Emerging Ireland 25-0 Emerging Italy
Emerging Ireland did most of their scoring in the first half as they carved out a 25-0 bonus-point victory over Emerging Italy in the World Rugby Tbilisi Cup.
JJ Hanrahan pulled the strings for Allen Clarke's side in the Georgian capital, kicking an early penalty and setting up tries for Eoin Griffin, Andrew Conway and Stuart McCloskey as they led 20-0 at the break.
The second period was a stop-start affair as the Emerging Italy pack pressed for an elusive try before the young Irish outfit had the final say, full-back Tiernan O'Halloran squeezing over in the right corner with just seconds left.
Although the players and coaches will be frustrated with a scrappy closing 40 minutes, it was a workmanlike display from the Emerging Ireland squad who will return to the Avchala Stadium pitch against Uruguay on Wednesday.
Both teams showed an eagerness to run the ball early on and, after a strong carry from Emerging Ireland captain Rhys Ruddock, Hanrahan punished an Italian offside with the opening points from a fifth-minute penalty.
Jack Conan did well to gobble up a miscued first Irish lineout, five metres from his own line, while a solid shove on Italian scrum ball earned the white-shirted Irish a penalty on halfway and from there they built for the first try.
Big centre McCloskey bulldozed through into the Italian 22 and quick recycling, with prop Stephen Archer also getting over the gain-line, saw Hanrahan send London Irish clubman Griffin over to the right of the posts.
Emerging Ireland then advanced up the left touchline via a couple of penalties, and two successive maul infringements led to Italian prop Federico Zani being sin-binned. Emerging Italy held out until Hanrahan fired an inviting cross-field kick over to the right for Conway to finish off try number two.
Hanrahan turned provider again just two minutes later, turning a loose ball in midfield into a breakaway as he accelerated over halfway, drew in full-back Alberto Chiesa and passed to his right for McCloskey to finish over under the posts. The out-half added the conversion for 20-0.
A promising Italian maul was well defended, with Rob Herring and the lively Dan Leavy forcing a turnover, but good approach work from Luke McGrath was ruined when Conan lacked support and coughed up a penalty for holding on.
Connacht flyer Matt Healy almost rounded off the first half with a peach of a try. A late breakout following Italian pressure saw Healy evade a couple of defenders near the left touchline.
Unfortunately, after chipping ahead and then hacking on, the winger's second kick proved too strong and beat him over the end line.
Emerging Ireland's attempts to add to their lead were thwarted early on the resumption, as their maul was disrupted and the Italians proved stubborn in defence. The under-pressure Emerging Italy scrum also won them a relieving penalty, even after prop Pietro Ceccarelli was yellow carded for repeated infringements.
The Italians' share of territory was increasing, and it took some disciplined defending of mauls and short carries near their five-metre line for Emerging Ireland to keep them out.
Flanker Leavy was well positioned to a win a couple of ruck penalties, although his fumbled lineout catch in the Italian 22 dented Irish hopes of driving through for the bonus-point score.
Emerging Italy advanced down-field on the back of successive scrum penalties, the latter one seeing Irish replacement Andrew Warwick binned in the 73rd minute.
But an energetic finish - full of direct running - saw Emerging Ireland end their barren spell, Hanrahan being hauled down before John Cooney released his Connacht team-mate O'Halloran for a neat finish past Chiesa.
EMERGING IRELAND: Tiernan O'Halloran (Buccaneers/Connacht); Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster), Eoin Griffin (London Irish), Stuart McCloskey (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Matt Healy (Lansdowne/Connacht); JJ Hanrahan (UL Bohemians/Munster), Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster); Denis Buckley (Corinthians/Connacht), Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Stephen Archer (Cork Constitution/Munster), Ben Marshall (Old Belvedere/Connacht), Billy Holland (Cork Constitution/Munster), Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary's College/Leinster) (capt), Dan Leavy (UCD/Leinster), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster).
Replacements used: Finlay Bealham (Corinthians/Connacht) for Archer, Eoghan Masterson (Corinhians/Connacht) for Ruddock, Dave Heffernan (Buccaneers/Connacht) for Herring (all 52 mins), Andrew Warwick (Ballymena/Ulster) for Buckley (53), John Cooney (Terenure College/Connacht) for McGrath (59), Peter Nelson (Malone/Ulster) for Conway (61), Andrew Browne (Galwegians/Connacht) for Holland (62), Rory Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) for McCloskey (66).
EMERGING ITALY: Alberto Chiesa (Cammi Calvisano) (capt); Filippo Guarducci (Marchiol Mogliano), Roberto Quartaroli (Rugby Viadana 1970), Giovanni Massaro (Fiamme Oro Rugby Roma), Gabriele di Giulio (Cammi Calvisano); Carlo Canna (Fiamme Oro Rugby Roma), Simone Marinaro (Fiamme Oro Rugby Roma); Federico Zani (Petrarca Padova), Luca Bigi (Petrarca Padova), George Iacob (Petrarca Padova), Federico Ruzza (Rugby Viadana 1970), Filippo Gerosa (Rugby Viadana 1970), Matteo Corazzi (Marchiol Mogliano), Emiliano Caffini (Femi CZ Rugby Rovigo Delta), Maxime Mbanda' (Cammi Calvisano).
Replacements used: Pietro Ceccarelli (Macon Rugby) for Guarducci (21-30 mins), Giovanni Benvenuti (Marchiol Mogliano) for Massaro (32), Oliviero Fabiani (Zebre Rugby) for Bigi (49), Ceccarelli for Iacob (50), Giuseppe di Stefano (Fiamme Oro Rugby Roma) for Zani (55), Sebastian Negri (Hartpury RFC) for Canna (60), Alessio Zdrilich (Cammi Calvisano) for Caffini (61), Canna for Corazzi (62), Mirko Amenta (Fiamme Oro Rugby Roma) for Gerosa (72).
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
