Roger Tuivasa-Sheck makes his Blues debut, Will Jordan shines and Scott McLaughlin wins his opening Indycar race. Video / NZ Herald / Sky Sport / Spark Sport / FIBA
Ireland took ruthless advantage of a 13-man Italy by hammering the visitors 57-6 in the Six Nations at Lansdowne Road today.
Italy actually finished with 12 men after a late yellow card followed the first-half red card.
But the test was not a contest from the 19th minute when Italy hooker Hame Faiva was sent off for a reckless shoulder-to-head tackle on opposite Dan Sheehan.
A lousy situation became even bleaker for Italy because it had to lose another player as punishment under the laws for forcing uncontested scrums.
Faiva had been on for only 10 minutes after starting hooker Gianmarco Lucchesi walked off cradling his left arm. With no more hookers available to Italy, the game went to uncontested scrums, and the first was moments after Faiva went off in tears.
Reserve prop Ivan Nemer went in as the makeshift hooker and winger Pierre Bruno came off. When Italy wouldn't volunteer another player to leave at the scrum, referee Nika Amashukeli ordered off No. 8 Toa Halafihi.
"Red cards like that probably do games no favors, unfortunately," stand-in Ireland captain Peter O'Mahony said. "It definitely disrupts the game but we tried to stay at it."
Paolo Garbisi of Italy looks dejected following their side's Six Nations rugby defeat to Ireland. Photo / Getty
The pity was that Italy was making Ireland work hard to lead 7-3 at that stage. Italy was busy without getting over the gain-line, while Ireland was properly tested all over the field and being forced into errors.
Everything changed after the red card. The game turned stale. The packed crowd became subdued as the Irish confirmed they had the result in the bag and Italy was losing a 35th straight game in the championship.
Ireland lost some intensity and was lulled into believing there was plenty of space out wide against Italy's five-man backline. But the Italians scrambled in defense superbly for as long as they could. They never flagged, even after going down to 12 men in the 75th when back-rower Braam Steyn was yellow-carded for deliberately batting the ball out. They held up Josh van der Flier over the try-line in the 80th.
"Italy were unbelievably brave," Ireland coach Andy Farrell said. "They were really hard to play with 15 men. When they went down to 13, they were abrasive in defense and getting off the line. They were really tough, hard at the breakdown."
Farrell said his side was sloppy and frustrated but got what they wanted — a bonus-point win to put them in the title race after the defeat to France in Paris. They are on France's tail, hoping the championship leader stumbles against Wales or England.
Ireland goes to England next in two weeks and finishes back home with Scotland.
The Irish had the four-try bonus point by halftime, led 24-6, and eventually racked up nine tries.
There were two for fullback Michael Lowry on debut, two also for wing James Lowe in his first appearance in this championship, and one each for Joey Carbery, Jamison Gibson-Park, O'Mahony, and locks Ryan Baird and Kieran Treadwell.
After Carbery missed a third straight goalkick, Jonathan Sexton came off the bench for only the second time in a decade and converted the last four tries, after having a hand in three of them.
But their defense wasn't put under much pressure, while the Italians blunted their attack with 172 tackles.
"I couldn't ask anything else of the boys," said captain Michele Lamaro, who also led his side with 19 tackles. "It's difficult to be happy with such a result. But the boys really stayed in the fight. We managed the game really well with 13."
