Italy 10-63 Ireland: Ruthless visitors hammer Azzurri

Keith Earls is congratulated by Rob Kearney after opening the scoring

Ireland secured the first ever try-bonus point in the Six Nation as they thrashed Italy 63-10 at Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.

CJ Stander and replacement Craig Gilroy both scored hat-tricks while Keith Earls crossed twice as Joe Schmidt's side made amends for their loss to Scotland in the opening round with a convincing result in Rome.

Earls went over in the 12th minute on the back of slick handling down the right before Stander got on the end of an overlap on the other side for a 14-0 lead shortly thereafter.

The pair added another each before the break to hand Ireland a 28-10 half-time advantage, with a penalty-try and a Carlo Canna shot at goal offering Italy's response.

Stander went over soon after the start of the second half, but a 20-minute period followed during which Ireland struggled to maintain their momentum, before a Craig Gilroy hat-trick and a Garry Ringrose try all within the final 12 minutes added the finishing touches to a nine-try win.

Moment of the match

CJ Stander scored the first bonus-point try in the history of the Championship

CJ Stander's hat-trick was the first by an Ireland forward since Keith Wood managed the feat in 1999 against USA, but his second try will go down as the most historical of the three as it handed Ireland the first try-bonus point in the history of the Six Nations.

The good

Keith Earls crossed twice at Stadio Olimpico

Against Scotland last week Ireland were disrupted by a late arrival to the stadium and struggled to get into the rhythm of the game as a result.

In Rome they lost skipper Rory Best to illness shortly before kick-off and showed they learned from previous mistakes as they retained their focus despite the late changes in plan.

The best teams are those who can adapt, and Ireland showcased their credentials in that area at Stadio Olimpico.

The bad

Italy gave up a 35-0 scoreline in the second half

Ireland may have shown that they have improved after learning from history but the same can't be said of Italy, who didn't show the same impressive start they did against Wales in the first round.

To add to that the home side were guilty of falling to the same poor finishing of old, as they were reduced to a 35-0 deficit in the second half.

Conor O'Shea said he wants to improve the journey of Italian rugby, and on Saturday he got a rude reminder of the job at hand.

For Ireland, Rob Kearney trudged off late with a suspected bicep injury in the sole concern for Schmidt.

Reaction

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt was pleased with his team's performance

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt: "We showed we can start well and that gives a platform to build on.

"The players felt that (they needed to make a statement). We know how good they can be.

"It was probably a bit of confidence to go out and do it. There were a few guys making Six Nations and Test debuts so it's good for them to get those performances under the belt."

"There's no margin for error at all. It's an open championship. Wales and England will be tight. It's an open championship and people will be excited."

Stat of the match

3 - Ulster's Craig Gilroy scored the first hat-trick by a replacement in a Tier 1 Test since Deon Kayser managed the feat in June 1999. Unfortunately for Italy, they were the opponents on both days.

Man of the match

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