Schmidt relieved as Ireland stays in title contention

ROME: Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt was relieved to come away from Italy with a bonuspoint 2616 win yesterday but knows his side faces an uphill struggle to retain its Six Nations title.

Italy led 1612 at halftime after a laboured start by the visiting side but the Irish turned the game on its head in the second half as tries from Keith Earls and Conor Murray secured victory.

The result leaves Ireland, which won the grand slam last year, in third place on nine points before of its final two fixtures.

‘‘There is a sense of relief,’’ Schmidt told a postmatch news conference.

‘‘We didn’t play as well as we would have liked and we were 1612 down at halftime and up against an Italian side that have proven in this competition that they’re tough to beat.’’

Ireland is now one point behind England and three adrift of leader Wales in the race for the Six Nations title.

It hosts France at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin in two weeks before travelling to Cardiff on the final weekend.

‘‘We’re still obviously on the back foot,’’ Schmidt said.

‘‘Wales are in the strongest position now. They’ve won three out of three, they won away in France.

‘‘They’ve only got the game in Scotland now to play away from home and then us back in Cardiff.

‘‘That is going to be a huge match for us.’’ — Reuters