Ireland U20’s batter Italy

Under 20 Six Nations: Italy 15 Ireland 47: Nigel Carolan’s reign as Ireland U-20 coach got off to a perfect start in dreadful conditions in northern Italy last night as seven different players scored tries.

Snow over the past few days looked set to ruin the big day for the Biella club as the amateur side hosted an international but their members got out with the shovels from early yesterday morning and shifted four inches of snow.

Inevitably, the pitch developed into a quagmire but the latest crop to represent Ireland at this level showed they had the ability to adapt to the conditions, not least up front where a strong pack gave them a winning platform.