That was awful. If there was any justice in the world, both of these teams would be kicked out on aesthetic grounds, with Fiji and Japan allowed through in their stead.
As it is, Ireland qualify along with France, for the quarter-finals. Italy are knocked out on mathematical grounds, as they cannot pick up enough points to catch the other two now. And that’s about all there is to say about that dire slog.
Ireland will be pleased to come through without any serious injury worries. They play France next to decide who will face Argentina and who will face New Zealand in the next round. After struggling like that against Italy, it will be interesting to see how they cope against France’s more electric game.
That’s all from me as I’ve got other bits to do. Cheers for reading; you did well to get through it. Bye.
Updated
Full-time: Ireland 16-9 Italy
Italy go through the hands, but Venditti knocks it on in the tackle and that’s it.
Updated
79 min That missed forward pass could cost Italy, as Sexton can confirm the win now from wide on the right and about 40 metres out. It’s a tough old kick though as Sexton sends it wide and Italy look to run it back from their own line.
78 min Italy put width on the ball and Canna gives it out to Venditti, but the wing knocks on under pressure. Ireland counter in kind, with Zebo finding Fitzgerald with a long forward pass that goes unnoticed. Murray sends up a HIGH EFFING BOX KICK and Italy conceded a penalty when Palazzani comes across to block off Bowe.
77 min Palazzani’s first act is to clear long to Dave Kearnney. There’s a bunch more kicking back and forth before Sexton goes too long and McLean dots it down behind his own line for a drop out. Said drop out is claimed by Toner to the delight of Ireland’s fans, but then Murray knocks on.
76 min Gori off, Palazzani on. Earls off, Fitzgerald on.
75 min Nope, because it’s overthrown again and Henry takes it. What’s going on with their calling today? Ireland twice gather the ball from high kicks and get up to the 22, where McLean finally recovers it from Italy. He kicks, then Sexton kicks and the latter finds the corner behind Venditti.
74 min Bowe comes into the scrum at blindside, but his added weight makes little difference as White is penalised for collapsing the scrum. Canna kicks to touch a metre outside the 22 on the Irish left. Are Ireland nervous here?
73 min It looks as though Rizzo has gone off with an injury of some sort as Aguero comes back on. Italy win the lineout on their own 10 metre line, but go accidentally offside at the maul. Scrum Ireland.
72 min The lineout is a mess but Italy get it. Gori box kicks clear, but they’ll be able to clear their lines further with a penalty as O’Mahony charged straight into a ruck, arms tucked in and using his shoulder on Furno’s head. It’s as clear a yellow card as you’ll see.
71 min More scrum resets. Ireland are a very good, brilliantly well drilled side, but I’d forgotten how utterly awful they are to watch. Murray box kicks, because he is a robot who is incapable of independent thought – he missed a massive overlap earlier after Bowe took a high kick, box kicking robotically instead – and the ball goes into touch on the right.
What's the point in having 95% of the tickets if nobody seems to care what's going on out there? It's like a darts crowd.
— Rúaidhrí O'Connor (@RuaidhriOC) October 4, 2015
70 min Cronin on for Best. This has been crap.
69 min O’Mahony is down having a wee bit of treatment on his shoulder, which he hurt in making that tackle on Furno. From the lineout, Murrayu puts it up near the touchline and it bounces into touch off Bowe. The second lineout is won at the back by Geldenhuys and the maul forms, but there’s an accidental offside there and Ireland get the scrum.
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68 min Sarto looks to get his skates on and get round the outside, but he has no room to work with and is scragged into touch.
67 min The replacement fly-half’s effort falls limply short of the posts. Mauro Bergamasco, aged 904, replaces the excellent Favaro. Ireland bring Henry and Toner on for O’Brien and Henderson. The Ulster lock has been Ireland’s best player today.
66 min Penalty to Italy on halfway for hands in the ruck, I think. Canna fancies his chances and will have a shot at goal.
66 min A shame then that Parisse couldn’t last the match, he’s been excellent today. Ireland get it back to Sexton and he sends it up high. McLean takes, but Zebo’s chase was good and he wraps up his opposite number.
65 min More good defence from Henderson, who holds his man up, forming the maul and earning his side the feed to a scrum. Zanni and Canna come on for Parisse and Allan.
