Summary

  • Champions Ireland beat Italy 26-16 at Rome's Olimpico Stadio

  • Ireland secure bonus point to go third in Six Nations table

  • Padovani & Morisi tries gave Italy shock half-time lead

  • But Ireland's Earls & Murray scored tries in second half

  • Roux and Stockdale scored first-half tries for visitors

  • Italy have now lost their last 20 Six Nations matches

  1. Postpublished at 71 mins

    Italy 16-26 Ireland

    Michele Campagnaro - the Wasps centre - is a class affair. His race is run for the afternoon though.

    Tommaso Castello is on in his place.

    And Italy have rumbled up to within 10 metres via a big run from the replacement...

  2. 'Murray the beneficiary'published at 16:33 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2019

    Italy 16-26 Ireland

    Tony Ward
    Former Ireland fly-half on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    That is more like it. The hard work was done by the forwards and Conor Murray was the beneficiary, but credit to him for spotting that the opportunity.

  3. try

    Converted try - Italy 16-26 Irelandpublished at 67 mins

    Conor Murray (con Murray)

    The driving maul finally gets some traction and go-forward.

    Conor Murray is comfy in the reargunner seat, looking for the soft underbelly of the Italy defence.

    There it is. The scrum-half snipes through a hole to dive over.

    And then dusts himself down to land the extras. Johnny Sexton, thigh strapped, is leaving tee-time to his half-back partner for the most part.

    Conor MurrayImage source, Rex Features
  4. Postpublished at 66 mins

    Italy 16-19 Ireland

    The personel has changed, but Ireland's line-out continues to stutter.

    Niall Scannell and Iain Henderson fail to connect their call.

    They will get another chance though as Italy bobble the ball back into touch.

  5. Ireland forcing thingspublished at 16:28 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2019

    Italy 16-19 Ireland

    Cian Murtagh
    BBC Sport NI at Stadio Olimpico

    An electrifying break by Earls but undone by Ireland's 11th handling error of the game and it's quickly followed by the 12th. That's not the kind of statistic we are used to seeing from Joe Schmidt's teams.

    It's been a curious performance by the men in green today. Lots of exciting moments but mixed with some shocking mistakes. Their aerial game - normally such a source of momentum - has been completely blunted too.

  6. Replacementpublished at 62 mins

    Italy 16-19 Ireland

    A new set of front-row rubber for Ireland as they replace props Dave Kilcoyne and Tadhg Furlong with Jack McGrath and John Ryan.

    One more try needed for the bonus point. Eighteen minutes to go.

    And the four for the win are far from safe just yet.

  7. 'Breathtaking'published at 16:25 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2019

    Italy 16-19 Ireland

    Tony Ward
    Former Ireland fly-half on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    That was a breathtaking move.

    It was obviously pre-rehearsed but I wonder if Keith Earls was playing in the centre when they practiced it? Nonetheless, he took it well.

    Keith EarlsImage source, PA
  8. Replacementpublished at 60 mins

    Italy 16-19 Ireland

    Argh!

    A thrilling break from Keith Earls who finds a hole in midfield and then bolts for the gap between the covering Jayden Haward and Edoardo Padovani.

    Can he get through? Nope, the two blue shirts converge like something out of an Indiana Jones booby trap to snare him.

    And Jacob Stockdale knocks on as Earls pops the ball off the floor to him...

  9. 'That wouldn't have happened a year ago'published at 16:22 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2019

    Italy 16-19 Ireland

    Tony Ward
    Former Ireland fly-half on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    I don't want to be overly harsh on Conor Murray, but that would not have happened a year ago and he would not have allowed himself to get caught in that position.

    Conor MurrayImage source, AFP
  10. Postpublished at 59 mins

    Italy 16-19 Ireland

    More elementary errors from Ireland.

    Conor Murray, who has looked well short of his tack-sharp best so far this season, is ambushed by opposite number Tito Tebaldi once again at the breakdown.

    The Munster nine is just looking half-a-second slow.

  11. Replacementpublished at 58 mins

    Italy 16-19 Ireland

    Changes for Ireland before Niall Scannell can step up to the oche.

    Iain Henderson is on for Quinn Roux in the second row with Josh van der Flier filling in for Sean O'Brien in the back row.

  12. Postpublished at 57 mins

    Italy 16-19 Ireland

    Jordi Murphy and Tadhg Furlong take matters into their own hands, getting the thighs pumping and the hand-off firing in contact.

    A penalty against Italy for a side entry.

    And Ireland kick down into the Italy 22m.

    Tadhg FurlongImage source, Getty Images
  13. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 16:16 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2019

    #bbcrugby

    Eamonn: Earls takes flight!

  14. Postpublished at 54 mins

    Italy 16-19 Ireland

    Italy have responded well to Ireland's try. David Ruzza batters up to within 10 metres after a break by Eduardo Padovani.

    But Tito Tebaldi pass from the breakdown is an ugly skimming invite to A&E.

    Replacement Guglielmo Palazzani knocks on, but it was the scrum-half's bad.

  15. Earls spots a weaknesspublished at 16:15 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2019

    Italy 16-19 Ireland

    Cian Murtagh
    BBC Sport NI at Stadio Olimpico

    Keith Earls does not need to be asked twice to take on a second row. The Munster wing spotted Dean Budd on the fringes of that ruck and one quick sidestep left the forward grasping at fresh air.

    Ireland still don't look at their fluid best and you must wonder if the pressure to score points and tries is playing on their minds today.

    Keith EarlsImage source, Getty Images
  16. Postpublished at 52 mins

    Italy 16-19 Ireland

    Johnny Sexton throws a dummy and darts...straight into Dean Budd and replacement back row David Sisi.

    That will ache in the morning.

  17. 'Right decision'published at 16:11 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2019

    Italy 16-19 Ireland

    Tony Ward
    Former Ireland fly-half on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    Ireland have got to try and dictate the tempo and take the game to Italy and that was the right decision not to go for the penalty. Wonderful nimble feet by Keith Earls.

  18. try

    Try - Italy 16-19 Irelandpublished at 50 mins

    Keith Earls (con Murray)

    The wing picks his way through the heavy traffic for the score!

    Keith Earls takes a short pop from Conor Murray but, while his team-mates have deployed the blunderbus, he picks up the scalpel.

    A double stutter step off his left foot beats Dean Budd and Tito Tebaldi and takes him over.

    Conor Murray, taking over the kicking duties from Johnny Sexton, adds the extras.

    Keith EarlsImage source, Rex Features
  19. Postpublished at 49 mins

    Italy 16-12 Ireland

    Quinn Roux is up to within three metres. Italy are defending like they have been backed up to a cliff edge though...

  20. Postpublished at 49 mins

    Italy 16-12 Ireland

    Michele Campagnaro knocks on as he goes for the intercept. Penalty to Ireland..and they run it as Dave Kilcoyne bullocks into a blue wall.

    Dave KilcoyneImage source, AFP