Sheehan hat-trick leads Ireland to win over Italy

football15 March 2025 16:39| © Reuters
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Hooker Dan Sheehan scored a hat-trick of tries as champions Ireland laboured to a 22-17 bonus-point victory over hosts Italy on Saturday to move top of the Six Nations table and retain a chance of winning the title.

Ireland have 19 points from five matches, having completed their campaign with four victories, and must now hope Wales upset England in Cardiff and Scotland beat France in Paris later on Saturday to claim a third Six Nations crown in a row.

Fullback Hugo Keenan also crossed for a try as Ireland failed to finish numerous other entries into the Italy 22 in a scrappy display that was a last in international rugby for retiring loose-forward Peter O'Mahony and scrumhalf Conor Murray.

Italy played for half an hour with 14 players after yellow cards for Michele Lamaro and Giacomo Nicotera, and a 20-minute red for Ross Vintcent, but managed tries through winger Monty Ioane and scrumhalf Stephen Varney in a spirited end to their campaign.

It was job done for Ireland with their five-point haul, but as with much of this Six Nations campaign under stand-in coach Simon Easterby, the performance was far from convincing.

Italy were much improved on what has gone before in this campaign and will avoid the wooden spoon if Wales do not get two points from their fixture against England.

Italy made the game’s first score as flyhalf Paolo Garbisi’s perfect grubber kick sat up for Ioane to gather and cross in the corner.

Ireland prop Finlay Bealham had a try disallowed for a double movement but the visitors did register a first score with a simple backline move from a five-metre scrum that sent Keenan over the tryline.

Italy lost three forwards inside the opening half-hour as lock Dino Lamb, No 8 Lorenzo Cannone and flanker Sebastian Negri all limped out of the match.

Tommaso Allan’s long-range penalty gave Italy the advantage again, but Ireland led 12-10 at halftime as, after Lamaro’s deliberate knock-down at a ruck and subsequent yellow card, the visitors mauled their way over for Sheehan to score.

Ireland camped in the Italian 22 at the start of the second period and were rewarded with a second score that was a carbon copy of their first as Sheehan was at the back of a rolling maul.

Vintcent received a yellow card, later upgraded to a 20-minute red on bunker review, for head-on-head contact with Keenan as the replacement flanker was too upright in the tackle.

Sheehan scored his third try when he collected Mack Hansen’s tap-back from a Jamison Gibson-Park kick to complete his hat-trick.

Ireland should have been out of sight, but Jack Crowley’s three missed conversions kept their hosts in the game.

And when Varney scored Italy's second converted try following a brilliant break from Ange Capuozzo, the gap on the scoreboard was only five points with 18 minutes remaining but Ireland hung on for the win.