O’Gara saves Ireland’s blushes
5 Feb 2011
A drop goal by Ronan O’Gara two minutes before the end secured Ireland a 13-11 victory over Italy in Rome on Saturday.
Ireland had to do most of the defensive work in the first 20 minutes, but every time the Azzuri looked threatening unforced, sloppy play halted their momentum.
Wing Mirco Bergamasco opened the scoring with a penalty in the seventh minute, but the visitors found their stride late in the first half, setting up several phases and testing Italy’s defence. Ireland flyhalf Jonathan Sexton equalled the scores in the 28th minute, but Bergamasco goaled again just before half-time to end off an uneventful first half.
Ireland showed much more attacking intent in the second half and captain Brian O’Driscoll sent them into the lead in the 44th minute. Sexton converted to make the score 10-6.
Ireland winger Fergus McFadden butchered a scoring opportunity shortly thereafter and when Denis Leamy was sent off seven minutes before full time their task became arduous. Luke McLean gave Italy the lead five minutes before the end, however, Bergamasco missed the crucial conversion.
O’Gara duly sunk the decisive drop-goal to avoid an embarrassing defeat.
By Casper Strydom
20 Comments
5 Feb 2011, 20:17 pm
Go Azzurri Dragons! Dam if only they won!!!
5 Feb 2011, 21:58 pm
“Ireland winger Fergus McFadden could butchered a scoring opportunity shortly thereafter”
Say what?
5 Feb 2011, 22:40 pm
Who are Casper Strydom, is he to be wearing a jean pant?
5 Feb 2011, 22:58 pm
Who ARE Casper? Did you got a laahsens, oke?
6 Feb 2011, 03:39 am
Never take the Azzuri lightly. They had the guts to go to NZ and hammer the All Blacks all over the park. Give them a sniff and you barely get out alive.
6 Feb 2011, 05:12 am
@Blitzbok(Blitzbok)-5: when have italy EVER hammered the ABs???
what an idiot… do you even follow rugby?????
6 Feb 2011, 06:07 am
@Blitzbok(Blitzbok)-5: in fact, the Italians couldnt even hammer us at soccer in the WC, relying on a very dubious penalty to scrap the draw…
best you stay off the drugs…
6 Feb 2011, 09:56 am
Cruel finish for the Italians but very encouraging for their progress, that was their best ever result against Ireland in the 6N. Their backplay looks much improved on previous years.
@poppa69(poppa69)-6: calm down pooper
6 Feb 2011, 16:09 pm
Italy played well to their strengths and also created a good try with good hands to see the ball to the wing.
Although Ireland created (and botched) much more chances near the try line… by the end Italy were unluckly.
If they had taken the restart they would have picked and driven to victory.
Just why Ireland gave Italy too much respect astonishes me.
All the pre match talk from Kidney and BOD was of how Italy would inevitably beat Ireland in the Six Nations.
Question for the Kiwis on here:
While it is inevitable that Ireland will beat NZ at some stage…Have you ever heard a NZ captain admit that?
No on my watch is the mantra and should have been Ireland’s.
Kidney is becoming Eddie O Sullivan mark 2 with the silly selections of his mates at Munster who are out of form. An unbalanced backrow, rusty SH, wrong hooker… slowed Irish ball down almost as much as Romain Poite allowed Italy to do.
But really.. something needs to be done about Poite. Clearly he was reffing only one side. Italy just had to put the ball into their second row at scrum time and go nowhere before boring up or collapsing to get a penalty. The Ireland scrum did quite well and were penalized on reputation only.
very blatant example of if you only look at one sides offences … Italy went off their feet at every ruck with impunity
For the ref to write a letter to the Italian Union apologizing on how he reffed the same fixture 2 years ago is both shameful and disgraceful.
6 Feb 2011, 17:36 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-6:
What an idiot? Do you not remember the Italian game away in New Zealand in 2009? It took an exceedingly late blitz to break them. But then, you already knew that, as you know everything, right? Quite quick to call people an idiot in the very same post that you unveil your own idiocy. There have been numerous games that Italy have pushed top test nations to the limit, that includes England, France, Australia and South Africa.
6 Feb 2011, 17:39 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-8:
Their best ever result against Ireland was in 2007, where, away from home, they totally outclassed Ireland in all facets of play, excibiting clinical back play. They went down 23-20 as they simply did not have the fitness to maintain that level of play, a real let off for Ireland.
