After a defeat, there’s nothing like facing Italy to regain your confidence. Beaten by the Blues two weeks ago, Ireland had a makeover by disposing of Transalpins still as limited, Sunday, February 27, at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, on the occasion of the third day of the Tournament of six nations. Reduced to 13, the Squadra had no arms. But the inferiority was not only numerical.
The first minutes make us fear the worst for Italy. Is right. La Squadra, which only scored ten points in this tournament at kick-off, seems set for a new mess. Overwhelmed by the green pressure, the Italians inexorably retreated and ended up taking a first try, signed Carbury (4th). The convalescing replacement for Sexton is just in time to rush into Italy’s burrata defence. The beginning of a long Way of the Cross.
If Padovani’s boot maintains the illusion of resistance for a few moments, the hooker replacing Faiva will ruin all the efforts of his people by being sent off for a high tackle on Sheehan (19th).
And it doesn’t stop there because Faiva has already replaced Lucchesi, injured in the 9th minute. However, to play scrums, even simulated, the rules require a team to field three front row players. The Italians then have no other choice than to bring out their winger to bring in a forward – in order to remain numerically equal in front – but also lose their third center line Halafahi. The default rule provides that, when the team does not have a third player for the same position, the captain must release a field player, in addition to the expelled player.
Already wobbly at 15 against 15, the match then fell into a “one team show”. As soon as the XV of Clover accelerates, it’s a test or almost. The Italians, who suffer with each impact, are painful to see. It is typically this kind of match that raises, more and more frequently, the question of their legitimacy in the Tournament.
Gibson Park, Lowry and O’Mahony are not there to make feelings and support where it hurts by planting three new banderillas in the spine of the injured beast (24-6 at the break)
Is it a very understandable complacency that will stop the green machine on recovery? Still, the Irish, for lack of real opposition, will struggle to put their game back in place when they return from the locker room. It was not until the 52nd minute to see the Clover come back to life thanks to Lowe, before the young Lowry, for his first cape, scored twice after good work from the returning Sexton.
Even approximate, the partners of Ringrose nevertheless end with three hand-stitched essays by Baird, Lowe and Treadwell to conclude this Irish ballad on a good note. La Squadra, meanwhile, continues to sink with this 35th consecutive defeat in the Tournament. And the kick of the Boot to come back to the surface is still long overdue…