Page 24 - Irish Examiner USA

sportsexaminer
24

2020 Debutantes Have Desired Impact As

28th, Ireland Run In Seven Tries

October

| ebutantes Hugo
Will
Keenan and claimed INPHO
EXAMINER three tries and the player-of-
DConnors
the-match award between
them as Ireland powered to a
IRISH 50-17 bonus point win over
Italy.
down
touched
Keenan
twice in the first half and
Connors registered a 60th-
minute bonus point, with the
pair helping Andy Farrell’s
men back to winning ways
and straight to the top of the
Guinness Six Nations table.
Ireland are now a point
clear of both England and
France, their final round hosts
in Paris next Saturday night. It
makes for a thrilling conclu-
sion to a Championship that
stalled eight months ago due Henshaw in the 26th minute. hard off a maul, with Ringrose out. Stockdale aerial take sparked
to the Coronavirus pandemic. “He’s been so good for us the also sniping twice, before Nonetheless, Keenan did some of Ireland’s best attack-
The current restrictions last 10 days, he has been Stander expertly absorbed complete his brace five min- ing phases. Henshaw, Keenan
made this a behind-closed- absolutely fantastic with his two tackles and reached out to utes before the break, reward- and Stander made hay down
doors clash at the Aviva leadership. score beside the posts. Sexton ing Ireland’s determined the left wing before Doris
Stadium, and Ireland recov- “He was a big part of the converted and also tagged on defense that had kept Italy out drove up aggressively and
ered well from Conor reason why we got what we a 13th minute penalty as from 16 phases. Caelan Doris Murray fed Sexton for a text-
Murray’s early sin-binning to wanted out of today. He was Ireland began to gain the pinched possession, sparking a book close-range finish at 36-
lead 24-3 at half-time. Winger unfortunate with his thumb upper hand at the breakdown breakout from the 22 involv- 10.
Keenan bagged a brace to add injury earlier in the Six and the scrum. ing Aki and Murray who dan- Continuing the trend when
to CJ Stander’s seventh- Nations and has come back Porter and Connors picked gled an inch-perfect kick out Murray was on the pitch to
minute opener. and had a setback like that up turnover penalties as they to the left for Keenan to keep ball in hand, the newly-
Italy book-ended the sec- which will keep him out for locked onto ruck balls, ground. introduced Gibson-Park pro-
ond half with tries from four to six weeks, so we’re although Ireland needed to Another tricky conversion vided plenty of zip to his pass
Edoardo Padovani and Paolo gutted for Garry.” tidy up their lineout and Italy was successfully negotiated by as further scores were sought.
Garbisi, but the hosts reeled Seeing his four new caps ended the first quarter with Sexton, leaving 21 points Profiting from Tadhg Beirne’s
off scores from Connors, 18- (Keenan, Connors, Ed Byrne 58% possession. Another posi- between the teams at the turnover, Peter O’Mahony
point captain Jonathan and Jamison Gibson-Park) all tive impact from Ireland’s interval. Italy responded well supplied an outstanding one-
Sexton, Bundee Aki and contribute handsomely was tighthead - this time turning during the third quarter, mak- handed offload to send Aki
replacement Dave Heffernan particularly pleasing for over an Italian maul - got the ing the breakdown a real scrap jinking away from Hayward
to emerge as convincing win- Farrell, who added: “I thought home side back on track. with Jake Polledri’s early and over for try number six.
ners. they were excellent, superb. Ringrose had to depart turnover penalty seeing them Sexton’s well-struck con-
The 24-year-old Keenan We asked them to be them- after he was caught by build from deep. version was his final act - he is
became only the fifth Irish selves and not just hope that Padovani’s knee as the Italian Further Irish indiscipline now joint-sixth on the all-time
player in Five/Six Nations his- things go well.” winger kicked downfield. gave Franco Smith’s charges top Championship scorers’ list
tory to score two tries on their Garbisi left-footed the Ireland pressed off a penalty good field position, and alongside Scotland’s Chris
tournament debut. He follows Azzurri into a third-minute and moved a 28th-minute although Ireland snapped Paterson (403 points) - and
in the footsteps of John Arigho lead, rewarding a sharp line maul infield, setting up back possession, a floated pass there was still time for both
(1928), Bertie O’Hanlon break from Sebastian Negri. Henshaw’s wide pass which by Sexton was intercepted by sides to cross the whitewash
(1948), Seamus Byrne (1953) The supporting Marcello Violi allowed Keenan to step inside Padovani for a well-taken try in the dying minutes.
and John Kelly (2002). was hauled down short with Jayden Hayward and finish from just inside the Irish half. Six Nations debutante
While there were plenty of referee Matthew Carley sin- smartly past two more Garbisi’s conversion close the Heffernan muscled over from
positives for Farrell to take binning Murray for infringing defenders. gap to 24-10. a lineout maul to make it four
from Ireland’s successful close to his own line. After Sexton nailed the dif- A Sexton break, coupled tries for Ireland in the space of
return, they are set to be with- However, by the time the ficult conversion, Keenan was with successive penalties, saw 19 minutes, with fellow
out Garry Ringrose for a num- Limerick man was back in denied a second try by a TMO Ireland move back within replacement Ross Byrne
ber of weeks. The Leinster action, Ireland were 10-3 to decision. Jacob Stockdale sight of the Italian whitewash. quickly drop-kicking the con-
center’s face came in contact the good. A choke tackle, led scythed back brilliantly on a Fresh-legged front rowers version through the posts.
with Padovani’s knee when he by Rob Herring, Aki and kick return, surging past Heffernan and Byrne played However, if the title race
attempted to charge down the Andrew Porter, immediately halfway before sending his their part in a well-set maul comes down to points differ-
winger’s kick. lifted the intensity and laid the back-three colleague over in which delivered the bonus ence, Farrell’s side may yet
“Garry has broken his jaw platform for some potent the same left corner. point score for a burrowing regret allowing 20-year-old
so bad news for us all,” Farrell phases with Ringrose standing Unfortunately some interfer- Connors. talent Garbisi to run in a fine
said of the 25-year-old, who in at scrum half. ence by James Ryan on Marco Upping the pace further fol- individual score from 35
was replaced by Robbie The Irish forwards carried Lazzaroni saw the score ruled lowing Sexton’s conversion, a meters out. C