Ireland v Italy, Six Nations, as it happened
WITHIN REACH: Robert Baloucoune of Ireland dives over to score his side's third try against Italy at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
We're off to hear what Andy Farrell and his players thought of it all. Keep an eye on the Irish Examiner sports section to read all of that.
And I'll be sitting down with Simon Lewis to parse through the good and the bad of a very entertaining afternoon here for our latest Rugby Special podcast.
Thanks for joining us. Until next time...
Park the inevitable post-mortems on Ireland's performance for a bit and that was a game-and-a-half of rugby. Italy will be kicking themselves. They deserved more than a losing bonus point out of this one and yet Ireland came close to getting their try bonus point at the end.
As in Paris last week, the Ireland bench played a huge role with the team's attack improving immeasurably with the introduction of Jack Crowley and, some minutes earlier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Tadhg Beirne and Ronan Kelleher.
Next up for Ireland is England in Twickenham next Saturday.
They're off the mark but this wasn't a performance to suggest that the team is back on the right track after recent wobbles.
Scratch that! Hollie Davidson has called it dead and we'll have no more.
The drama! James Lowe intercepts on the Irish 22 after a tonne of phases and races to the opposite 22. Ireland now with a penalty and a chance to claim a fourth try and the bonus point that would come with it.
The kick falls short from Garbisi but bounces off Baloucoune and into touch. Italy still in this game.
Italy will get to kick to the corner for one last shot after Edogbo is pinged for hands in the ruck.
This is it.
It's all Italy in terms of possession and territory here...
Tommaso Menoncello inches from going over there as he just fails to collect a clever chip of a kick from his scrum-half. The posts were in his sights and no-one at home.
Incredibly, there are some people making for the exits here!
Huge amount of phases for Italy in and around the Ireland 22 but the home line holds firm.
Edwin Edogbo runs on to make his Ireland debut! Huge moment for Cobh Pirates!
Lovely chip over the top and into the corner from Gibson-Park pins Italy deep into their 22.
Ireland playing this on their terms for now.
Tom O'Toole, Ulster's tighthead, is on for loosehead Jeremy Loughman.
PENALTY Italy. Paolo Garbisi lands one from out wide and just past the 22 to bring it back to a one-score game. It's 20-13
PENALTY Ireland. Jack Crowley makes it 20-10 with a close-range penalty after Italy come under more pressure on their own line. This game has turned on its head!
Here's the Baloucoune try...
𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐓 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐄! 🔥
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) February 14, 2026
What a way to start your Six Nation's debut! 💪
Ireland 17-10 Italy#IREvITA | #GuinnessM6N pic.twitter.com/iUqZt9rbyi
Nick Timoney on for Izuchukwu now too.
Finally, some good rugby from the home side. They spread it left and then right and, with penalty advantage and a McCloskey quarterback throw, Robert Baloucoune slips two tackles to get over.
Crowley nails the conversion. Better. Ireland 17-10 to the good.
Jack Crowley replaces Sam Prendergast - he is NOT on as a second playmaker.
A phase that sums up this game: Stuart McCloskey kicks away penalty advantage under no pressure. Then Monty Ioane returns it with a mazy run, sets Alessandro Fusco free to run deeper into Irish territory.
It comes to nothing but what a difference.
Tadhg Beirne, Ronan Kelleher and Jamison Gibson-Park all on now for Ireland who need a jolt of something from somewhere.
Clear as day. It actually went forward across the 22m line. NO TRY! But great break by Menoncello through the midfield.
Louis Lynagh goes over in the corner but was there a forward pass from Tommaso Menoncello?
We go to the TMO...
Nice backline move from Italy with Leonardo Marin's offload playing Lorenzo Pani to within five metres before he is bundled in to touch. Been a while since we've seen anything like it from Ireland.
Italy get penalty advantage off another scrum. Tadhg Furlong's introduction hasn't changed how that setpiece is going yet.
And it pays off. Jack Conan bores over a couple of phases after the lineout. Far from pretty, but effective.
But Prendergast misses another very gettable penalty. It's 10-10 but that's four easy points gone abegging now.
Kickable penalty for Ireland but they go for the corner.
Tadhg Furlong is on for Thomas Clarkson at the interval. Expect more changes soon...
The teams are back out. Huuuuge 40 minutes for Ireland and Irish rugby here.
This is not going well for Ireland who opened the scoring through Jamie Osborne against 14 men but have since fallen 10-5 behind.
And just to reiterate: Ireland have NEVER lost to Italy at home in the 25 years of the Six Nations. Their only loss to the Azzurri in that time was in Rome in 2013.
Ireland survive a 5m lineout and maul but that's a very worrying first-half that ends with more bad blood, this time between James Ryan and Monty Ioane.
Craig Casey is back on but Ireland are deep in their own 22 facing a lineout.
