KEY POINTS:
ROME - Ireland ran eight tries past Italy in a 51-24 win in Rome today but it wasn't enough to prevent France from retaining their Six Nations title.
The victory, which was completed by 11 points from the boot of first five-eighths Ronan O'Gara, left their closest title
rivals France needing to beat Scotland by 24 points in a later match at the Stade de France to overhaul Eddie O'Sullivan's side.
France won 46-19 to also finish with four wins and a better match points difference of four.
First-half tries by Girvan Dempsey, Simon Easterby and Gordon D'Arcy gave Ireland a 20-12 lead at halftime, but it was four tries in the opening 20 minutes of the second half by Dempsey, Shane Horgan, Denis Hickie and Ronan O'Gara that opened up the game.
Hickie grabbed his second try of the match late on while Italy scored two consolation tries through captain Marco Bortolami and fullback Roland De Marigny in the final 10 minutes.
"We scored 51 points, we got eight tries - we can't be anything but happy with our performance. Our accuracy and execution were much better than they were last week (against Scotland)," Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan told reporters.
"You want to keep a clean slate, but that's the way the game goes. You have to remember that we were in the position that we had to score tries."
Around 16,000 Ireland fans had followed their team to the Italian capital on St Patrick's day in the hope of celebrating their side's first Six Nations title in 22 years.
Despite the swathes of green inside the 25,000-capacity Flaminio it was Ireland who made a nervy start, fumbling a pair of line-outs before O'Gara opened the scoring with a sixth-minute penalty.
Italy were showing no such inhibitions. Number eight Sergio Parisse's courageous tackling stopped a series of attacks, and first five-eighths Ramiro Pez responded to O'Gara with a drop goal and a penalty of his own.
Ireland slowly found their rhythm and got their first try after 17 minutes, a rapid series of short passes cutting through Italy's defence for fullback Dempsey to score.
Their second, four minutes later, owed more to good fortune. Italy lost possession in a scrum, Ireland kicked the ball forward along the ground and Horgan collected, breaking down the wing before offloading for flanker Easterby to go over.
Pez kept Italy in touch with another drop goal and a penalty, but D'Arcy struck on the stroke of halftime, jinking through Italy's defence for a third try.
O'Gara's conversion - his first in three attempts - gave Ireland breathing space at the interval.
Ireland almost snatched an opportunistic fourth try shortly after the restart. Hickie intercepted a Parisse pass and punted the ball upfield, but was beaten to it by Mirco Bergamasco on the line.
They couldn't stem the tide for long, O'Gara releasing Dempsey to dodge round Parisse to touch down.
The hosts by now were on the ropes. Quick passing from a line-out left them stretched in defence, creating space for Horgan to get Ireland's fifth try.
Italy's backline was pulled out of shape again in the 55th minute, when O'Gara whipped a long pass out to Hickie and the winger rounded a couple of tackles to score.
O'Gara scored next, making the most of a loose ball that broke free after Brian O'Driscoll had been brought down.
Bortolami beat Hickie to a high crossfield ball to grab Italy's first try in the 75th minute.
Hickie responded immediately before De Marigny trimmed Ireland's lead with a try on the final whistle.
