It was a 57-6 bonus point win for Ireland in Dublin this afternoon as they put a 13-man Italy to the sword in the Six Nations.
The gulf in class between the two teams was evident from the first minute of this game, with Ireland's high pace of play in the opening 15 minutes stunning to watch as Andy Farrell's side dominated every game situation.
Italy had worked themselves into the game till a red card in the 19th minute, which saw uncontested scrums and Italy having to play with 13 players. Ireland’s attack lacked ruthlessness as it became very raged as they looked uncomfortable with two fewer blue jerseys on the field and dropped their usual high intensity.
Here's how we rated the Ireland players' performance.
Ireland v Italy Player Ratings
15. Michael Lowry - 7
A dream debut from the young Ulster player and showed his electric pace with Ireland’s third try. Slotted into the second playmaker role seamlessly in Ireland’s attack shape.
14. Mack Hansen - 6
A very busy performance as he was given a licence to roam in the attack. Got sloppy in his ball-handling and repositioning.
13. Garry Ringrose - 7
A good day at the office for him. Straighten up when Ireland’s attack got too lateral. Nice pass under pressure to his captain for the bonus point try.
12. Robbie Henshaw - 7
Worked hard for his nine ball carries and six tackles. Snuffed out any of the Italian limited attacks. Needed to control his pace when looking to play the ball wider.
11. James Lowe - 7
Like his wing partner, Lowe had a licence to roam. Loads of game involvements and got in for Ireland’s fifth try. Very assured under the Italian aerial attacks.
10. Joey Carbery - 7
Had an armchair ride following the sending off. Kept the Ireland attack moving with a good range of passing. Will be disappointed with the set-piece attack play.
9. Jamison Gibson Park - 6
Much better this week and controlled the pace of the game all afternoon. Got over for a good try in the first half.
1. Andrew Porter - 7
Without scrums, he still had loads of game involvements in his 43 minutes and showed some nice tip passes in the attack. Hopefully, his injury is not too serious.
2. Dan Sheehan - 8
A first Test match started and an opportunity was taken by the hooker. Great attack and pass inside to Carbery for Ireland’s first try. His throwing was excellent.
3. Tadhg Furlong - 7
A key player in Ireland’s phase attack and showed some great timing in his short passes. Will be incredibly fresh for the battle in Twickenham in two weeks.
4. Tadhg Beirne - 7
Worked tirelessly all afternoon and found some good space in attack.
5. Ryan Baird - 7
Showed he is well able to play at this level with a maturing performance. Was very direct when asked to carry the ball for his team and his work around the breakdown was of a very high standard.
Got his first try for Ireland with a great block down and chase and pick up.
6. Peter O’Mahony (Capt) - 7
Showed good leadership during a fragmented 1st half. Kept his side focused on their task and got over for Ireland’s bonus point try.
7. Josh van der Flier - 8
His powerful ball carrying and work rate was his usual high standard. Full of energy as he looked to inject pace into an at times lacklustre attack.
8. Caelan Doris - 8
Central to all that was good about Ireland’s attack in the opening half. He certainly put his hand up to hold on to the No.8 jersey for the England game.
Ireland’s top ball carrier with 12 carries and made eight tackles.
Replacements
Rob Herring - 5
Won’t be happy with his first lineout throw. Good linebreak at the end but throw the ball to an Italian defender.
Dave Kilcoyne - 6
Good impact off the bench as he looked to put his hand up for further selection.
Finlay Bealham - 6
Wanted to impress with a huge impact tackle after he came on. The game was a non-event by the time he was introduced.
Kiernan Treadwell - 5
20 minutes on the pitch and will be delighted to get his first try, but he failed to show huge impact on the game that had lost all intensity.
Jack Conan - 6
Tried to inject some pace into the game with some strong ball carrying but the game was a none event at that stage.
Craig Casey - 7
A fifth cap for the Munster man and he showed he can inject some pace into Ireland’s with his zippy passing and energy in attack.
Johnny Sexton - 7
Ireland’s set attack & decision making instantly improved on his introduction. Set up Lowry for his second try.
James Hume - 5
Will be disappointed with a few sloppy involvements while looking to impress.
Coach - 6
Andy Farrell’s selection meant he could see what his depth chart looked like and but will he will be pleased with what he saw. The game lacked intensity after the red card but wasn’t the coach's issue.
Will be disappointed with the sloppy attack in the second half.
SEE ALSO: Rugby Fans Call For Change After Italy Reduced To 13 Players Due To Odd Rule
