A meandering run by Brian O'Driscoll ends with him being winded by a bit of a swinging arm, but the warrior's return to his feet is greeted with the biggest cheer of the day.

Job done for Cian Healy and the try scorer limps off to be tended to by the medics.

Ireland are careering forward with reckless abandon but they are playing right at the limit and the errors keep coming, the latest of them a knock-on by replacement hooker Sean Cronin.

Liam Stokes:, external That scuffle between Paul O'Connell and Marco Bortolami was hysterical. More than worth the price of admission.

William Ogburn:, external A few more yellows should have been handed out for their unprofessional play there...

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Former Ireland hooker Denis McBride on 5 live Sport: "The Irish pressure finally paid off. They were patient, kept their composure, recycling and changing direction and eventually a little gap opened up and Healy was able to power over with a little help from O'Connell."

Phillip Matthews
Former Ireland captain on BBC One

"Eoin Reddan's entry into the game and taking those quick penalties has certainly made the difference. It is his quick penalty that leads to that try, with Cian Healy lurking. Route one delivered and that is what Ireland need to do - play more territory."

Image source, Getty Images

Italy do a great job to halt the Ireland driving maul - Josh Furno the grit in the oyster.

But Ireland release their big runners, Jamie Heaslip and Cian Healy both take a sledgehammer to the visitors' defensive wall and Italy are forced to infringe.

Scrum-half Eoin Reddan taps and goes and although he is held up, Healy is on hand to bullock his way over, with a little help from Paul O'Connell.

Phillip Matthews
Former Ireland captain on BBC One

Image source, Getty Images

"Brian O'Driscoll is probably performing as good as, if not better than, anyone else in the Ireland side. However, they are opting to carry the ball between those two 10 yard lines when they really need to stick to the tactics shown early in this second half and start turning this Italian defence, getting in behind them and gaining territory."

John McEnerney:, external A try by BOD is what the day needs! What a player he has been for us...

Guindalina:, external How much do Castrogiovanni and Parisse shape Italian rugby? Perhaps the result may be different with them on.

The two captains - Paul O'Connell and Marco Bortolami - enjoy a scuffle. O'Connell basically gives Bortolami a wedgie and scrum-half Tito Tebaldi then grabs him round the neck - penalty to Ireland, which Jonny Sexton kicks to touch.

The Fields of Athenry ring round the ground - they love a driving maul down Munster way.

Luke McLean goes past Paul O'Connell once again - they don't like that down Munster way. The Limerick man is a legend in the south west of Ireland.

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Former Ireland hooker Denis McBride on 5 live Sport: "The Irish pack has got the edge in the scrum and the edge in the line-out, and now I want to see them show their edge in the maul."

That's more like it. Ireland launch a brutal, grinding maul and make 20 metres - you might as well try and stop a glacier with sandbags.

"That's the change of tactics," says a delighted Philip Matthews. He used to be a forward, in case you hadn't guessed.

How about a few scrums lads? You'll be giving northern hemisphere rugby a bad name if you carry on with all this running and passing.

Jonny Sexton kicks it deep, are we in for another 40 minutes of pinball rugby?

Phillip Matthews
Former Ireland captain on BBC One

"It will be interesting to see how Ireland come out in the second half and how they adjust their tactics."

Rhys Thomas:, external Has to be said, Nigel Owens is one of the best refs in rugby right now.

Toby Reid:, external The Italians have some very well-dressed fans. Big fan of the shirt/sports jacket combo - suave.

Jeremy Guscott
Former England centre on BBC One

"Italy are in the game, they are doing a lot of tackling and hopefully they will have the fitness to be there in the closing stages.

"Ireland have been defending a little narrow. Italy have the numbers when attacking and when you have the numbers sometimes you are going to get through and that is what happened."

Former Italy second row Carlo del Fava on BBC One: "Scoring a try just before half-time is worth almost double psychologically. Italy need to have a good chat with themselves in the interval and keep the good things going."

Keith Wood
Former Ireland hooker on BBC One

"Ireland have played well enough but they haven't scored the points they could have, and that scoreline now flatters Ireland. Italy have played really, really well."

Time to draw breath. Want to know just how fast that first half was? Italy had to make 123 tackles - the record for an ENTIRE Test is 200.

Both sides are chucking the ball around and both are filled with attacking intent. The only difference is that Ireland are a better team - although on the showing of the first half, not by that much.

Phillip Matthews
Former Ireland captain on BBC One

"It looked like the Italian defence was going to hold firm but Andrew Trimble, with two defenders, gets over the line this time. He had too much of the inside there, inviting him in and Italy were unable to close him down.

"It was also a great pass by Brian O'Driscoll, popping that ball into space. Something he has been very, very adept at. This is the minimum Ireland would have wanted coming away from this first half."