Ireland keep title hopes alive with bonus-point win in Rome, need results elsewhere to go their way
Dan Sheehan scores hat-trick for Ireland with Hugo Keenan also crossing
Hosts had taken lead in 12th minute through Monty Ioane try
Michele Lamaro and Giacomo Nicotera yellow carded for Italy; Ross Vintcent shown 20-minute red
Live Reporting
Andy Gray
Postpublished at 15:26 GMT 15 March 2025
15:26 GMT 15 March 2025
Italy 10-12 Ireland
Brilliant from Mack Hansen! He finds a gap and manages to stretch his legs after a neat move from Robbie Henshaw.
He pops it off to Garry Ringrose, who charges into the Irish 22 but the final pass is loose and Dan Sheehan can't gather the ball with the try line gaping.
Ireland move it through the hands off the back of the scrum and manage to get up to halfway before Keenan is swallowed up.
Gibson-Park, who has been a bit off his usual high standards, tries to fling a pass out wide to James Lowe but he puts too much on it and Italy have the throw.
Italy win the throw and look to get things moving, but a pass to Ignacio Brex is deemed to be forward and Ireland will have the scrum on the edge of their own 22.
As the players return to the pitch, who wants a reminder of the permutations on this 'Super Saturday'? Ireland must win in Rome, and well, and hope both England and France lose later on if they are to retain their title.
Full focus on the second half in Rome for now, and the rest will look after itself later on.
'Ireland's attack looks disjointed'published at 15:16 GMT 15 March 2025
15:16 GMT 15 March 2025
Italy 10-12 Ireland
Claire Small Ireland international on BBC Radio Ulster
Ireland have looked a bit blunt and disjointed in attack and it might be a hangover from the France game.
Their shape just doesn't look quite right.
They're not firing on all cylinders and it's frustrating for them so I'm sure there'll be words said in the team-talk as they need to go up a gear or two.
Bloodgate - Sport's Strangest Crimespublished at 15:08 GMT 15 March 2025
15:08 GMT 15 March 2025
HT: Italy 10-12 Ireland
BBC Sounds
Image source, Getty Images
Former Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll has said that Bloodgate,
the scandal which rocked the rugby world in 2009, is on par with drug cheating.
O’Driscoll played in the match for Leinster where Harlequins player Tom
Williams was instructed to bite into a blood capsule to manipulate substitution
rules, and has been reflecting on the saga in the Sport’s Strangest Crimes –
Bloodgate podcast:
"It's out and out cheating. And I think we're all – well
- lots of people that, you know, I really try to push the laws, push the
laws of what you can get away with on the field. But this just goes into a
different sphere. Same as drugs. Like I personally could never have lived with
myself. The knowledge, if I had taken something and one, it just wouldn't be
the same achievement."
Ireland, somehow, will lead at half-time and Italy only have themselves to blame. Azzurri captain Michele Lamaro was dropped for this game, remember. He won't be in Gonzalo Quesada's good books after that.
And Jack Crowley would like that kick back, by the way.
AllanMarin 75', substituted for Marin at 75 minutes
Number
14
14, Capuozzo
Capuozzo
Number
13
13, Brex
Brex
Number
12
12, Menoncello
Menoncello
Number
11
11, Ioane
Ioane
Number
10
10, Garbisi
Garbisi
Number
9
9, Page-Relo
Page-ReloVarney 45', substituted for Varney at 45 minutes
Number
1
1, Fischetti
FischettiSpagnolo 55', substituted for Spagnolo at 55 minutes
Number
2
2, Lucchesi
Lucchesi
Number
3
3, Ferrari
FerrariZilocchi 55', substituted for Zilocchi at 55 minutes
Number
4
4, Lamb
