Dblin - Ireland recorded the first victory of their interrupted Six Nations campaign on Saturday, finishing strongly to beat Italy 42-10 in the Aviva Stadium at the beginning of a daunting run of four games in successive weekends.
Two tries from Tommy Bowe and one each for Keith Earls, Tom Court and Andrew Trimble helped Ireland pull away from an Italian side who faded as the game went on, although the hosts were far from convincing and lucky to go into the second half ahead.
“It wasn't perfect but we'll take the win and move on to France next week,” man-of-the-match Jonathan Sexton said in a pitchside interview.
Declan Kidney's side, playing for the first time in almost three weeks after their last game against France was postponed, fell behind on eight minutes when Tobias Botes, making his first start for Italy, slotted over his second attempt at goal.
That minor scare stirred Ireland briefly into action with Sexton first tying the scores from distance before Earls, replacing injured captain Brian O'Driscoll, made a period of sustained forward pressure count with the first try of the game.
As has become their wont of late, Ireland failed to press ahead but looked to have got away with it when Botes hit the top of the crossbar with a penalty, put a drop goal attempt well wide and fullback Andrea Massi was held up short of the line.
However, further scrappy play from Kidney's side, culminating in the loss of a lineout inside their own 22 metres line, led to Italian captain Sergio Parisse crossing over under the posts and Botes levelling the scores at 10-10 with the conversion.
The visitors were unable to hold on until halftime and, just as he had done for the first try, Sexton opted to send a penalty into the corner rather than towards the posts and this time it was Ospreys wing Bowe who was the beneficiary of Irish forward pressure, grabbing his 21st international try.
Sexton again added the conversion from a tricky angle on the halftime whistle and gave Ireland some breathing space nine minutes into the second half with another penalty after flyhalf Botes, more accustomed to playing at scrumhalf, missed a good chance to reduce the deficit.
Ireland, playing a Six Nations campaign without O'Driscoll since the talismanic centre broke on to the scene over a decade ago, slowly began to take control and Sexton's excellent afternoon continued with a penalty on 59 minutes.
The game was put beyond an Italian side missing the experienced pair of Martin Castrogiovanni and Mirco Bergamasco two minutes later with Sexton again proving pivotal in sending a long skip pass into the welcoming arms of Bowe for his second try.
The 20-point gap allowed Kidney to use the final quarter to experiment with Sexton finishing the match at inside centre and Bowe outside.
Ireland's depletion of their bench, which allowed Ronan O'Gara pass O'Driscoll as Ireland's most capped player with his 118th appearance, also gave the side some added impetus and Court grabbed his first Irish try three minutes from time.
Trimble then added a fifth to ensure Ireland won a first home game in four and kept their 15-year winning streak against the Italians intact. – Reuters