Ireland Asserts Dominance with Convincing 36-0 Victory Over Italy, Edging Closer to Six Nations Grand Slam Success

Ireland’s quest to secure back-to-back Six Nations Grand Slams took a significant stride forward on Sunday with a commanding 36-0 victory over Italy at Lansdowne Road. Dan Sheehan’s double try highlighted Ireland’s dominance, following their impressive 38-17 triumph over France in the opening match.

Under the leadership of Andy Farrell, Ireland achieved a notable milestone by becoming the first Irish team since 1987 to prevent their opponents from scoring in the tournament, a feat not seen since the days of the Five Nations.

Despite some moments of sloppiness, Ireland firmly controlled the game, denying Italy any real opportunity to challenge, unlike their spirited performance against England the previous week.

The match began with a tribute to the late Syd Millar, a revered figure in Irish and British rugby history. Italy showed glimpses of promise early on, but a missed penalty by Paolo Garbisi proved costly as Ireland swiftly capitalized with Jack Crowley scoring his maiden international try.

Although Italy attempted to rally, Ireland maintained their composure, with Jack Conan and Sheehan adding to the scoreline before halftime. Despite Italy’s efforts, the second half saw Ireland continue to dominate, capitalizing on their opponents’ mistakes and securing a bonus point with Sheehan’s second try.

Despite a disallowed try for Robbie Henshaw and Italy’s Tommaso Menoncello being sent to the sin bin, Ireland remained relentless, with James Lowe and Calvin Nash adding further tries to seal a comprehensive 36-0 victory, further solidifying their championship aspirations.

Highlights

Line-ups:

Ireland: Keenan; Nash, Henshaw, McCloskey, Lowe; Crowley, Casey; Porter, Sheehan, Bealham, McCarthy, Ryan, Baird, Doris (capt), Conan.

Replacements: Kelleher, Loughman, O’Toole, Henderson, Van der Flier, Gibson-Park, Byrne, Larmour.

Italy: Capuozzo; Pani, Brex, Menoncello, Ioane; P Garbisi, Varney; Fischetti, Lucchesi, Ceccarelli, N Cannone, Ruzza, Izekor, Zuliani, Lamaro (capt).

Replacements: Nicotera, Spagnolo, Zilocchi, Zambonin, Vintcent, Page-Relo, Allan, Mori.

Sin-bin: Menoncello (57)

Referee: Luke Pearce (England)

Man of the Mach: James Lowe (Ireland)