64 min Great counterrucking by Italy on halfway and Parisse drives O’Brien, of all people, off the ball. Here we go with the picks and the drives, as Italy go towards the 22.
63 min Aguero and Cittadini are done for the day, replaced by Rizzo and Chistolini. Bowe meanwhile taps back a high box kick, but it’s gathered by Benvenuti. Then the two teams kick it about a bit, before Italy knock on wide on the left and Best snatches the ball.
Penalty (Sexton 62) Ireland 16-9 Italy
Sexton extends the gap to seven from right in front of the posts.
61 min A good solid scrum from which Earls tries to go through a gap. Allan doesn’t roll away from the tackle, albeit with three Irishmen piled atop him, which seems harsh. Easy three points here.
60 min Murray puts it up high and Bowe gives chase, brilliantly outjumping Parisse. Murray kicks ahead again and Gori collects. The Italian No9 fires a return kick too deep and over the dead ball line, giving Ireland a scrum out near the Irish right touchline, a few metres outside the 22.
59 min Off go McGrath and Ross, on come Healy and White.
Penalty (Sexton 58) Ireland 13-9 Italy
From 20 metres, a fraction to the right, Sexton takes the three points with no fuss.
57 min Sexton should just take the points with no fuss here.
56 min It’s advantage Ireland as they attack the Italian line around the 22, but this is seriously resolute defending. Best shows and goes to gain a few metres, before O’Mahony and O’Connell drive on. With the advantage, Sexton puts up the high one, but nothing comes of it. Back for the penalty we go.
55 min Ireland are under pressure at the scrum but Heaslip comes away with it and they go wide to Zebo. O’Mahony and Henderson drive it on powerfully then they go left to Kearney.
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54 min I should have mentioned it was knocked on by Gori, so this is an Irish scrum, which will shortly be strengthened by Healy and White.
53 min It’s tapped back from the restart into the hands of Best. Ireland could do with a score of any kind now just to settle the nerves. O’Mahony gets isolated at the breakdown though and Parisse steals it. An exchange of kicks and then it’s knocked on just inside the Irish half.
Penalty (Allan 52) Ireland 10-9 Italy
From wide on the left, about five metres outside the 22, Allan looks to narrow the gap to a point. It’s a good strike and he drills it through.
50 min It’s just about taken at the front by O’Mahony under severe pressure. Ireland shuffle it inside, so Murray can find touch with his box kick 38 metres up the field. That was very cool defence from Ireland. Furno wins the lineout at the front and Italy form a powerful driving maul into the 22. With a penalty coming, Allan cross-kicks for Venditti on the right wing, but the wing knocks on after catching it. Back for the penalty we go.
49 min So close to a try now for Italy! The Irish defence is a mess and Italy go left. Parisse and Campagnaro put Furno away on the left, but O’Mahony comes across and makes a brilliant covering tackle, dragging the big lock’s foot into touch and wrapping the ball up to prevent him from stretching for the line. Ireland lineout, five from their own line.
48 min Ireland steal the lineout and go left to Earls, but he knocks on. Gori and Favaro carry it on, before Parisse bursts powerfully down the left flank. Italy recycle it and go right, inside the Irish half.
Updated
47 min Zebo turns and heads back, gathering the ball and clearing to touch around halfway. That was cracking defence from Italy: Parisse and Favaro in particular.
46 min Henshaw takes the inside ball and looks to drive through. It’s recycled and Sexton comes on the loop, giving it left and Ireland force their way up to the 22. O’Connell takes it deep and charges in, but eventually Murray coughs possession up and McLean clears long into the Irish 22.
45 min Italy lineout on their own 10 metre line and Parisse takes it. It comes back to Allan, whose kick is lackadaisical and charged down by Henderson, who gets to his feet and drives the covering Gori back. Italy retain it and Parisse, of course, finds touch with a 40 metre clearing kick.
44 min Furno takes at the front and O’Mahony clambers all over him, conceding the penalty. Allan clears his lines.
43 min Sexton finds touch on the Ireland right, just over halfway. It’s won at the front by O’Mahony and shipped quickly into midfield, where O’Brien takes it into contact. Ireland do their pick and drive thing on the 10 metre line, before Sexton chips neatly over the top and into touch just inside the 22.
