Player ratings: how Irish players fared in nervy Six Nations win over Italy
Ireland's Craig Casey looks to get a pass away. Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland
The sole survivor of the back three cull, Osborne did as he does, secure and also present in attack as he showed when cutting a nice angle to take McCloskey’s pass to score the first try. Also saved a try when felling Pani.
Memorable. It’s been a long time coming but this was the Ulster wing’s big chance. The big, strapping speedster had to play like a big, strapping speedster and did so, working hard for the ball, very much deserving his try. Promising.
A testing time for Ringrose with the impressive Menoncello up against him, the Italian’s bust in the second-half almost yielding a try. Ringrose kept battling with a crucial late hit.
Unglamourous but effective, McCloskey proved his value when spinning through a half-tackle to tee up Ireland’s first try and then being bold for his chuck-on try-scoring pass to Baloucoune.
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It was time to deliver for Lowe whose form has been sporadic. Being dropped stung the Leinster wing and he got stuck in, chasing and gathering and making himself a nuisance, especially with a late, late intercept.
A torrid experience. Prendergast knew he had to be pitch-perfect. He wasn’t. Simple as that. The out-half missed easy conversions and under-clubbed one kick that led to a very dangerous counter-attack. A chastening afternoon.
Scratchy. A rare start in the no 9 shirt, Casey’s vaunted speed of pass was okay but too much of the rest of his game was a mixed bag. Some kicks were too short and there was a first-half yellow card for being too high in the tackle.
Under the cosh against an in-form Italy scrum who went after their opposite numbers to make for a feisty encounter. The set-piece scrum was never ever secure but Loughman featured twice for the Ireland try just after half-time.
Not his type of game and although his lineout throwing was at its usual high level of proficiency even a man of his substance could do nothing to prevent Italy asserting themselves in the scrum.
Feeling the pressure, both from his opponent who was in top form as well as from the presence of fit-again Tadhg Furlong. It was to be a testing experience for the tighthead. Hooked at half-time.
Picked for the hard graft and the hard yards, McCarthy struggled to help his team get forward momentum against the tough Azzurri pack, a few fiery exchanges apart. Zambonin was allowed to dominate Italy lineout.
Nothing fancy, no frills, Ryan was there for his dog, an antidote to the ‘lack of fight’ in Paris that so infuriated Andy Farrell. However, the Irish pack never managed to locate the front foot and ceded a try from an Italian lineout drive.
Busy, busy, busy, just as the head coach ordered. Izuchukwu knew that he had to be on his mettle, forceful and productive, crashing forward and a presence at the lineout, disrupting crucially early in second-half.
Doris has had to have the broadest of shoulders post the Paris let-down, knowing that he had to set an example. His number 7 shirt was evident and he grew into the game, showing some nice touches.
Took a while to feature but drove hard and tellingly for the try that brought his side right back into the game. Even a man of Conan’s physicality was not able to shore up the splintering scrum in front of him.
What a difference, what an impact. Andy Farrell has been criticised for being guarded on going to his bench but there was no such caution here, the head coach having five key men on the field well before the hour mark and it changed the side’s DNA. Gone was the lumbering, ill-directed lot. In its place was a more charged, more assertive bunch, although Furlong could do nothing to ease the scrum‘s difficulties. The half-back changes, though, seeing Gibson-Park and Crowley to the fore, upped the tempo, the goal-kicking also improving. Edwin Edogbo added ballast.
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