Where has that Ireland swagger gone?

Ireland were offered every incentive in Rome to get their Six Nations title aspirations back on track as they watched Wales beat England from their hotel base on the eve of this game.

A bonus-point win over the Azzurri on a beautifully crisp afternoon would close the gap at the top of the table to just three points. While Conor Murray’s try on 67 minutes delivered that outcome, little else in an otherwise disappointing performance will fill Joe Schmidt with much joy.