Irish U21s lead by two tries at break

IRELAND U21 14 ITALY U21 0

An opening try from UCC wing Richard Lane on 7 minutes and a 39th minute maul which saw UCD front rower Keith Doyle over have seen Ireland's U21 side hold a 14-0 lead over Italy at half time in the their Six Nations clash at Thomond Park.

Both efforts have been converted by Queen's out-half Gareth Steenson.

Scorers: Ireland: Tries: R Lane, K Doyle; Cons: G Steenson

Italy: -

Ireland: A Finn (Dolphin); R Lane (UCC), J Hearty (Blackrock Col), B O'Donnell (UL Bohemians), P McKenzie (Loughborough); G Steenson (Queen's), R Shaw (Wasps); J Wickham (Clontarf), D Fogarty (Cork Con), K Doyle (UCD), D Gannon (Blackrock Col) (Capt), S O'Connor (Cork Con), B O'Connor (Cork Con), J Heaslip (Dublin Unviersity), O Hennessy (Dungannon).

Replacements: C Geoghegan (UCD), S Bennett (Bath), N McComb (Dundee HSFP), D O'Brien (Old Belvedere), T O'Leary (Cork Con), M Glancy (Loughborough University), G Stafford (Lansdowne)

Italy: A Galante; L Nitoglia, A Chillon, N Pavin, V Santillo; A Marcato (Capt), G Toniolatti; L Milani, F Grasso, F Staibano, T Reato, V Bernabo, E Leonardi, L Ghiraldini, A Zanni.

Replacements: A Vigne-Donati, C Coletti, S Nicol, R Barbieri, M Pitton, C Spadaro, R Assandri.

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)