FT | Six Nations: Ireland 36-0 Italy

Ireland overrun Italy to maintain perfect Six Nations defence

Ireland's bid to become the first team to win successive Six Nations Grand Slams moved a step closer on Sunday as they breezed past Italy 36-0 at Lansdowne Road.

Dan Sheehan scored a brace of tries as the Irish backed up on their sublime opening 38-17 victory over France. Andy Farrell's side became the first Irish team to prevent an opposing side scoring in the tournament since England in 1987 in the then Five Nations.

The Irish next host Wales, who have lost their opening two matches, in a fortnight.

It was not as smooth as their win over the French with some sloppy and scrappy play but they barely gave Italy, who had pushed England all the way in a 27-24 loss last Saturday, a sniff of a chance.

"We're happy enough and we got what we wanted in the game with a bonus-point win," Farrell told ITV.

"Keeping them to zero is very pleasing and there was some nice tries out there and some nice performances by individuals.

"We got a bit clunky in parts."

His Italy counterpart Gonzalo Quesada was crest fallen at the contrast to their bright performance against England.

"They might be the best team in the world, but we were very far from what we want to do out there on the pitch," said Quesada.

"We were too passive in defence in the first half.

"When we had a chance to do something similar to what we work on in the week we made a mistake every time... We're a better team than what we showed out there today."

Before the anthems there was a minute's applause for former Ireland and British and Irish Lions legend Syd Millar, who died last December aged 89.The match started with perhaps Italy's brightest period of play.

However, Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada was left shaking his head in the fifth minute as Paolo Garbisi missed a chance to put them ahead with a kickable penalty.

The Irish made them pay immediately, Hugo Keenan's dashing run to the halfway line setting them up. It resulted ultimately in Craig Casey feeding his Munster teammate Jack Crowley to go over for his first try for his country.

The 24-year-old fly-half celebrated accordingly but he scuffed his conversion although a strong wind was not helping the kicker's cause.

Some sloppy play by the Irish followed giving the Italians a glimmer of hope but Crowley sparked their second try to settle them down.

A superb offload to Robbie Henshaw opened up the Italian defence and the centre then found Stuart McCloskey who passed to Sheehan to go over.Crowley converted this time for 12-0.

Italy were offered only crumbs in attack but Ange Capuozzo's dancing feet took him past several Irish players, it was only a terrific tackle by Craig Casey that prevented him going all the way.

It was Ireland instead who struck, Jack Conan marking his recall to the first team bulldozing over for his 10th try for the Irish, with Crowley converting for a 19-0 lead.

There was no let-up from the Irish in the second-half, Sheehan going over for his second try as the Italians' errors cost them both territory and points.

Crowley's conversion drifted wide but Sheehan's effort secured the Irish the offensive bonus point.

A Robbie Henshaw try was disallowed, prompting a rueful shake of the head, but Italy's problems deepened when referee Luke Pearce sent Tommaso Menoncello to the sin bin for tripping.

The Irish took advantage, man of the match James Lowe producing a bullocking run, his power too much for Garbisi and Capuozzo, dragging the latter over the line for 34-0.

Lowe, though, accepted it was a far from perfect performance.

"We probably put ourselves under pressure with mistakes and compounding errors, and that's not ok so going forward, it's what we have to work on as we can't give teams that easy access," he said.

There was to be one more try for the clinical Irish as Calvin Nash went over in the corner for his second try in two matches -- Harry Byrne converted for 36-0.

England overturned a nine-point half-time deficit to beat Wales 16-14 at Twickenham on Saturday to make it two wins out of two this Six Nations.

The hosts, down to 13 men early on after two yellow cards, had been 14-5 behind at the break following a Wales penalty try and a try for Alex Mann either side of a score by England No 8 Ben Earl.

But a George Ford penalty and a try from centre Fraser Dingwall left England just a point adrift at 13-14.

Ford then landed another penalty to make it 16-14 with eight minutes left as England led for the first time in the match.

Committed defence allowed England to close out the game, with Wales left to rue some missed chances as they suffered an eighth successive defeat at Twickenham hot on the heels of their agonising 27-26 opening loss to Scotland in Cardiff.

England fielded an unchanged starting side following last week's narrow 27-24 win away to Italy - their first match since finishing third at last year's World Cup.

But Wales coach Warren Gatland made seven changes to his run-on 15 after his side had almost won against the Scots from 27-0 down.

Powerhouse centre George North returned from injury and flyhalf Ioan Lloyd was given a first Test start, with Gatland changing his entire front row as well.

Before kick-off there was a minute's applause for Wales greats JPR Williams and Barry John, who both died recently, as well as former England captain Mike Weston.

England dominated early on, with Ford and wing Elliot Daly producing several probing kicks.

But England could not turn their pressure into points, with centre Henry Slade knocking on just five metres out from Wales' try-line.

