Movers and shakers: How Ireland hopefuls with a point to prove performed

The Munster-made half-back pivot of Crowley and Casey performed admirably. 

JOB DONE: Ireland's Tadhg Beirne, Jack Crowley, Ryan Baird and Joe McCarthy celebrate after the game. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Jimmy O’Brien: Only lasted 40 minutes due to a shoulder issue, and didn’t have to do much fancy or extraordinary, but the uber-versatile O’Brien oozed calm and presence at full-back and looks a natural deputy for Hugo Keenan in the back field.

Keith Earls: Battling for one of the last of the back three spots, the Munster veteran came in off his wing looking for work and almost created a try for O’Brien with a grubber, but should have done better in tackling Tommaso Menoncello for Italy’s second try. One away from his hundredth cap.

Stuart McCloskey: Not his best day in an Ireland jersey without doing much wrong, and it was noticeable that Robbie Henshaw wasn’t firing on all cylinders either. Can Andy Farrell afford to bring a specialist inside-centre, or do the multi-tasking alternatives beat him to the punch?

Jacob Stockdale: Started sluggishly and didn’t do himself any favours with a poor tackle on Lorenzo Pani for the first Italy try, but Stockdale was brilliant at times in Ireland’s impressive first-half spell and Farrell acknowledged both sides of that coin. On the borderline.

Jack Crowley: Lovely, composed and varied effort. Kicked well, posed a threat on the run and brought variation to his passing before being switched to 15 after the break. Puts it up to Ross Byrne now in the duel to cover for Johnny Sexton in France.

PARTNERSHIP: Craig Casey, left, and Jack Crowley of Ireland during the Bank of Ireland Nations Series match between Ireland and Italy at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Pic Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Craig Casey: A slick and confident effort from the Munster scrum-half through a first-half on what was only his second Test start. Benefited enormously from the front-foot ball created by his pack before leaving with injury.

Iain Henderson: A man coming off the back of yet another season pockmarked by injury, Henderson started brilliantly here on a night where he captained the side. There or thereabouts again in the conversation for a starting spot against South Africa and Scotland.

Joe McCarthy: Job done, McCarthy will surely fly to France. And maybe that was never in doubt. Made some punching runs with ball in hand but brought his bulk and skills to bear in the dirty work as well, not least in some of Ireland’s more successful mauls.

Caelan Doris: A man-of-the-match effort from Doris isn’t anything new but his two-try effort from the No.7 spot shows that Farrell has a world-class alternative for the openside slot should anything happen to Josh van der Flier. A man of all the back row talents.