Ireland v Italy LIVE: Six Nations 2024 score and result as hosts secure comfortable second win
Ireland 36-0 Italy: Ireland’s bid for back-to-back grand slams continues with a one-sided victory over the Azzurri
Ireland continued their pursuit of back-to-back Six Nations grand slams as they swept aside Italy in Dublin.
A much-changed home side retained plenty of its usual fluency, with Jack Crowley again pulling the strings impressively from fly half in a 36-0 win, crossing for his first try in senior rugby to lead the hosts to a 17th straight Aviva Stadium victory.
Consecutive bonus points victories leave Andy Farrell’s men top of the table after two rounds, two points clear of England, while an outstanding defensive display meant Ireland kept an opponent scoreless in this competition for the first time since 1987.
For Italy, it was a disappointing follow-up to an encouraging start against England, a flat performance leaving Gonzalo Quesada to lament his side’s set-piece struggles and lack of intensity in defence as the Azzurri failed to trouble the scores.
Re-live all the action from Ireland vs Italy below, and get the latest Six Nations odds and tips here:
Ireland 19-0 Italy, 45 minutes
It’s all a little too loose from Italy. The idea is good, bodies in motion creating misdirection in what is, in the end, a simple crash ball from their inside centre, but a slightly inaccurate pass is dropped cold by Tommaso Menoncello, himself not quite as ready to receive it as he might have been. Ireland clear.
Ireland 19-0 Italy, 44 minutes
Rock steady as Zilocchi and former London Irish teammate Danilo Fischetti lock out the scrum, and Ryan Baird breaks off the flank too soon in his eagerness to hassle Stephen Varney. Penalty Italy, and Paolo Garbisi kicks down into Ireland’s half.
Ireland 19-0 Italy, 43 minutes
Ireland try to spread it to the left but Italy number up well, forcing a looping Calvin Nash to drop the ball to his toe. There’s too much on his prod ahead, and Monty Ioane herds it out of play beyond the corner flag. Back for a scrum 35 out - can Giosue Zilocchi stabilise things for Italy?
Ireland 19-0 Italy, 42 minutes
A couple of Italian players are receiving treatment as James Lowe and Paolo Garbisi engage in a kicking exchange, Lowe’s massive left leg thundering the ball upfield and forcing Garbisi to retrieve from his own in-goal area. Garbisi finds touch, allowing Federico Ruzza to be attended to - the big lock has taken a sore shot to the ribs, but appears ok to join his teammates in the defensive lineout 35 out from his own line.
Ireland 19-0 Italy, 41 minutes
It is indeed Ceccarelli off. Young Mirco Spagnolo impressed off the bench against England at looshead last week, so you wonder if he may be with us soon, too, as Gonzalo Quesada seeks to solve those scrum woes.
Second half...
Right, we’re ready to go again in Dublin. Giosue Zilocchi looks to be amongst things for Italy, with Pietro Ceccarelli presumably replaced.
Jack Crowley gets proceedings back underway.
HT: Ireland 19-0 Italy
Smooth sailing so far for Ireland as they canter towards a bonus point victory. The hosts have been stern defensively and accurate in attack - they really are some side.
I don’t think Italy did that much wrong in that half, but their set-piece struggles have allowed Ireland to control the flow of the game, and you just can’t afford to do that against a team this good.
Ireland 19-0 Italy, 40 minutes
What striding from Ryan Baird! Good god he is some athlete, the Leinsterman an impossibly smooth mover for a man of nearly seven feet. Craig Casey capitalises on Baird’s 30-metre gallop with a clever kick beyond the Italy defence, which pitches and rolls out seven metres from the Italy line.
Surely they won’t chance their arm with the clock dead? Nope, Italy send us down the tunnel by booting the ball into the stands.
TRY! IRELAND 19-0 Italy (Jack Conan try, 38 minutes)
Jack Conan provides the telling punch!
It was coming. The Italy fringe defenders battled hard, but a clever flick off the floor finds Conan one slot wider and, with a bit of a shunt from a teammate behind him, the number eight bashes the door down.
Jack Crowley adds the extras.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments