Under-20 international/ Ireland 6 Italy 0: Ireland's opening defence of their Under-20 Grand Slam was short on style but top-heavy on discipline and determination at Dubarry Park in Athlone last night.
It was always going to be a tall order to follow on from last year without a single survivor from that victorious side.
Ireland had their work cut out to defeat Italy at under-19 last year so not surprisingly this proved a difficult game for Eric Elwood's men.
Ireland led 6-0 at the end of an opening half where there was too much boot to ball and Elwood's men did not help their cause by a few sloppy errors that put them unnecessarily on the back foot.
Martin Dufficy edged Ireland in front with a 40-metre penalty on 14 minutes after lock David Nolan had plundered an Italian lineout.
The Dublin University player doubled the lead just before the break with a penalty after the Italian scrumhalf Luca Martinelli was sinbinned for persistent hands in the ruck.
The Italian outhalf Ricardo Bocchino had a chance to reduce the margin in first-half stoppage time but was short with a penalty.
The Irish pack got on top in the second half but the Italians had plenty of fire in their bellies, too much as it transpired in stoppage time when lock Alberto Cazzola received a straight red card for an off-the-ball offence.
But Ireland's disciplined and organisation was of a high order and the Italians, despite a few promising phases, never looked like breaking them down.
IRELAND: N Morris (Leinster); D Kearney (Leinster), E O'Malley (Leinster), E Sheridan (Leinster), C Cochrane (Ulster); M Dufficy (Leinster), D Moore (Leinster); P Karayiannis (Ulster), S Douglas (Ulster), B Barclay (Leinster); D Nolan (Connacht), E Sheriff (Leinster); K Essex (Munster), P Ryan (Leinster), P Mallon (Leinster). Replacements: S Scanlon (Munster) for Morris, inj. 15 mins; J Harris-Wright (Leinster) for Douglas, 48 mins; J Sandford (Ulster) for Nolan, 59 mins; K Green (Leinster) for Moore, 80 mins.
ITALY: G Sapuppo; A Bacchetti, R Quartaroli, A Chiesa, E Rotella; R Bocchino, L Martinelli; A de Marchi, T D'Apice, M Ravalle; F Giusti, A Cazzola; N Simoni, S Favaro, L Petillo. Replacements: M Nava for Sapuppo, inj. 59 mins.
Referee: A MacPherson(Scotland).
Flannery's appeal
Jerry Flannery's appeal against the suspension that has ruled him out of the entire Six Nations will be heard in Dublin next Wednesday.
Flannery was handed an eight-week ban for stamping on Julien Bonnaire during Munster's European Cup defeat by Clermont Auvergne on January 13th.
The Munster hooker's appeal will be heard by an independent committee chaired by Professor Lorne Crerar (Scotland) and also comprising HHJ Jeff Blackett (England) and Russell Howell (Wales).
