Almost an intercept for Italy.
Almost an intercept for Italy.
Sheehan tries to jump over the defenders from the tap, penalized. Dumb stuff.
Looks like Pretendergast is trying to emulate McCarthy's mullet.
I think Dan Sheehan is Malcolm Marx's only rival when it comes to world's best hooker. I'm also a big fan of Caelan Doris.
Italians I rate are the world class Lorenzo Cannone and Tommaso Menoncello.
Forza Italia!
Prendergast with another intercept pass. Just too high for Lynagh to gather, Ireland had advantage anyway. Gets yellow for a deliberate knock, don't think I agree with that.
The yellow for Lynagh is going to make it hard for Italy here.
Howzit Rooi.
Italy finding some space out wide again.
How is that a yellow?
The Ozzie was trying to catch it
Ireland down the left, Prenny should have picked up that quick breakdown ball and let it go instead of stepping over it to secure. Italy turns it over. Opportunity lost.
hi Pakie. I'm flicking between this and the cricket so I may miss plenty.
Howzit Plummie. Yeah that was a dodgy call, any player is going to go for that.
I'm surprised Jake Paul made it. Thought his jaw was still wired shut
Proteas need a wicket.
Where is Gibson-Park?
Italy has the line speed but Ireland is getting past them on the deep wraparounds.
Gibson-Park is on the bench.
Osborn is through. Must say Casey looks quite sharp.
McCloskey twists through the tackle to get the offload to Osborne for Ireland's first score.
Prenny fluffs a simple conversion.
Took them 16 minutes but Ireland are on the scoreboard.
Did the pretender just kiss the easiest conversion ever?????
Go for poles, Italy.
Tell you what, the bean pole pretender isn't doing much to make me like him more
Nice. 5-3.
Italy to take a simple 3, will help run out the yellow clock.
Lynagh will be back next stoppage.
You're getting your wish Pakie.
Not a bad result after the yellow card with 2 points in it.
Ireland need to be careful here.
If Italy start playing and Ireland allow them the space they allowed France last week, it could be trouble
Pasta boyzzz come on, stuff this past Guinness paddies
Ireland building well until Osborne knocks a simple one.
15 vs 15 again. I'm sure Italy would have taken a 2 point deficit.
Lucky there that Osborne dropped that. Ireland were looking like adding to their tally
Scrum time
Italy going too high on Lowe, hands off two.
Italy knock on with the tryline begging. Good build up.
Lovely tap and chase by Pani, offload goes to ground. Another poor kick by Prenny set that counter up.
Nice play from the Italian 15 there. He was almost through after a nothing kick fro the pretender.
Where is Kapoetso? He would have been gone there. Must be injured as he's not even on the bench.
Another scrum.
Ireland don't look too confident against the Italian pack
Holly is a bloody good ref
Prenny sets up another Italy counter.
The Irish scrum is SHYTE
Space and numbers for Italy but they just drift themselves out of space a bit.
The Irish scrum is SHYTE
Bok nightmares.
Nice move by the Italian backs!
The have some fire here
Lowe looks like he's got some form back.
Yes!
Proteas got their wicket, Jansen has taken all four wickets so far.
Italy with some poor kicks on attack though.
Scrum to Italy...what's the bet Ireland go for another free kick because the fear the Italian front row
Menoncello gets the momentum over the gain line for Italy. And they knock it.
Italy look the more likely to score here. Casey in trouble . . .
Italy much resembling France with their handling out wide.
LOL, Casey got off second best there and might get a yellow for his trouble.
That's a bit harsh but who cares . . . Forza Italia! Cannone is a beast!
There isn't much mitigation here.
That yellow for Ireland might turn into a red
Try! Come on Italy!
Italy breaks from the maul and gets it over. Looked like the maul was going nowhere for a bit but they made it work.
Garbisi curls in the conversion, 10-5.
Cumon Italians!!!
Great lineout and then maul!
Few of the backs joined the maul too!
The Irish are worried as he slots the conversion
10-5
Haha, Hollie's resting bitch face as the scrum sets.
Handbags as the scrum collapses. Italy penalty. Getting under the Irish skins.
Irish scrum demolished!!!
Fight time!
Stavie hiding under his sofa right now
Casey remains yellow.
Bunker decisions...
Yellow remains.
I tell you, I don't understand how they make these decisions.
Italy just forcing passes that are not on. Prenny with a nice delayed pass.
Italy almost finding a gap there and Ireland counter after the knock.
Italy with some crunching tackles. Love to see it
I think yellow is right.
Proteas on top in T20 WC, NZ are 145/7 after 16.4 overs. They should chase this down.
Italy just not as smooth and accurate in their passing as they need to be to find space and gaps.
Final scrum for the half...
Lets see if Ireland can save some face
And again, Menoncello with the pass behind Pani and the momentum gone.
LOL, Italy smashes the Ireland scrum.
OMG Italia!!!!
Ireland scrum battered into the ground!
What a scrum from Italy!
Garbisi goes for the corner. Can they score here?.
Garbisi puts it spot on in the corner. Can Italy score again before the half.
Brilliant penalty from Italyctovset up a 5m scrum.
Another try here and Ireland are in deep deep shit
Ireland survive but Italy have a well-deserved half-time lead. 10-5.
Marin too upright into contact and Ireland turns it over. Disappointing result for Italy, they just aren't making good enough decisions when they need to.
Ireland survive
The second half is gonna be fire!!!
Glad I switched on for this
Prenny's long passes just aren't working.
Ireland burrows over.
Dominant scrum Italy and again their passing lets them down. They're going to need to be better than this if they want to win this game.
Italy down the left, brilliant offload Marin, Pani bundled out just short.
