Six Nations: Joe Schmidt seeks Ireland improvement after Italy win

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt admits the defending Six Nations champions must up the ante following their 26-3 triumph over Italy at Rome's Stadio Olimpico.

The visitors were in command throughout, but were made to wait until the hour for their first try of the match.

Referee Pascal Gauzere tired of Italy's infractions and sin-binned hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini and within seconds, Ireland turned a 12-3 lead on penalties into 17-3 advantage as Conor Murray dotted down.

Ireland were assured victory, but for good measure, space opened for last-minute starter Tommy O'Donnell to run in a second try in two minutes.

O'Donnell started only because flanker Sean O'Brien, set to play his first Test in 15 months after two shoulder reconstructions, injured his hamstring in the warm-up, although Schmidt is "quietly confident" O'Brien will pass scans in Dublin.

"It was a slog, but I don't know if it was that frustrating,” Ireland full-back Rob Kearney said. “Any time you come to Rome that's exactly what you're expecting a slog.

"We knew that if we just kept chipping away and trying to build some phases that eventually we would break them down."

It was a slog, but I don't know if it was that frustrating. Any time you come to Rome that's exactly what you're expecting a slog.

Schmidt suggested Ireland's display was "between 30 and 40 per cent off" what England showed in a 21-16 win over Wales in Cardiff on Friday.

Up the game

"I don't think we would have played with them last night," Schmidt said. "We certainly need to up our game.

“Part of it was the pressure Italy put on us but I know we can do better than that. We had six of the starting 15 we had this time last year. That in itself presents a challenge."

Until the burst of tries, both sides found the other's defence unbreakable, and resorted to kicking for territory.

"The game probably went how a number of us expected it would," Schmidt said. "We didn't help ourselves too much but at the same time we got good field possession and the Italian defence was very hard to break down."

Ireland enjoyed the majority of possession and despite being impressed by their defensive play, Italy coach Jacques Brunel knows they must improve.

"We only had two or three minutes of interesting play, in the final minutes," Brunel said.

"We showed great quality in the defensive phase. But it's impossible to win with so little possession. Certainly, the main issue today was the lineout. Our scrum is at or even better than Ireland's level."

Italy travel to London to face England at Twickenham next weekend, while Ireland host France at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.