42 min Apologies, it was McGrath who gave that penalty away. Allan kicks the penalty to touch on the left, on the 22. Giazzon is on for Manici at the break, with Ghiraldini injured. Parisse is penalised for holding on in the tackle.
41 min Here we go then, the final 40 minutes of the weekend kick-off, via Jonny Sexton, to a soundtrack of Blur’s Song 2, which is always brilliant live. Campagnaro claims the restart, it’s fired back to McLean and he kicks down the middle to Zebo, who gives it to Bowe. He goes into contact just over halfway, but O’Mahony goes off his feet.
On the telly, we’re watching Diego Maradona play keepy-uppy with a rugby ball in the Argentinian dressing room earlier. The players look giddy with glee to have him there. It’s all quite lovely, actually.
On the plus side, Parisse has been magnificent. He’s not quite single-handedly keeping his side in this, but they would be lost without him.
@DanLucas86 Sergio P would walk into any side in the world except the AB's, he's pure class he does everything so well! Some player & leader
— John McEnerney (@MackerOnTheMed) October 4, 2015
That felt like a particularly boring Six Nations match. Italy have done well to stay in touch, but they haven’t threatened once.
Half-time: Ireland 10-6 Italy
Another overthrow at the lineout and Ireland get it. Left they go and Earls checks before speeding through a gap. He passes left for Kearney, but the ball is knocked on and that’s that.
40 min Another slow scrum and Murray is penalised for pushing Gori. Allan puts it into touch on his own 10 metre line and Italy survive the onslaught.
39 min And Murray knocks on at the back of it. Italy scrum five metres out, but if they can get it away from here that’ll be a huge boost.
38 min Sexton pops it in the corner, to the delight of the Irish fans. This time O’Mahony takes, we have another maul...
37 min Now there looks to be a gap for Bowe as Henshaw acts as the dummy runner. Ireland get shunted out right, five from the line, so they go back inside but Parisse reads Sexton’s loop and scrags the fly-half brilliantly. Back for a penalty for offside we go though.
36 min O’Connell takes and the maul is formed, as if you ever expected anything else to happen. It’s well defended, so Murray uses it and Sexton looks to put Zebo through a gap on the scissors. Italy’s defence is resolute, so O’Connell hammers at the line from deep. No ground gained so far...
35 min Manici comes charging in on a dummy run, Gori goes behind him and that’s a clear case of crossing. Sexton’s penalty is excellent, finding touch on the right 10 metres out from the Italy line.
34 min Italy sweep right with clean ball, but again struggle to break the gain line. Sarto goes up over halfway.
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33 min O’Connell takes and Ireland get a very powerful driving maul going up to the 22. Brilliant from Geldenhuys, who goes through the middle and wraps up Best, earning his side a scrum. “Leave it!” shouts the referee, before realising that Geldenhuys was actually acting perfectly legally and knew it.
32 min Sexton will have a shot at goal from 46 metres, just right of the posts. He takes plenty of time to compose himself, but then his kick is slightly mishit and hits the post. A very rare miss there and Parisse seizes on the loose ball and goes rampaging upfield. Eventually it’s carried into touch 10 metres inside their half on the left.
It was a miscommunication between defenders. Geldenhuys lifted the legs of Kearney, while Aguero looked to turn him. Penalty only and even that seems harsh.
30 min Now they go right into an alley and Henshaw’s kick ahead is charged down. Italy look to throw it across to the other side of the field with another big looping pass, but Campagnaro’s chip over the top is undercooked and taken by O’Brien. We’re going to the TMO though.
29 min O’Connell taps it down, it’s moved to Henshaw and Zebo comes up into the line and gets Ireland on the front foot.
28 min Manici overthrows though and Ireland come away, spreading it left and charging out the 22. It goes back to Sexton and he aims for the space behind the three quarters, but McLean reads it, gathers in the 22 and sends it spiralling into touch just over halfway.
27 min That’s a good scrum and Italy get it out to Sarto on the left wing, albeit perhaps a bit too quickly thanks to Allan’s miss-pass. On they go and again it’s a penalty for not rolling away, O’Brien the culprit this time. Ooohhh and they’ve put the penalty in the corner on the left.
