italy cut through a dreary second-half opening as Padovani punished Sexton\u2019s telegraphed wide pass to intercept and race in unopposed.<\/p>\n
Garbisi\u2019s conversion left Ireland leading 24-10 ahead of the hour and still hunting the all-important bonus-point score.<\/p>\n
The hosts hit back quickly, however, with Connors capping a well-worked lineout drive for his debut score and that vital fourth try. Sexton\u2019s conversion made it 31-10.<\/p>\n
That broke the Italy resistance and Sexton quickly capped a fluent counter-attack to bag himself a score, after Stockdale, Stander, Keenan and Doris had all cut through the visiting defense.<\/p>\n
Aki raced in after Peter O\u2019Mahony\u2019s impressive offload before Heffernan capped another driving maul.<\/p>\n
Ross Byrne\u2019s quick conversion let the match restart one final time \u2013 but that backfired as Italy scrapped a second score of their own, Garbisi racing in after a smart dummy before converting his own score.<\/p>\n