Another scrum penalty. Yikes!
Referee Hollie Davidson says there is a decision from the bunker on Craig Casey's yellow. The scrum-half will be coming back on after his time in the sinbin.
And now its a scrum penalty for Italy, followed by another bout pushing and shoving as tempers fray.
And the visitors extract the full price for it. It's a try off the back of a lineout maul by hooker Giacomo Nicotera.
Paolo Garbisi converts from out wide and its now 10-5 to Gonzalo Quesada's lads.
TMO check for foul play by Ireland's Craig Casey as Lorenzo Cnnone charges at him with ball in hand. Casey was upright, head contact was made, so yellow card it is.
Ireland are down to 14 men until early in the second-half. Casey goes off with blood on his face and his shirt.
Half-an-hour in and the pre-match expectations are coming to pass. We have a game here!
Jamie Osborne's opening try. Delicious!
𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐄 𝐎𝐒𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐄! 👏
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) February 14, 2026
Ireland strike first at the Aviva!
Ireland 5-0 Italy#IREvITA | #GuinnessM6N pic.twitter.com/sIvCo6hLRp
Sweet Caroline belting out now as a scrum engages. Needless to say, there are heads being shaken here.
So lucky, Ireland. A Sam Prendergast kick to nowhere, with no chase behind it, is returned with a clever chip back by full-back Lorenzo Pani. He scythes thru the line and plays a low offload that Michele Lamaro just can't collect.
They were almost in!
And Louis Lynagh is back on. Italy are back to their full complement of 15.
Paolo Garbisi pegs three points back for Italy from a penalty after Cormac Izuchukwu is penalised for a push in the lineout. It's 5-3.
Here's that yellow card for Louis Lynagh earlier...
𝗬𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗗 🟨
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) February 14, 2026
Italy down to 14.#IREvITA | #GuinnessM6N pic.twitter.com/WVAQ9Cmywq
Some lovely play there, a succession of forwards making a yard or two before Stuart McCloskey spins in contact and offloads for Jamie Osborne to run over from full-back. Clever rugby. It's 5-0.
Sam Prendergast skews a simple conversion wide. Ireland's place-kicking issues continue...
Dean Martin singing 'That's Amore' on the PA during a break in play. Seriously, what are these guys thinking?!?
Irish entry into the Italian 22 and again the visitors escape without incident. Good involvement off his wing by Robert Baloucoune there.
The first strains of 'Italia, Italia, Italia' ring out. Big travelling contingent here today.
Yellow card for Louis Lynagh for a deliberate knock-on and denying a clear lie break opportunity for James Lowe off a long pass. Sam Prendergast's penalty puts Ireland into Italian territory.
Enterprising from Italy, spreading it wide quickly and getting Louis Lynagh into space before the follow-on kick goes long and dead. A warning for Ireland.
Penalty against Dan Sheehan as he goes for the tap pen close to the Italian line - and followed immediately by a bit of argy bargy. Big stand for Italy
First scrum of the game...
Big moment. Ireland's injury-hit front row did a great job in Paris last week. Italy will want to test them too.
And its a penalty for Ireland. That's a result in itself. "Keep scrummaging up," the referee says to Thomas Clarkson. Italians told to give her a better picture.
Apologies, some gremlins in the system for a bit there. We're underway and Ireland have had all the early possession, but in their own half
Nice cheer from the growing Aviva crowd after the announcer mentions Hollie Davidson, the first female referee to take charge of a Six Nations game.
Good afternoon everyone! It's Ireland versus Italy in the Six Nations today, but not as we know it. No sirree. We have a game on our hands here. That's how it looks from this leafy corner of Dublin anyways.
The Azzurri are coming to town with their tails up on the back of their win over Scotland in Rome last week. Thankfully, the rain has stopped here for now because some of Italy's play was masterful in atrociously wet conditions at the Stadio Olimpico!
Maybe the dry conditions will be a leveller here, then.
We jest. Of course, we jest, but this is a significant test of the hosts.
The questions hanging over Ireland are many and varied: a declining form guide, an ageing team, issues with attack, defence, discipline, the aerial game...
Donal Lenihan has touched on much of this in his tee-up piece for today's game, starting with what Andy Farrell said after the opening loss to France in Paris was a "lack of intent" and fight in his side. That's tantamount to a slap in the face with a glove in rugby circles, the sort of thing that would prompt a duel with pistols at dawn back in the day, so a reaction is expected from the home team.
Farrell has already followed up that very public gesture with a team selection that shows six changes from the one that lost to France and with another three switcheroos on the bench. Simon Lewis goes through all the minutiae in his pre-match ponderings.
So, how will the players react to all this? What do they think is the problem or problems afflicting them right now? According to Jack Conan, there is no question of a long, slow decline. And whatever you do, don't mention the Lions in all this either!
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