26 min Zebo gathers and returns with a low kick, but it’s overhit and straight down the middle, so it bobbles over the dead ball line. Italy will have a scrum way back, 25 metres from the Irish line right in the middle of the pitch.
25 min Sexton’s restart is shallow and well gathered in by the rising Venditti. Parisse comes round the corner and Geldenhuys carries it up, before McLean kicks down the middle.
Penalty (Allan 24) Ireland 10-6 Italy
From wide on the right, 35 metres from goal, Allan steps up and drills a good kick through. John Champion mentions his Scottish heritage again, because it’s the one bit of research John Champion could be bothered to do before they made him cover this game.
23 min But it’s coughed up by Best and Parisse, of course, goes on the counterattack. They work it to the left touchline then back to the right, getting up to the 22 in the process and winning a penalty when O’Connell doesn’t roll away from a ruck.
22 min Italy go into midfield from the lineout, but they simply can’t convince Ireland to throw more than a couple of men into the breakdown and a loose pass means they’re heading in the wrong direction. Eventually Allan sticks it up high and Heaslip gathers the loose ball, before Henderson, then Murray crash over the gain line.
21 min That was Earls’ eighth RWC try, taking him clear of Brian O’Driscoll’s seven: an Irish record, remarkably. Murray boxes clear from the restart and finds touch on the right about halfway.
Conversion (Sexton 20) Ireland 10-3 Italy
Easy stuff, from right in front.
Try! (Earls 19) Ireland 8-3 Italy
And Henderson steals it! They go left and Italy are struggling to get across in time; Henshaw pops an offload back inside and Earls goes over for a simple try.
Updated
18 min Finally the scrum is complete. Murray steps off and takes it from Heaslip to the right. He sends a diagonal grubber through to the corner and it bobbles into touch...
The longer Parrisse stays on the pitch, the longer this one stays close. Once he is subbed Italy might have a disaster
— Becky Hart (@BeckyFlashHart) October 4, 2015
16 min Italy win the restart and work it inside, but then Parisse is held up well by Henderson. The maul eventually goes to ground about 12 metres inside the Italian half and that’ll be a scrum Ireland.
Penalty (Allan 15) Ireland 3-3 Italy
Did you know Tomasso Allan used to play for Scotland under-20s and was known as Tommy Allan? I think 30 seconds have passed since a commentator mentioned it so I’d forgotten. He knocks over the penalty from the 22, just left.
14 min Left again for Campagnaro and he offloads well inside to McLean. The full back takes the tackle and it’s comes back inside to Parisse, who is turned over by Heaslip but the Irishman was off his feet. Chance for Allan to level the scores.
13 min In fact the ball went loose and came off an Irish boot, so Italy have the throw in a promising position and get the driving maul going. It comes off the back and Allan looks to dart round the corner, but Henshaw is wise to his tricks. Italy reset 20 metres out, in front of the posts.
12 min Eventually the ball comes out of a solid scrum via Parisse. They go left to Campagnaro, who runs up to the 22 and is driven into touch by Zebo.
11 min Another mistake by Sexton as his no-look inside pop-pass goes to no one. Scrum to Italy dead on halfway, right in the centre, after another long delay. I don’t know if I was just spoiled by the pace of Argentina v Tonga earlier, but this has been as sluggish a start to a match as we’ve seen all World Cup.
10 min The restart is taken by Bowe again and Ireland shift it left before Best bursts through a ruck and gains 20 metres to get up to the 10 metre line. Murray’s high kick is knocked back to Ireland by Venditti, but then when it comes inside Sexton’s attempted chip over the top is charged by Sarto. Ireland regather.
Penalty (Sexton 9) Ireland 3-0 Italy
It’s as easy as they come, right in front. He takes his sweet time about it, but he was never missing.
Updated
7 min Sexton comes round on the loop and accelerates down the left and through a gap. Ireland get up into the 22 and look to smash the Italians backwards. Italy’s defence regroups for the time being, with Henderson being driven back in midfield by a very good tackle from Sarto. There’s a penalty for offside against Cittadini though.
6 min Sexton finds touch on the right, nine metres inside the Italian half. Heaslip takes at the front and Ireland crash it through the middle via, er, Earls.