Nice build up by Italy and then they fall asleep at the breakdown and Ireland gets a soft turnover. Italy just switching off at the worst times.
lol...I just posted all this on Rooi's book thread
Posted by: Plum (18264 posts)
Feb 14, 2026, 17:21
Ireland rumble over early in the half. They needed that.
Game on.
0 0 Likes
Posted by: Plum (18264 posts)
Feb 14, 2026, 17:22
Pretender missed yet another conversion.
His distribution has been good though
0 0 Likes
Posted by: Plum (18264 posts)
Feb 14, 2026, 17:24
First scrum of the half...
Are Ireland gonna give away an intentional free kick...
Destroyed, again.
Ireland scrum is terrible
0 0 Likes
Posted by: Plum (18264 posts)
Feb 14, 2026, 17:26
Brilliant Italy down the wing.
Arendse would have scored there
0 0 Likes
Posted by: Plum (18264 posts)
Feb 14, 2026, 17:27
Hahaha my bad! Couldn't see I was on the wrong thread
Brilliant!!!!
Italy in at the corner!
That was so well wokred
Brilliant break Menoncello, releases Lynagh for the score. They're checking the pass for forward, might have been a touch forward, not sure his hands went backwards on the release.
Damn it. Lucky break for Ireland.
They only said that was forward because the white line was there.
Rubbish call
Now Italy makes an absolute arse of a high ball and Ireland is rumbling.
Great turnover Italy.
Ireland attacking down the other end now. Cruel world
Menoncello with a failed hail mary offload, great passage of play starting with Zuliani just plucking it from a Irish hand and setting off.
Crowley on for Prenny.
Italy playing All Black rugby here stretching Ireland left and right.
Damn that was a nice steal by the Italian 1
Ireland beating the Italy rushes and making their way into the 22. Baloucoune scores. Ireland phase after phase continued to establish numbers outside of the Italian defense and it had to pay off.
17-10 Ireland
That was a nice finish by Balecoune.
Ireland put together a good few passes to finally score there
Yeah Ireland now starting to assert dominance. Italy too many mistakes, overthrow in the lineout, then Ioane tries to run from inside the 22 instead of booting it clear.
Irish tails up now.
Lowe is much faster than he looks.
Italy living dangerously passing on their own line there
Normal service seems to have been resumed. Ireland looking much the stronger team now.
Can't see Italy getting back into this . . . but hoping.
Proteas in control chasing 170-odd.
20-10. Italy will have to get way more accurate to claw this back.
Ireland to slot a penalty and take a 10 point lead
Italy continues to crush the Ireland scrum.
Ireland scrum destroyed yet again!!!
LOL, they scrummed Fuhrlong right out of the scrum, he bobbled on top it at the end there.
Garbisi with 3, 20-13. Garbisi so by the way has to be one of the best tacklers at 10 in the world right now.
Not sure if the Italian scrum is particularly good or if the Irish one is rubbish, but the scrum is keeping Italy in this contest.
They slot the penalty...
20--13 and all is not yet lost for Italy.
Regardless of what happens from here on out, they did themselves proud today
And Italy knocks it again just as they get momentum.
Dammit Italy on the counter but drop the ball
Ireland look so much better with JGP on the field. Not that Casey was terrible, mind you.
JGP puts it out 5 out. One knock and from attacking at midway you're defending 5m from your line. Italy's accuracy has let them down.
Now Ireland with a forward pass and Italy's scrum had the chance the walk them up the field again
Fractured Italian followup and Lowe finds space, forward pass ends what could have been big trouble for Italy.
Italy kick it away after some really good continuity.
Italy shouldn't have kicked that.
they looked like they were gonna get the break
Italy with plenty of attacking phases and Garbisi ends up kicking it high and Ireland wins it back. That was an admission of defeat from Italy, they didn't look like they had many ideas left with which to challenge the Irish defense.
Penalty Italy, they can go for the corner. Out just inside the 22, they would have wanted it closer than that.
Italy with a penalty to go to the corner now.
They need this mail to go well and perhaps win another penalty
Another Garbisi kick gives possession away. Worth a try a I guess but keep it in hand!
Italy chip and chase, Menocello just needed to collect the bounce and he was through but the ball decided to do an off break and he misses.
Big scrum need from Ireland here...right under their posts
Solid scrum and Ireland clear
Ireland clears, Italy needs to go again.
Penalty Italy, last roll of the dice.
Final minute and Italy have a chance to go to the corner and mail one last time
Lowe makes the game-changing intercept and Ireland have the penalty. Hard luck Italy. Good game.
Italy blows it, Ireland counters and they have a penalty inside the Italy 22. Lowe caught pretty easily by Lynagh there.
Italy, outside of that one break by Menoncello, didn't really look like they had any answers for the Irish defense.
Crowley kicks it out behind the tryline and that's the game. The 6N bashers missed a good game.
Meanwhile, Aidan Markram guiding us to a win over the Black Caps in the T20 WC.
Crowley kicks it dead and it's game over. Haha. Ireland with a strong second half, Italy just not the firepower or accuracy.
Dang phone died.
Italy are on the up and Ireland are looking they are struggling for answers. Geez, what has happened to their scrum?
Though, saying that, the Boks struggled against Italy a little too last year. Granted it was away from home.
An interesting game - but lets put it bluntly - Ireland is hat one calls supershit and at that rt ss on its way out of the top 10 raning - as bad as Wal is a present,
"Though, saying that, the Boks struggled against Italy a little too last year. Granted it was away from home."
...and playing with 14...
"LOL, they scrummed Fuhrlong right out of the scrum, he bobbled on top it at the end there." I have never seen that happen to him.
Italy's scrum has become really Powerful.
15,295 posts
See how it goes. Hollie is reffing, what more reason is needed.