That’s it from us here on the top deck at the Aviva Stadium. The mowers are out on the grass, the posts are down already and many of pitch markings have been wiped away to get the stadium ready for tomorrow’s friendly between Manchester United and Athletic Bilbao.
Thanks for joining us tonight. We’ll be back in two weeks for Ireland’s next outing when they play England on August 19th. The countdown to the World Cup is gathering pace.
Here is Gerry Thornley’s match report from the Aviva.
Some post-match reaction from Player of the Match Caelan Doris.
Ireland were the better team and had the result wrapped up by half-time, but there was a real feel of first day out of the garage about the overall performance. They will hope for more fluidity over the course of the next two warm-up games. Italy won the second half 14-12. Still, Andy Farrell will be pleased this series of matches has got off to a winning start with several players getting a chance to impress, and hopefully there have been no major injuries picked up.
FULL-TIME: Ireland 33 Italy 17
Caelan Doris has been named Player of the Match.
79mins: Ireland having to defend in the closing stages as Italy look to pinch another try. Ireland hold firm and Stewart breaks out strongly with the ball.
75mins: Menonchello is distraught coming off the field with a shoulder injury. With the World Cup only weeks away, any significant injury would rule a player out.
74mins: On his debut, Frawely makes no mistake with the conversion. Ireland 33 Italy 17
73mins: TRY Caelan Doris with the try. Ireland stole possession from an Italian lienout and initially Nash drove forward, almost getting in under the posts. The ball was eventually moved wide and Doris finished. Ireland 31 Italy 17
70mins: Allan converts. Ireland 26 Italy 17
69mins: TRY Tommaso Menoncello scores Italy’s second try, the Benetton player touches down after a patient move from right to left. Ireland will be frustrated not to have prevented that try. Ireland 26 Italy 15
67mins: Crowley misses the conversion, skews it to the right of the posts. His first miss of the night. Ireland 26 Italy 10.
65mins: TRY Cian Healy shows all his experience to drill a hole in the Italian defence from close to the line. Ireland 26 Italy 10.
63mins: Calvin Nash is introduced and is immediately involved in a bit of dunting with Pani. Sebastian Negri barrels in for a bit of the action, some pushing and shoving ensues.
62mins: There are efforts in the stands to get a Mexican wave going around the stadium. That’s the kind of game we have on our hands, folks.
60mins: Still no score for Ireland in the second half. But still no rain either, so there is that!
57mins: Tadhg Beirne comes in for Iain Henderson.
56mins: Frawley denied a debut try. He goes over the line but the ball had gone forward and the referee calls the play back.
53mins: Tom Stewart, Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong introduced for Ireland. Front row reshuffle.
52mins: Allan with the conversion. Ireland 21 Italy 10
51mins: TRY Pani left in acres of space on the right wing and despite the best efforts of Stockdale to cover Italy get their first try of the game. Ireland 21 Italy 8
46mins: Casey is replaced by Caolin Blade. Looks like a leg injury of some description for Casey. He is able to walk off, hopefully it is nothing too serious.
44mins: Lovely kick by Casey, who finds touch deep in the Italian half.
Ciarán Frawley has been given his chance, wearing number 22 the Skerries man makes his international debut. Jimmy O’Brien makes way. Second half is underway.
With each Ireland try, the intensity seemed to drift out of the game. It hasn’t been great, but Andy Farrell will be pleased by how his side have asserted their authority pretty much all over the pitch. Hopefully Conan is not badly injured, didn’t see him getting treatment when subbed. Moment of the game so far was Stockdale’s fetch from the clouds, he rose skyward as if taking off from a trampoline.
HALF-TIME: Ireland 21 Italy 3
38mins: Fischetti returns for Italy. They need him. They need more than him.
38mins: Crowley converts again. Ireland 21 Italy 3
37mins: TRY Stuart McCloskey seizes on a loose ball and scores Ireland’s third try. Italy really struggling since the yellow card. Ireland 19 Italy 3
36mins: Jack Conan goes off and is replaced by Cian Prendergast.
34mins: Stop-start game, no real flow to it as of yet but Ireland are now beginning to exert control. Italy opened the scoring but Ireland have put 14 on the board without reply.
31mins: Crowley converts. Ireland 14 Italy 3
29mins: TRY Caelan Doris extends Ireland’s lead as he goes down in the corner. Ireland 12 Italy 3
28mins: Yellow card for Italy’s Danilo Fischetti.
27mins: Sweeping Italian attack down the right wing with Lorenzo Pani, who is brought to ground by a combination of McCloskey and O’Brien. Ireland with possession now and building an attack.