5 min Italy go through the phases and make ground, until Henderson drives Furno back. This is good recycling from the Italians, albeit with slow ball and Manici thrusts over the gainline and into the 22. It comes right and they go into a 12th phases, but Campagnaro holds on in the tackle under pressure from SOB and POC.
4 min An early change for Italy as Gonzalo Garcia goes off shaking his head, Benvenuti on in his stead. They get the ball from the lineout, but when it goes left to Venditti it goes loose. Backwards though and they keep possession, with Gori looking to snipe down the middle.
3 min Again Manici doesn’t find his intended man but again Furno saves his proverbial bacon. Allan looks for touch on the right with a cross-field kick from his own 10 metre line, but sticks it out on the full.
2 min Patient stuff from Italy as they rumble forward over the 10 metre line, but it’s knocked on by Campagnaro and Ireland take possession. An exchange of kicks ends with Sexton finding touch eight metres inside Italy’s half on the left.
PEEEP! Jerome Garces is the referee and his whistle is the signal for Tomasso Allan to kick off. Bowe takes in the 22 and is immediately hit with a well-timed tackle, but it’s secure ball and Murray box kicks clear to touch just over halfway. Manici’s throw isn’t the best, but it’s Italian ball and they swing it right to Venditti on the wing.
Anthems watch: a very high-scoring contest, with Ireland perhaps ever so slightly shading it.
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@DanLucas86 time 4 Ireland 2 show their credentials in this WCup a stern test that's needed. A big performance here & we'll be on our way!
— John McEnerney (@MackerOnTheMed) October 4, 2015
I don’t see this one as being a stern test at all, to be honest. Ireland by 25 for me.
Apologies for the lack of build-up, I’ve been busy elsewhere. Let’s see if this one can live up to what was, at times, a thrilling match between Argentina and Tonga earlier. Italy can’t do this, can they? And if they did it would almost be a shame: Ireland are by no means the most exciting team around – even the most partisan fan would admit that – but Italy have been downright awful. They’ve brought nothing to the tournament and the sooner they disappear the better.
Preamble
Afternoon, folks. “Remember, hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.” Andy Dufresne was not an English rugby fan.
Italy, though, could do worse than take The Shawshank Redemption to heart. They are in the same position as England were at 7.59pm last night, before the bloodbath ensued: lose and they are knocked out of the World Cup; win, and a quarter-final spot is theirs if France beat Ireland in the final group match. And for them, hope takes human form.
Sergio Parisse is back from injury for the Italians today and, after two pretty dismal performances against France and Canada, Italy need their talisman if they are to rouse themselves and pull off one of the more unlikely victories of the World Cup against an Ireland side that is coming to the boil nicely.
“Italy could steamroller us,” was the warning from the Ireland hooker Rory Best in the build-up. Joe Schmidt is keen to avoid that happening and has accordingly made 12 changes from the side that beat Romania: Conor Murray and Jonathan Sexton return at half-back, while Simon Zebo and Tommy Bowe retain their places after impressing in that win, to make this a near-full-strength Irish line-up.
The permutations are similarly simple for Ireland: win and they qualify, with their match against France essentially an avoid-the-All-Blacks play-off; lose and that match becomes must-win. Parisse or no Parisse, expect Ireland to have booked a place in the next round by 7pm this evening.
Kick-off is at 4.45pm BST, which is 4.45pm in Ireland and 5.45pm in Italy. Your teams are:
Ireland
Simon Zebo; Tommy Bowe, Keith Earls, Robbie Henshaw, Dave Kearney; Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack McGrath, Rory Best, Mike Ross; Iain Henderson, Paul O’Connell (capt); Peter O’Mahony, Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Cian Healy, Nathan White, Devin Toner, Chris Henry, Eoin Reddan, Ian Madigan, Luke Fitzgerald
Italy
Luke McLean; Leonardo Sarto, Michele Campagnaro, Gonzalo Garcia, Giovanbattista Venditti; Tommaso Allan, Edoardo Gori; Matias Aguero, Andrea Manici, Lorenzo Cittadini; Quintin Geldenhuys, Josh Furno; Francesco Minto, Simone Favaro, Sergio Parisse (capt).
Replacements: Davide Giazzon, Michele Rizzo, Dario Chistolini, Alessandro Zanni, Mauro Bergamasco, Guglielmo Palazzani, Carlo Canna, Tommaso Benvenuti.
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