LambCannone 18', substituted for Cannone at 18 minutesVintcent 29', substituted for Vintcent at 29 minutesNicotera 68', substituted for Nicotera at 68 minutes
Number
5
5, Ruzza
Ruzza
Number
6
6, Negri
NegriLamaro 29', substituted for Lamaro at 29 minutes
Number
7
7, Zuliani
Zuliani
Number
8
8, Cannone
CannoneVintcent 29', substituted for Vintcent at 29 minutesNicotera 68', substituted for Nicotera at 68 minutes
Substitutes
home team, Italy
Number
16
16, Nicotera
Nicotera79', Red card at 79 minutes
Number
17
17, Spagnolo
Spagnolo
Number
18
18, Zilocchi
Zilocchi
Number
19
19, Cannone
Cannone
Number
20
20, Lamaro
Lamaro38', Yellow card at 38 minutes
Number
21
21, Vintcent
Vintcent48', Red card at 48 minutes
Number
22
22, Varney
Varney
Number
23
23, Marin
Marin
away team, Ireland
Starting lineup
Number
15
15, Keenan
Keenan
Number
14
14, Hansen
Hansen
Number
13
13, Ringrose
Ringrose
Number
12
12, Henshaw
HenshawAki 55', substituted for Aki at 55 minutes
Number
11
11, Lowe
Lowe
Number
10
10, Crowley
CrowleyS Prendergast 64', substituted for S Prendergast at 64 minutes
Number
9
9, Gibson-Park
Gibson-ParkMurray 66', substituted for Murray at 66 minutes
Number
1
1, Porter
PorterBoyle 64', substituted for Boyle at 64 minutes
Number
2
2, Sheehan
SheehanG McCarthy 70', substituted for G McCarthy at 70 minutes
Number
3
3, Bealham
BealhamFurlong 46', substituted for Furlong at 46 minutes
Number
4
4, Ryan
RyanMcCarthy 46', substituted for McCarthy at 46 minutes
Number
5
5, Beirne
Beirne
Number
6
6, Conan
Conan
Number
7
7, van der Flier
van der FlierO'Mahony 51', substituted for O'Mahony at 51 minutes
AllanMarin 75', substituted for Marin at 75 minutes
Number
14
14, Capuozzo
Capuozzo
Number
13
13, Brex
Brex
Number
12
12, Menoncello
Menoncello
Number
11
11, Ioane
Ioane
Number
10
10, Garbisi
Garbisi
Number
9
9, Page-Relo
Page-ReloVarney 45', substituted for Varney at 45 minutes
Number
1
1, Fischetti
FischettiSpagnolo 55', substituted for Spagnolo at 55 minutes
Number
2
2, Lucchesi
Lucchesi
Number
3
3, Ferrari
FerrariZilocchi 55', substituted for Zilocchi at 55 minutes
Number
4
4, Lamb
LambCannone 18', substituted for Cannone at 18 minutesVintcent 29', substituted for Vintcent at 29 minutesNicotera 68', substituted for Nicotera at 68 minutes
Number
5
5, Ruzza
Ruzza
Number
6
6, Negri
NegriLamaro 29', substituted for Lamaro at 29 minutes
Number
7
7, Zuliani
Zuliani
Number
8
8, Cannone
CannoneVintcent 29', substituted for Vintcent at 29 minutesNicotera 68', substituted for Nicotera at 68 minutes
Substitutes
Number
16
16, Nicotera
Nicotera79', Red card at 79 minutes
Number
17
17, Spagnolo
Spagnolo
Number
18
18, Zilocchi
Zilocchi
Number
19
19, Cannone
Cannone
Number
20
20, Lamaro
Lamaro38', Yellow card at 38 minutes
Number
21
21, Vintcent
Vintcent48', Red card at 48 minutes
Number
22
22, Varney
Varney
Number
23
23, Marin
Marin
away team, Ireland
Starting lineup
Number
15
15, Keenan
Keenan
Number
14
14, Hansen
Hansen
Number
13
13, Ringrose
Ringrose
Number
12
12, Henshaw
HenshawAki 55', substituted for Aki at 55 minutes
Number
11
11, Lowe
Lowe
Number
10
10, Crowley
CrowleyS Prendergast 64', substituted for S Prendergast at 64 minutes
Number
9
9, Gibson-Park
Gibson-ParkMurray 66', substituted for Murray at 66 minutes
Number
1
1, Porter
PorterBoyle 64', substituted for Boyle at 64 minutes
Number
2
2, Sheehan
SheehanG McCarthy 70', substituted for G McCarthy at 70 minutes
Number
3
3, Bealham
BealhamFurlong 46', substituted for Furlong at 46 minutes
Number
4
4, Ryan
RyanMcCarthy 46', substituted for McCarthy at 46 minutes
Number
5
5, Beirne
Beirne
Number
6
6, Conan
Conan
Number
7
7, van der Flier
van der FlierO'Mahony 51', substituted for O'Mahony at 51 minutes