Gallagher captains Ireland to victory
ITALY UNDER 20S IRELAND UNDER 20S 26 27
Sligo’s Cillian Gallagher captained his Ireland side to victory over Italy in Prato on Friday night in the Six Nations Championship.
The Irish struggled to contain the Italians in a ragged first half but opportunistic tries from Larmour and Tommy O’Brien were enough to seal the win.
Fly- halves Johnny McPhillips and Antonio Rizzi exchanged penalties in the opening 20 minutes scores at the Stadio Enrico Chersoni. Ireland struggled to maintain field position and, in a rare visit to their opponents’ half, Ireland won an- other breakdown penalty, again landed by McPhillips, after some powerful carries from the front five.
Shortly before the break, Italian No. 8 Giovanni Licata was sent to the sin- bin for failing to roll away from a ruck on the halfway line.
Early the second half Larmour pounced onto a bouncing ball and evaded the Italian scramble defence, McPhillips converted well from out wide to put the Irish into a commanding 13- 3 lead.
Italy responded minutes later with a penalty of their own and then opted to kick for the corner from a simple kicking position. The risk paid off when hooker Massimo Ceciliani rumbled over from a well- organised Italian driving maul, Rizzi missed the resulting conversion and the Azzurrini trailed 13- 11.
The home side continued to mount pressure on the Irish set- piece and went close from a five- metre scrum, eventually winning a penalty in front of the posts which Rizzi converted for the lead.
After McPhillips missed a long- range penalty, Italy failed to exit their own half and the ever- impressive winger Larmour latched onto the end of a slick backs move to race over the line for a 20- 14 lead.
Ireland missed first up tackles to allow Italy good field position and inside centre Marco Zanon found a gap to squeeze over the line out wide, the resulting conversion hit the post from the boot of Rizzi.
O’Brien then charged down an Italian clearance and dotted down to put the game seemingly beyond Italy at 28- 19.
But, after a Fineen Wycherley was given a yellow card for pulling down an Italian driving maul, Alberto Rollero rumbled over the line to set up a grandstand finish. In the end though, the visitors managed to close out a high- scoring encounter in Italy.