ITALY THROWN TO THE LIONS
Ireland back on title track following record victory but a Six Nations cloud hangs over awful Azzurri
THIS was more like it from Ireland, nine tries and the bonus point banked as early as the 35th minute as they got back in the title race following last weekend’s ambush in Scotland.
Caught napping at Murrayfield, there was never the chance of a repeat here, Ireland racing from the blocks and dousing the Italian spirit that had seen the Azzurri lead Wales at the interval six days earlier.
There were hat-tricks for CJ Stander and Craig Gilroy, the first in the championship since Brian O’Driscoll grabbed three against the Scots in 2002, and a record margin of victory in this fixture, the 53-point gap eclipsing the 47-point mark set in 2000.
All this nourishment and not an iota of panic that skipper Rory Best was ruled out four hours before kick-off due to a stomach bug. His place was taken by the debut-making Niall Scannell who showed no signs of inexperience in a pack where Stander was the stand-out. He was everywhere, leading the defence when needed but, more importantly, popping up on the wing to score his first, showing immense strength to bag his second and then exhibiting power running to complete the treble.
He rounded it all off with an assist – a clearance kick from a ruck in the 22 that bounced kindly for Gilroy to finish off his own 14-minute hattrick.
In effect the match was a re-run of last year’s pummelling in Dublin, Ireland also scoring nine tries en route to that 58-15 success. However, the lack of a genuine contest here can’t yet erase last weekend’s doubts that Ireland don’t have the consistency to win this championship.
The rout was only their seventh win in 15 outings which means it won’t be until France arrive in Dublin on Saturday week that we can truly gauge if the shortcomings in Scotland – crucial things like the concession of 23 tries in the eight matches under defence coach Andy Farrell before yesterday – have been eradicated.
The nit-picking from this latest bloodless Italian job will focus on what happened after the half-hour when they were coasting, three tries clear and only a matter of time before the bonus arrived.
Ireland’s lineout maul hasn’t fired reliably on either side of the ball for some time now and here the defensive part let them down, a second collapse in quick succession resulting in Donnacha Ryan seeing yellow and referee Glen Jackson running to the posts to award the penalty try.
There will also be a few eyebrows over the lull that followed after Stander bagged his hat-trick score. The margin stood at 35-10 on 45 minutes and didn’t change until 12 minutes from time following a disjointed period where both sides fired in multiple replacements. The attendance lost interest and entertained itself with Mexican waves before Gilroy lit up the closing minutes with mazy lines of running.
A far feistier scrap had been anticipated, something to demonstrate the constantly-struggling Italians now wear a different hue under the stewardship of Conor O’Shea. However, this was men against boys and the nine-tries-to-one outcome left the Irishman staring on in disbelief.
Organisation was said to be O’Shea’s greatest gift so far in his first season with his adopted country, but his players resembled a rabble who had met for the first time in the dressing room just before kick-off.
So bad were they it was like watching the Test equivalent of Zebre, Italy’s Champions Cup no-hopers who were hammered from pillar to post over the winter. Their awful start – a meagre 12 per cent possession and six per cent territory in the opening 20 minutes – left them vulnerable to the rout that materialised with Ireland already two tries up and looking for many more.
Dominant all over the pitch, they constantly toyed with their hosts and while accuracy inside the 22 wasn’t immediately forthcoming, they refused to build a three, six, nine lead by kicking penalties at the posts as they had done in the laboured 26-3 win here two years ago.
Instead, their passing fizzed and not long after Simon Zebo narrowly failed to dot down in one corner, they worked their way to the opposite corner for Earls to gambol in.
Offside gave Italy three points back but Irish momentum wasn’t to be stopped; Zebo putting Stander in at one corner before the focus shifted back to the other side, Earls galloping in for his second.
Ahead 21-3, it was here where Ireland temporarily switched off, an Italy scrum penalty the catalyst for Ryan’s yellow and the penalty try. It should have been the cue for O’Shea’s side to fight back but numerical advantage was of no consequence whatsoever.
Within minutes, the visitors secured their bonus through Stander and while Ireland drew breath after he scored again shortly after the resumption they eventually roused for a late four-try flurry. Garry Ringrose chipped in one to go with Gilroy’s hat-trick, fuelling the belief that this championship title isn’t yet beyond their grasp.