The Irish public had been warned not to expect a glut of points and that was exactly how it transpired as Eddie O'Sullivan's Six Nations chasing team were restricted to a 32-17 victory by a committed Italian outfit at Lansdowne Road this afternoon. Two tries for debutant John Kelly were the highlight of a professional if uninspired performance from Ireland, with the busy Denis Hickie adding a third. David Humphreys played a captain's role with four penalties, while Ronan O'Gara, a blood replacement for the Ulsterman in the first half, contributed five points during an industrious ten minute spell before half-time. Italy, however, were well worth their 17 points, Bergamasco and de Carli both crossing the Irish line as the visitors' stature and confidence grew as the game progressed.
Ireland had dominated the first-half, but it took until the 39th minute before they finally breached their opponents goal-line. Munster flier Kelly fended off a half-hearted challenge from opposite number Denis Dallan before cutting through a gap after being fed by Ronan O'Gara who had taken a pass from Peter Stringer off his toes. Outside half O'Gara, who was faultless as a temporary replacement for skipper Humphreys, kicked the conversion before adding a penalty after Italian indiscipline let them down again.
Earlier in the half, Peter Stringer was felled by the Italians for the second year running when Salvatore Perugini clearly headbutted the Munsterman after 24 minutes. Astonishingly, Scottish referee Bob Dickson produced only a yellow card which consigned the Italian to the sin-bin, when a straight red seemed more appropriate. Giampiero de Carli became the second front row forward to be shown yellow after needlessly throwing out a wild right-hook at prop Peter Clohessy five minutes into injury-time.
Argentina-born Diego Dominguez summed up his side's first half display when he sliced a penalty wide of the posts from barely 25 metres in first-half injury time, to give the home side a 19-0 advantage at the break. A moment of brilliance from Gert Peens gave Italy their first score, the full-back hitting a spectacular drop goal from inside his own half early in the second-half. The score provoked an instant Irish response with Clohessy conjuring up a deft inside pass which opened up a gap 20metres out for Kelly who took advantage by sprinting into the corner to grab his second try.
Italy, finding more attacking verve now than they did in the whole of the first-half when they barely breached the half-way line, then silenced the Dublin crowd with their own try. Flanker Mauro Bergamasco collected a long pass infield and found the narrowest of gaps before stretching out to claim the try. This time, Dominguez made no mistake with the conversion.
Humphreys soon kicked his fourth penalty before Ireland capped an easy triumph with a flowing move along the backs that was rounded-off by Hickie who scored his 13th try in 28 games for his country. The biggest reception, though, went to Clohessy as he was replaced late-on in what is expected to be the Limerick giant's final appearance in front of a Lansdowne Road crowd before he retires at the end of the campaign. But it was Italy who had the final word with prop de Carli popping up on the right touch-line to collect a long pass for the try which Dominguez converted.
Filed by Shane Murray