England's failure to score was compounded when they were reduced to 14 men in the 12th minute after lock Ollie Chessum was yellow-carded for a high tackle on Wales prop Keiron Assiratti.

Instead it was Wales who took the lead with a 17th-minute penalty try. To make matters worse for England, they lost a second player to the sin-bin in the process when flanker Ethan Roots was yellow-carded for pulling down a maul near his own line.

Minutes later, however, 13-man England hit back when Earl broke off the back of a scrum and powered through the challenges of Mann, Lloyd and Cameron Winnett.

But what should have been a routine conversion for Ford ended with his kick charged down by Dyer.

Wales were now 7-5 ahead and they pulled further clear with a second try two minutes before the break.

England scrumhalf Alex Mitchell's careless volleyed kick clearance allowed Wales to regain possession.

Wales openside Tommy Reffell was in support and he found scrum-half Tomos Williams, whose clever inside ball allowed blindside flanker Mann, making his first Test start, to burst through the cover for a try after he scored as a replacement on debut against Scotland.

Lloyd converted and Wales led by nine points at the break.

England attacked from a line-out early in the second half but a cross-field move ended with Daly well-tackled into touch near Wales' line by Dyer before Ford's routine penalty cut the deficit.

Wales should have extended their lead but a fine counter-attack ended with Dyer knocking on in sight of a try.

England though were starting to gain an edge at the scrum and they won a penalty from the set-piece.

Ford kicked for an attacking line-out and the ball was evenutally worked left to Dingwall, with the centre going in at the corner.Ford couldn't convert but Wales now led by just a point.

But it was Ford's well-judged 50-22 kick that gave England an attacking line-out with 10 minutes left.

Wales replacement Mason Grady was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on and Ford landed the simple ensuing penalty from in front of the posts to edge England ahead with the last score of the game.

- AFP

France held off Scotland for a scrappy 20-16 win at Murrafield after a lengthy controversial TMO call not to award the home side a try with the last action of the game on Saturday.

Scotland thought they had snatched victory at the death but the video referee could not find conclusive proof to overturn referee Nic Berry's on-field call of no try after adjudging the ball not to have been grounded by Rory Darge over the line.

Les Bleus were far from their brilliant best but did enough to ease the pressure on coach Fabien Galthie after a 38-17 thrashing by Ireland on the opening weekend of the championship.

Scotland were left to reflect on letting another opportunity slip by as, on top of the late drama, they also failed to score a point when France were down to 14 men either side of half-time as Uini Antonio was sent to the sin bin.

France captain Gregory Alldritt said his side would be fuelled by the "car crash" of their display against Ireland, but this was another error-strewn display by the side ranked fourth in the world.

Gregor Townsend was forced into a late change before kick-off as Kyle Steyn dropped out to attend the birth of his child, handing Harry Paterson his debut at fullback.

The Edinburgh man had a big part to play in the first try of the game as his pass inside was collected by Huw Jones, who popped it off to Ben White, who had just enough momentum to carry two French tacklers over the line.Thomas Ramos slotted over a penalty in response.

The visitors were then furious as Gael Fickou scythed through the heart of the Scottish defence only to be brought down by what could have been deemed a high tackle by Duhan van der Merwe, who then stole possession on the Scottish line to rub salt into French wounds.

Scotland's ill-discipline was a major factor in a near collapse in Cardiff last weekend from a 27-0 lead to cling on 27-26 against Wales.

However, it was Townsend's team who were winning the penalty count as Finn Russell kicked two penalties from in front of the posts to extend the home side's advantage to 13-3.

France, though, finally showed why they had only lost to Ireland in their previous 11 Six Nations matches as, after some slick hands by the forwards near the Scottish line, Cyril Baille's precise pass picked out Fikou to charge over in the corner.

Ramos added the extras from out on the touchline to reduce France's deficit to two.It stayed that way at half-time after Scotland were left to rue not adding to their advantage despite incessant presure on the French line before the break.

Antonio was sent to the sin bin for a no-arms tackle, but even without his hulking 145 kilograms, the French scrum won a crucial penalty under their own posts in the last action of the first half.

Scotland still had seven minutes with the extra man at the start of the second period but again failed to make it count.

Russell slotted over the first points of the second half just short of the hour mark with a penalty to extend the Scotland advantage to 16-10, but a scrappy kicking contest from both sides drew boos from the 67,000 Murrayfield crowd.

And it was the one true moment of quality that won the game from France 10 minutes from time.

Louis Bielle-Biarrey showed his searing pace to collect his own kick and score France's second try.

Ramos added the conversion to put France in the lead for the first time in the game and the kicked a penalty to extend the advantage to four.

Scotland should still have snatched victory and many inside Murrayfield believed they had as numerous replays of the final act were shown on the big screen.

But the referee's final decision was met with fury as France clung on.

- AFP