Irish breeze past Italy
15 Feb 2009
A brace from wing Luke Fitzgerald handed Ireland a comfortable 38-9 win over Italy in Rome.
Two Irish tries in the final five minutes inflated the scoreline but for the second week in a row Italy made too many errors at this level.
This was a brutal game riddled with off-the-ball incidents and once again the Italians only have themselves to blame for the loss. The Irish weren’t at their best but they capitalised on any errors, with No 8 Jamie Heaslip doing his Lions credentials no harm.
Italian fullback Andrea Masi was yellow-carded in the first minute of the game for a high tackle and this clearly showed the intentions of the Italians, who looked to physically intimidate.
Italy played with the wind during this period with 14 men and they actually outscored the Irish via a Luke McLean penalty. The Italian flyhalf added another but despite Italy dominating the opening quarter it wasn’t reflected on the scoreboard as Ireland wing Tommy Bowe pounced on a loose pass to run 70m to the try-line.
McLean added a third penalty but crucially Italian indiscipline cost them once more. Ronan O’Gara was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul but straight after Italian prop Salvatore Perugini suffered the same fate for a cynical infringement.
The Irish then produced their best period of play just before half-time as Fitzgerald finished off a move that consisted of 19 phases. This handed the visitors a 14-9 lead at the break.
By the second stanza the visitors had complete control of territory and possession with flank David Wallace securing the result five minutes in after he barged through two defenders.
The game fell into another lull but in the final five minutes Fitzgerald claimed his second and Brian O’Driscoll intercepted to complete the hiding.
Both teams have a two-week break with Ireland hosting England and Italy heading to Murrayfield to face Scotland.
By Grant Ball
82 Comments
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15 Feb 2009, 17:23 pm
#43 carol:
Clairvoyancy is part of your repetoire?
15 Feb 2009, 17:23 pm
#47 OCO: Is that to stop the wife from escaping!!!
15 Feb 2009, 17:24 pm
#44 carol: no…but it sounds like a great plan!
15 Feb 2009, 17:24 pm
#52 carol: LOL..
15 Feb 2009, 17:24 pm
#49 carol: Me tooo !!
15 Feb 2009, 17:24 pm
Go Ireland. This should be easy for Ireland.
15 Feb 2009, 17:26 pm
why dod o gara not take that conversion?
15 Feb 2009, 17:26 pm
Go Ireland!
15 Feb 2009, 17:28 pm
jeez…i have got to watch bloody idols while the 6 nations on! Terrible ordeal i have!
15 Feb 2009, 17:29 pm
out to run the dog…back later…go ireland!
15 Feb 2009, 17:30 pm
#59 grant10: Farrrkkkkkk that Idols kuk is a crock of sh1tttttt !!
15 Feb 2009, 17:30 pm
#48 grootblousmile: #52 carol:
Haha both of you.
GBS, it was an old joke about the guy who goes to the chemist ….
Sort of like the guy who is packing to go on an ocean voyage from CT to Rio. mate pops in and asks if he is ‘equiped’.
He replies that he has a French letter and a sea sick tablet.
Mate advises to go back to the chemist for more.
So off he goes and comes back with 3 FLs and 3 sea sick tablets.
Mate says might get him to Rio but not back. So off he goes yet again (pissed off) to the chemist.
Asks the chemist what is the largest pack of FLs he has and the largest bottle of sea sick tablets.
Chemist gives him a 50 pack of FLs and a 50 tab bottle of sea sick tablets.
Whilst he’s busy paying the chemist says ‘I know it’s non of my business but if it makes you so sick why do you keep doing it?”.
15 Feb 2009, 17:30 pm
#59 grant10: of yes so terrible
#60 grant10: bye bye
15 Feb 2009, 17:31 pm
#51 OCO: Just one of my super powers!!
15 Feb 2009, 17:33 pm
#60 grant10: Till later!!
15 Feb 2009, 17:33 pm
#62 OCO: Bwahahahaha
15 Feb 2009, 17:34 pm
#55 grootblousmile: Heheheh, back to the rugby …..
15 Feb 2009, 17:35 pm
#60 grant10:
Cheers G10. Does your dog know the routes to the pubs
15 Feb 2009, 17:40 pm
#64 carol:
What colour cape do you wear?
15 Feb 2009, 18:11 pm
If I get up I might fall back down again
So let’s get up c’mon
If I get up I might fall back down again
But we get up anyway
——————-
You might be able to put us down, but you can’t keep us there
15 Feb 2009, 18:20 pm
Well done Ireland. Irish your team looking good mate.
w
15 Feb 2009, 18:23 pm
Italy capitulated. Disappointing. The laws don’t allow them to play a forwards game and they don’t have the backs to run it. So basically they’re scrrewed.
15 Feb 2009, 18:48 pm
yes…what a good surprise ..wales ..ireland will be key…this 6 n going to get exciting!
15 Feb 2009, 18:49 pm
#68 OCO: LOL…strictly a beach bum…the dog and i that is!
15 Feb 2009, 19:34 pm
Go Ireland!
Bet the Devil’s happy
15 Feb 2009, 19:53 pm
I reckon tha the real problem with Italy is Mallet….How can a country invest so much on improvement and achieve such a little. I heard a few good comments on Sky critisising Mallet for keeping his useless scummy on the field when it was obvious to all and sundry that he killing his team..Mallet said…I was going to replace him after 25minutes but I decided to keep him on as a mark of respect for a very talented player who had done much for italian rugby in the past…The player was also drafted into the position from flyhalf I think…because Mallet wanted a big scumhalf that ways 90Kg+….according to Mallet it is all about size…mampara
15 Feb 2009, 19:59 pm
Other famous twat quotes from mallet:
Paulse was a quota with merit player
Deon Kayser’s three tries over stated his abilities and not much must be read into it…
This mampara still gets the royal treatment from SA rugby journos
15 Feb 2009, 20:58 pm
#77 Cuito Carnivale: Cause he obviously knows more about rugby than you do about cuito.
15 Feb 2009, 21:01 pm
Mallett has been the best Bok coach since readmission, technically speaking.
The performance in Paris – 52-10 – when the crowd gave the Boks a standing ovation, is testament to that.
15 Feb 2009, 21:05 pm
#76 Cuito Carnivale: No, Mauro Bergamasco is ordinarily a flank, not a flyhalf. For someone with such a strong opinion on the matter you obviously don’t know what/who you are talking about.
15 Feb 2009, 21:06 pm
#77 Cuito Carnivale: Mallet has a good record. Better than most, many records broken. You are talking rubbish here
16 Feb 2009, 05:06 am
Wales close to another title. They are now ranked 4th in the World.
New Zealand coaches now coach 3 of the top 4 sides in the World.
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