6 Feb 2011, 17:50 pm
@Flametop(Flametop)-9:
Ireland do not possess the courage to stand up to NZ. I’ve seen how they play against all three SH giants, and they are simply afraid of NZ. They never go all out, and even when they try it never has any real conviction. Are they capable? Yes. But without belief, it will never happen. I’ve seen far lesser Bok sides than Ireland cripple NZ, because they wanted it and believed they could do it. You hear how the NH talk about the ABs pre-game, they automatically accept defeat, on their knees at the AB shrine in awe. This is by far the biggest reason for Nz dominance over them. Until that changes, they will never win, because you will never find an All Black side that will lay down and die, or with the same limitations the Boks have at present in the coaching stakes.
6 Feb 2011, 20:44 pm
@Blitzbok(Blitzbok)-12:
Sort of agree… though they do not lack courage.
But yes the weight of history affects their belief.
They should give NZ no respect and let the cards fall where they may.. win or lose
Hence my comparison with Italy v Ireland in Six Nations.
Yesterday will frustrate the hell out of Italy.
6 Feb 2011, 20:44 pm
FYI guys.. bit of sad news.
Gary Moore RIP
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12377862
6 Feb 2011, 22:01 pm
@Flametop(Flametop)-14: That’s sad. I was a bit of a fan back in the day. Loved the track “Out in the fields”.
7 Feb 2011, 06:05 am
@Blitzbok(Blitzbok)-10: your statement says they hammered NZ does it not? tell me then when HAVE they beaten the ABs?
therefore to procaim a team has “hammered” another team without a solitary victory is idiotic?
7 Feb 2011, 06:08 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-16: a hammering is something like a 49-0 or a 19-0…
to push a team close is commendable and shows they are improving, but it is not the same..
can you see the difference?
7 Feb 2011, 06:16 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-16:
I see I am dealing with people here that can only interpret games by scorelines rather than what happens on the pitch. Being blasted at the breakdown, thumped in the set pieces and being scythed down brutally by defenders does, to me at least, imply that a team has taken a bit of a hammering. I never said they won that game. By your reckoning the England side of 02 did not receive a hammering by the Boks, despite finishing the game with eleven injury concerns! Then you have the Boks 62 pointer against Australia in 96. It was actually much closer than the scoreline suggests. The Boks merely finishing off every opportunity that was made available to them. Your logic is eskewed. Look, I do not want to end up fighting on here, but you’re deliberately trying to drag my comment out of context. I said that Italy should not be underestimated, and I pointed to their performance in a country that is a death sentence to visiting teams as an example of how they can be a threat. Everything I stated was factual and to the point. But I suspect that this boils down to you not wanting to see Italy in that way, and if that’s the case, we may as well agree to disagree right now. I respect your opinion, but I differ.
7 Feb 2011, 06:31 am
@Blitzbok(Blitzbok)-18: so to you the scoreline doesnt matter?
my logic is eskewed?? please, many better teams on the day have come up on the wrong side of the scorenoard, but not one player who has been in a magnificent losing side will admit they hammered the opposition..
the game is all about taking your opportunities, doesnt matter how commendable or dominant you were if you dont win the game..
and as for your assumption that I dont want to see Italy “that way”, you could not be more wrong…
7 Feb 2011, 06:47 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-19:
I never said the scoreline doesnt matter, what I said is that it very rarely indicates what went on in the game. By reading the scoreline alone a signicant number of games are wrongly interpreted. That’s where I end up disagreeing with fans the most, as their opinion of what happened is greatly affected by the scoreline rather than various events that took place in the actual game. Yes, the scoreline is ultimately king, as that’s what determines the winner, but from an analysis of the game? Not good at all. A great example is the Boks 07 WC encounters with England. The 36-0 result gets praised the most, even though it was far scrappier and more error-strewn by both sides. The final was a far more accurate and disciplined display. When I tried to discuss this with fans, they were unwilling to see these things, no matter what evidence I put in front of them, because they used the scoreline to decide that the Boks played better in the pool game. What Italy did to NZ in that 09 game was very similar to what the Boks did to the 05 Nz team at Newlands. But they just couldnt convert their chances. a closer look at the actual performance will reveal that Italy were far more capable than most would ever expect. They cannot be underestimated, if they can go to NZ and play like that, then what else are they capable of? I’ve seen them tear into all the top sides, and though they have not be able to steer the result their way, they more often than most would accept have been the better side. Like the Bok game in 09, the England and Wales 6N games in 09 and all Ireland games in 07, to name but a few examples.
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