The Irish Under-20s got their Six Nations campaign off to a winning start, albeit with an uninspiring victory over their Italian counterparts in Parma.
Ireland started nervously and conceded a penalty in the scrum after just three minutes. Italian winger Marco Gennari made no mistake from in front of the posts to give Italy a 3-0 lead.
The visitors settled after that and levelled matters in the seventh minute with a penalty from outhalf Paddy Jackson.
Jackson then put Ireland in front in the 10th minute with another penalty from just inside the 10m line.
The Italians, however, showed no signs of being intimidated and began to assert themselves on the game. The home side monopolised possession for the next ten minutes and tested a disciplined Irish defence with good movement and penetrating running.
Italy got some reward for their pressure with a second penalty, harshly awarded by Welsh referee Neil Hennessy, which was converted by Gennari in the 23rd minute.
Ireland were able to put together a period of possession following the restart but, despite coming close to scoring a try from a cross field kick, their back line movement lacked any penetration and the Italians were always comfortable in defence.
It was left to the pack to drive the Irish forward, and in the 31st minute hooker Niall Annett and winger Andrew Boyle combined to put prop James Tracy over. Jackson was wide of the mark with the conversion.
The Italians responded quickly and Gennari reduced the deficit with a magnificent effort after Irish number 7 Aaron Conneely conceded a penalty for not releasing in the tackle.
Mike Ruddock's side turned up the pressure in the closing stages of the half, but the Italians held out and the sides went in at the break with the Irish leading 11-9.
Ireland's start to the second half was again lacklustre, and Jackson summed up the performance with a missed penalty from a kickable distance in the 45th minute.
It was a frustrating night for the Irish with unforced errors and the concession of needless penalties marring any good work that the Irish managed to string together in what was a stop-start game on a cold night at the Stadio Aprile.
Italian centre Giovanni Alberghini was lucky to escape the bin, or even a straight red card, after appearing to use the boot on Irish second row Michael Kearney. Kearney had to leave the field with a nasty looking injury to his eye following the incident in a ruck.
Neither side were able to put together any periods of sustained possession or territory during the third quarter of the game, and long periods of 'ping-pong' kicking, several injuries, numerous unforced errors, sloppy penalties and a number of substitutions meant that neither team were able to build any momentum in what was a dour and unexciting second half.
It was the 65th minute before either side created a scoring chance, and Jackson stretched the Irish lead with a well struck penalty from the 10m mark.
Five minutes later Ireland put together a rare move of quality when substitute Brendan Macken made a fantastic break, off-loaded to wing-forward Jordi Murphy who sucked in the defenders before slipping the pass to fullback Craig Gilroy who touched down under the posts for a try which Jackson converted.
The try seemed to free up the Irish, and demoralise the Italians at the same time, and Gilroy crossed for his second try in the 73rd minute which Jackson converted.
Italy huffed and puffed in the closing stages and found themselves with sustained possession in the Irish 22 without ever really threatening the Irish line.
Ireland were reduced to 13 men for the final minutes with two yellow cards but they were able to see off the home side, who did manage to cross the line nine minutes into injury time only to have it called back for obstruction.
The game finished in a 28-9 win for the visitors, but it was a scoreline that flattered the Irish and will leave Ireland’s players and management with plenty to ponder ahead of next week’s meeting with France.
