By NICK POWELL
Ireland……………………………………..36
Tries: Crowley 7, Sheehan 24, 50; Conan 37, Lowe 62, Nash 78
Conversions: Crowley 25, 38; Byrne 79
Italy…………………………………………0
Ireland scored three tries in each half to coast past Italy to return to the top of the Six Nations table and keep their ambition of back-to-back Grand Slams firmly on track.
Sharp build-up play on both occasions saw Jack Crowley and Dan Sheehan go over for Ireland and open up a 12-point advantage.
Forward dominated tries either side of half-time from Jack Conan and another for Sheehan double that gap and secured Ireland the bonus point, before a powerful finish from man-of-the-match James Lowe gave Ireland their fifth.
And though the reigning champions lost some of their momentum as they made substitutions, there was still time for Calvin Nash to make it two tries from two for him in the Championship as his team made it two wins from two ahead of the first rest week of the tournament.
“We're happy enough and we got what we wanted in the game with a bonus-point win,” said Ireland coach Andy Farrell on ITV after the game. “Keeping them to zero is very pleasing and there was some nice tries out there and some nice performances by individuals.
“We got a bit clunky in parts but they are easy enough to play against. They (Italy) have changed the way that they play, they are a little more pragmatic so you have to find different ways of getting the ball back.
“I thought we were trying to be too tidy at times, just playing with shape when we broke them down with a bit of individual brilliance. We need to back ourselves a little bit more as far as that is concerned. We looked dangerous.”
Kicking off into the Irish half and keeping their discipline well, Italy had the first chance for points though Paolo Garbisi sent a fifth-minute penalty attempt wide in swirling winds.
When it was Ireland's turn to attack, as Hugo Keenan smartly quick-tapped a a mark in the 22 and made it up to halfway, they showed why they carried an overwhelming favourites tag going into the game with much quicker ruck speed and the Azzurri slipping off tackles.
Crowley was heavily involved as the hosts roared into their opponents territory, and he provided the finishing touch to open the scoring after a short pass from Craig Crasey.
Crowlye's conversion – also influenced by the wind – was pulled wide but Ireland were soon back on the attack with their fly-half pushing them up to the five-metre line with a kick to touch.
Lowe fumbled and the chance broke down, but once again the contrast between the two sides in attack was displayed by a spell of Italian possession leading to no points, and Ireland scoring with their next entry into the 22.
Again it was Keenan who got them onto the front foot as he cut a powerful line that brought them into the red zone, and as Ireland came back down the left quick hands from their backs helped Dan Sheehan get over in the corner.
Sheehan was nearly held up by Ange Capuozzo as he attempted to make the conversion easier for Crowley, but the risky finish paid dividends as Crowley sent over the conversion.
That Ireland had to wait till near the end of the first period to get over again, despite their beautifully cohesive first two tries, was evidence of Italy growing into the game. They managed to slow the Irish ball down, track their lines of running better and limit the hosts' offloading game.
But there were hugely worrying signs at the scrum, an aspect of the game that hurt their chances of holding on for what would have been a famous win against England last week, and this week gifted Ireland another lineout opportunity from close range with the clock ticking down towards the break.
Conan caught the lineout, and though Sheehan couldn't get a second as the resulting maul broke down his number eight compatriot soon wrestled his way over the whitewash to give Ireland a 19-0 advantage at half-time.
It was all too easy from Ireland's next maul ten minutes into the second-half. Again the position originated from a penalty at the scrum, with Andrew Porter now terrorising his new tighthead opponent Giosue Zilocchi with Pietro Ceccarelli forced off at the break, and from the resulting maul Sheehan took his second with the Azzurri unable to deal with the shifts in the hosts' drive.
Sheehan almost had a third shortly after as he charged down the left touchline like he had for his first try, but he was just short and when Robbie Henshaw was deemed to have propelled himself when already held in the tackle a few phases later, Ireland were penalised for a double movement.
With Tommasso Menoncello yellow carded for a trip on Lowe Ireland would continue to pummel the Italian 22, and it was Lowe that showed Henshaw how it's done as he stretched out his arm over the line after his burst towards the whitewash that took two Azzurri defenders with him.
Ill-discipline and slopping handling crept in in the final 15 minutes for Ireland, but Italy's fundamental failures at the set piece – which had started to spread to the lineout in addition to their desperate problems at the scrum – ensured the visitors wouldn't trouble the scoreboard.
And after an excellent offload in the midfield from McCloskey helped set Crowley free he found substitute Jamieson Gibson-Park who fed Nash for the final score of the day, before Gibson-Park knocked on over the line looking for a seventh at the very end of the contest.
Ireland: Keenan 8 (Byrne 56, 7), Nash 7, Henshaw 7 (Larmour 64, 6), McCloskey 8, Lowe 9, Crowley 8, Casey 6 (Gibson-Park 73); Porter 8 (Loughman 56, 6), Sheehan 8 (Kelleher 56, 6), Bealham 7 (O'Toole 56, 6), McCarthy 6, Ryan 7 (Henderson 61, 6), Baird 8 (Van der Flier 66, 7), Doris (c) 7, Conan 7.
Italy: Capuozzo 5, Pani 6 (Mori 58, 5), Brex 4, Menoncello 4, Ioane 6, Garbisi 7, Varney 7 (Page-Relo 58, 6); Fischetti 6 (Spagnolo 57, 4), Lucchesi 5 (Nicotera 57, ), Ceccarelli 5 (Zilocchi 40, 4), Cannone 7, Ruzza 5 (Zambonin 64, 5), Izekor 6, Zuliani 7 (Vintcent 69, 5), Lamaro (c) 7.
Not Used: Allan
Referee: Luke Pearce (Eng)
Star Man: James Lowe (Ireland)
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