Ireland cruise to victory in Rome - report

Italy 13 Ireland 37

Brian O’Driscoll became his country's most prolific tryscorer as Ireland followed up their impressive opening RBS 6 Nations win over Scotland with a 37-13 success over Italy in Rome.

The Italians, shock victors against Wales a week earlier, found the Irish a different proposition altogether, although they managed to breach the Ireland line for the first time in the championship with Denis Dallan’s 55th-minute try.

Ireland, though, scored five tries of their own through O’Driscoll – his 18th which took him past Brendan Mullin in the all-time list – Geordan Murphy, John Kelly, Peter Stringer and David Humphreys, who also kicked five goals for a 17-point haul.

Ireland, the RBS 6 Nations Championship dark horses, were wary visitors to Rome, desperately hoping to avoid becoming the latest scalp for rejuvenated Italy.

The Italians went into today’s game on a high following their superb 30-22 win over Wales at the same Stadio Flaminio a week ago and, despite predictions of a 32-point rout, Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan admitted he would settle for a 1-0 victory.

O’Sullivan made two enforced changes to the team that began the championship so successfully in Murrayfield last Sunday, with Geordan Murphy taking over at full-back from Girvan Dempsey and John Kelly replacing right winger Shane Horgan.

With Ronan O’Gara also unfit, Ireland’s leading points-scorer and most-capped fly-half David Humphreys continued in the number 10 jersey – hoping to pick up from where he left off in Edinburgh.

The 31-year-old Ulsterman contributed 26 of his side’s points in their 36-6 win over Scotland and would have been delighted to see perfect conditions on a warm afternoon in the Italian capital.

Italy, hoping for a 20,000 crowd following their second championship triumph, were fielding the same starting line-up – although there was a change to the bench, where injured prop Salvatore Perugini was replaced by Calvisano’s Leandro Castrogiovanni.

Veteran fly-half Diego Dominguez, who became Italy's most-capped player on his 74th appearance, got proceedings under way by kicking off into the bright sunshine.

He also tested Murphy with a couple of high balls but the Leicester man showed no sign of early nerves.

Some of Ireland’s early passing left much to be desired, however, and a poor clearance attempt by Denis Hickie set the alarm bells ringing as Dominguez took advantage to get his three-quarters into action for the first time.

The Irish defence, which kept a clean sheet against Scotland, was once more effective but the early signs were that they would have their work cut out against a confident Azzurri.

Flanker Andrea De Rossi shook the visitors with a couple of barnstorming runs and Ireland were relieved to watch Dominguez fall short with a drop goal attempt.

When Ireland counter-attacked, makeshift winger Mauro Bergamasco was relieved to watch the ball roll into touch with Brian O’Driscoll in hot pursuit of Hickie’s gigantic kick up field.

It was an eventful start but it took 18 minutes for the first score to come and it went Ireland’s way.

Another clever kick from the ever-alert Hickie caused all sorts of problems for full-back Paolo Vaccari and Ireland’s decision to opt for a line-out rather than a difficult penalty kick at goal paid off handsomely.

Gary Longwell peeled off the line-out following Malcolm O’Kelly’s clean catch and Victor Costello rumbled to the line for scrum-half Peter Stringer to get the crucial final touch.

Humphreys added the angled conversion to make it 7-0 and ease his side’s obvious anxiety.

Italy were having difficulty coping with a stiff breeze which Murphy used to good effect to set up the position for Ireland’s next score on 25 minutes.

When the Italian forwards were caught entering a ruck from the side, referee Tony Spreadbury allowed play to continue.

Humphreys was wide with a snap drop-goal attempt in the secure knowledge that he would have a place kick at goal in reserve and he duly put over the penalty to make it 10-0.

Murphy then released danger man O’Driscoll down the left flank and, when De Rossi was forced to concede a five-metre scrum, Ireland once more finished clinically to extend their lead.

Strong-running centre Kevin Maggs was stopped in full flight by a wonderful tackle from Giovanni Raineri but the pressure was maintained and Keith Gleeson passed out of the tackle for Kelly to score his third try for his country.

Humphreys was off target for the first time with the conversion and Italy got their first points seven minutes before the break through the metronomic boot of Dominguez after the Irish had strayed offside in front of their own posts. He strangely missed a second attempt in injury time.

It could have been worse for O’Sullivan’s men for Italy almost made O’Driscoll pay for a handling error in his own 22 and it needed a brilliant cover tackle from Anthony Foley and Maggs to deny Matthew Phillips at the corner.

Ireland were good value for their interval lead, which Humphreys stretched to 18-3 with a 39th-minute penalty for offside, but there was the worrying sight of prop Reggie Corrigan walking off holding his wrist in obvious pain.

As expected, Marcus Horan took the place of Corrigan at the start of the second half but it did little to disrupt Ireland's growing momentum.

They went further ahead just three minutes into the second half when Stringer made the most of quickly recycled possession to provide a pin-point pass that got Humphreys haring through a gap for his fifth international try.

The fly-half could not add the conversion but the Irish led 23-3 and the game soon went from bad to worse for Dominguez and the Italians.

The Argentinian, who missed a second straightforward penalty on 46 minutes, was clearly feeling an injury and he was replaced moments later by Ramiro Pez.

Far from having a destabilising effect, though, Italy appeared to be galvanised by the loss of their inspirational playmaker and the Ireland line was breached for the first time in 2003 on 54 minutes.

The Italian pack put together a useful ruck and left winger Denis Dallan emerged through the other side without a finger laid on him to touch down.

Pez added the goal to make it 23-10 but Ireland quickly regrouped and reasserted their authority with an exquisite score from O’Driscoll that took the Irish captain in the clear as his country’s most prolific tryscorer.

Stringer yet again provided clean ball for Humphreys and O’Driscoll raced onto his inside pass and swatted off Pez’s attempted tackle with embarrassing ease to touch down for his 18th try, taking him past Brendan Mullin’s total.

Humphreys’ fourth goal from six attempts took his side’s lead to a comfortable 30-10 going into the final quarter.

Pez pulled three points back with a 70th-minute penalty but Ireland’s backs were simply irresistible and they added a fifth try after some superb handling against a compressed defence, O’Driscoll unselfishly unloading for Murphy to touch down.

Humphreys kicked his fifth goal from seven attempts to finish with 17 points and put the seal on another impressive performance.