Gracious Schmidt tells O’Shea: ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’

NINE-TRY Ireland were ravenous in showing Italy no mercy and launching themselves back into the 2017 title race, grabbing the reformatted championship’s first-ever bonus point win to add to the dubious accolade of a week ago, picking up the tournament’s first losing bonus after surrendering at Scotland.

However, Joe Schmidt admitted last night said he hasn’t a clue how important the extra point might be in a tournament where England, who struck late at Wales, are the only team so far with two wins on the board.

‘It’s really hard for us to foretell,’ he said after Italy were beaten by Ireland for the 17th time in 18 Six Nations encounters. ‘If it was an ordinary Six Nations, our fate would be still in our own hands unless Scotland go through unbeaten. If we can keep that in our own hands I’m not sure the bonus point will make much difference. Only one result would have changed in the last 10 years (if it was in use previously).

‘For us, it’s just about trying to get the right performances, the right results over the rest of the championship. It’s going to be very, very tough obviously.’

Nine tries – all converted by Paddy Jackson – matched the Irish tally posted against the same opposition 11 months ago in Dublin and the hope is it hasn’t come at a cost. Robbie Henshaw departed early in the second half with a thigh bruise that wasn’t worth risking further, while Rob Kearney left Ireland a player short for the closing few minutes with a blow to the point of his elbow.

Schmidt had no worries about Henshaw’s availability for France next Saturday week but Kearney is likely to need a scan before he gets the all clear heading into a down week where Ireland train in Monaghan from Wednesday to Friday.

Schmidt goes there hoping he has a few selection headaches to deal with. Johnny Sexton, Peter O’Mahony and Andrew Trimble are all due back fit after missing the opening two rounds, but the coach claimed he has been encouraged by what Jackson, Sexton’s understudy, has produced in recent weeks.

‘This window has allowed Paddy the opportunity to put up his hand and say that shouldn’t be an automatic choice.’

Skipper Rory Best was also marked absent at Stadio Olimpico, his stomach bug confining him to his hotel bed and allowing Niall Scannell to make his debut with James Tracy, a late Friday night arrival, providing cover.

‘It’s sometimes good to have those challenges thrown at us. ‘To be slightly put off your stride and to demonstrate you can mix different combinations, that you can seamlessly slot one guy in for another, it gives good confidence to the group. ‘Six Nations rugby is quite suffocating. Some played a bit in the autumn and were a little taken aback with the level last week, but this will breed more confidence.’ Shell-shocked Conor O’Shea (left) was left insisting Italy were still fully deserving of their place in the Six Nations, but he wasn’t inclined to sugar-coat the gulf in class that materialised yesterday.

‘We took a battering in the first 20 minutes. It was a very hard day.

‘The mistakes we made just invited pressure. Ireland held the ball through a lot of phases and for that first 20 minutes they were outstanding which took a physical and mental toll,’ he said.

Schmidt exited offering his opposite number some encouragement. ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day. He will build something.

‘He has got a track record of building systems, a structure, a belief and a group that can be competitive.’