An early wake-up call for ‘sleeping’ giants

Ireland 26 Italy 16

The team produced one half of the required package, but fell way short on quality. O’Sullivan was left with much food for thought and little in the way of instant solutions.

The atmosphere in Lansdowne Road was subdued but for the exuberance of the vociferous Italian fans, who must have left proud but slightly cheated.

While the Irish headed for the sanctuary of the dressing room, Italy came back on the pitch to salute the supporters who almost shouted them to victory. It took a very controversial try and the cultured boot of Ronan O’Gara to put this game to bed.

In fairness to Ireland’s fair-weather fans, they didn’t have much to cheer as the team fell woefully short.

Italy came to Dublin with a mission, but this time there was a positive game plan backed by the 100% commitment one always expects from the Azzuri.

Ireland scrapped for every piece of possession, as expected, and didn’t look in any way convincing out wide.

Italy reasoned that Brian O’Driscoll had to be kept under wraps.

The Irish captain never got a chance in the face of an up-front, in-your-face defence.

In fact, if anything, the Italian backs stole the show, with Allessandro Stoica a constant threat from full back and Mirca Bergamaso always to the fore as out-half Ramiro Pez pulled the strings.

Paul O’Connell may have been man of the match for an energetic performance, but there was more than one Italian who might have been nominated had the result been reversed.

Ireland got a wake up call after 12 minutes when Pez kicked a penalty, and it came minutes after O’Gara scorned an opportunity to open the scoring. Italy were penalised in front of their posts, but O’Gara aimed a kick to the corner, where Tommy Bowe lurked. The winger knocked on and the chance was lost.

Pez showed his human frailty too when he kicked too long to give Ireland much needed field position, although it took them 23 minutes to make their first incursion into the Italian 22.

When they did get there, Ireland could have scored twice. Bowe was bundled into touch on one side of the pitch and Shane Horgan at the other. But Ireland won the subsequent lineout through O’Connell, and Jerry Flannery, with some help from O’Gara, was at the end of the subsequent maul to get the try that the out-half converted.

The crowd had hardly time to draw breath when Italy struck back with a magnificent try from Mirco Bergamasco who flew through to take a scoring pass from Pez. The latter converted to make it 10-7 before O’Gara brought Ireland level with a penalty.

Not that Italy took a backward step, even after being reduced temporarily to 14 men, Pez being the unlucky victim. After moving Paul Griffen to out-half and Pablo Canavosio to scrum half, they took the lead again three minutes into the second half when Griffen knocked over a penalty.

But Ireland made their advantage pay when Bowe caught a cross-field chip from O’Gara and was deemed to have got the touchdown despite a chorus of Italian boos (subsequent pictures suggest he never grounded the ball). O’Gara added the extras, but the game was far from over at 17-13, even if

Ireland cranked up the pressure when O’Gara stretched the lead with a penalty off an upright.

Pez responded and as the Irish fans shifted nervously, O’Gara re-established the seven point cushion, and then made it 26-16 in the 76th minute. The relief was almost audible.

IRELAND: G. Murphy, S. Horgan, B. O’Driscoll, G. D’Arcy, T. Bowe, R. O’Gara, P. Stringer, M. Horan, J. Flannery, J. Hayes, M. O’Kelly, P. O’Connell, S. Easterby, D. Leamy, D. Wallace.

Replacements: D. O’Callaghan for O’Kelly (60).

ITALY: A. Stoica, P. Canavosio, G. Canale, M. Bergamasco, L. Nitoglia, R. Pez, P. Griffen, S. Perugini, F. Ongaro, C. Nieto, S. Dellaqpe, M. Bortolami (captain), J.l Sole, M. Bergamasco, S. Parisse.

Replacements: A. Persico for Mauro Bergamasco (61), C. Del Fava for Bortolami, M. Castrogiovanni for Nieto (both 67).

Referee: D. Pearson (England)