22mins: TMO rules no try for Ireland, an Italian hand got the ball ahead of the unlucky Jimmy O’Brien, who had showed huge workrate to chase down a loose ball.
21mins: Stockdale makes an amazing catch from within a forest of Italian bodies. Incredible catch.
14mins: Jack Crowley makes no mistake with the conversion. Ireland 7 Italy 3
13mins: TRY David Kilcoyne gets over for the game’s opening try. Craig Casey and Joe McCarthy had gone close in the moments leading up to the try, and Ireland’s pressure paid off eventually with Kilcoyne get the job done. Ireland 5 Italy 3
10mins: Good defensive work by Ireland who stymie an Italian attack.
8mins: Stockdale tries to open up the burners but runs out of road on the right wing. Italy get back possession but Ireland get the ball back and Stockdale hares down the left wing this time.
5mins: Craig Casey goes over for a try but the play has been brought back. Whistle had gone. Scrum for Italy for a knock-on.
3mins: Early kick for Tommaso Allan, who makes no mistake to give Italy an early lead. Ireland 0 Italy 3
Jacob Stockdale and Stuart McCloskey vying for the prize of the brightest boots award - impressively striking orange and yellow efforts.
I’m Shipping Up To Boston by the Dropkick Murphys blaring around the stadium. Choooon. The teams are out.
Still plenty of empty seats at the Aviva with just over 15 minutes to go.
Teams are going through their prematch drills here and it is currently NOT raining!!!! But no doubt it’s on the way.
Matt Williams on how the warm-up games can benefit Ireland for the World Cup.
Here are the teams for tonight’s game in the Aviva. Several Irish players playing for a spot on the World Cup squad.
IRELAND (v Italy): Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster); Keith Earls (Munster), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), Jacob Stockdale (Ulster); Jack Crowley (Munster), Craig Casey (Munster); Dave Kilcoyne (Munster), Rob Herring (Ulster), Tom O’Toole (Ulster); Iain Henderson (Ulster, capt), Joe McCarthy (Leinster); Ryan Baird (Leinster), Caelan Doris (Leinster), Jack Conan (Leinster).
Replacements: Tom Stewart (Ulster), Cian Healy (Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Cian Prendergast (Connacht), Caolin Blade (Connacht), Ciarán Frawley (Leinster), Calvin Nash (Munster).
ITALY: Italy: Tommaso Allan (Perpignan); Paolo Odogwu (Benetton), Juan Ignacio Brez (Benetton), Tommaso Menoncello (Benetton), Montanna Ioane (Lyon); Paolo Garbisi (Montpellier), Stephen Varney (Gloucester); Danilo Fischetti (Zebre), Giacomo Nicotera (Benetton), Marco Riccioni (Saracens); Dino Lamb (Harlequins), Federico Ruzza (Benetton) (capt); Sebastian Negri (Benetton), Manuel Zuliani (Benetton), Toa Halafihi (Benetton).
Replacements: Luca Bigi (Zebre), Paolo Buonfiglio (Zebre), Simone Ferrari (Benetton), Niccolo Cannone (Benetton), Michele Lamaro (Benetton), Lorenzo Cannone (Benetton), Alessandro Fusco (Zebre), Lorenzo Pani (Zebre).
The Scots rallied in the second half to beat France at Murrayfield today. Ireland will play Scotland in their fourth pool match at the World Cup.
Gerry Thornley looks at the threats coming from the southern hemisphere as the All Blacks and South Africa prepare for a crack at World Cup glory.
Here is some pre-match reading ahead of the contest. Paul O’Connell spoke to the media during the week.
[ Paul O’Connell: ‘I really like the way we’ve managed this preseason’Opens in new window ]
Welcome to the Aviva Stadium for our live blog of Ireland’s opening game in the Bank of Ireland Nations Series – the first of three warm-up matches on the road towards next month’s World Cup in France.
It’s Gordon Manning here, I’ll be taking you through all the action from a Test match where individual performances could prove more important than the result.
With Johnny Sexton suspended, Jack Crowley gets the chance to impress at outhalf tonight against Italy. This is a real audition for the Munster player ahead of the World Cup as Andy Farrell weighs up his options at 10.
“I’m 100 per cent sure there are some individuals that will take the field saying to themselves that this a big chance and big opportunity for me,” said Farrell during the week. “You’ve got to surround those people with good enough experienced players as well to be able to judge them properly, so we’re looking forward to that.”
Iain Henderson captains Ireland, who are hoping to chalk up a 14th consecutive victory over Italy. Kick-off is at 8pm.
