Sheehan Scores Twice In Six-Try Ireland Victory

Weighing in with three tries in each half, Ireland marked their first home match of 2024 with a convincing 36-0 bonus point win over Italy at the Aviva Stadium.

Andy Farrell’s men led 19-0 at half-time thanks to scores from Jack Crowley, Dan Sheehan, and Jack Conan, before Sheehan, Guinness Six Nations player-of-the-match James Lowe, and Calvin Nash crossed between the 49th and 77th minutes.

The result extends Ireland’s record run of home victories to 17, and it is their 10th in-a-row in the Six Nations. It is also the first time they have ‘nilled’ opposition in the Five or Six Nations since beating England 17-0 in 1987.

Captained by Mayo man Caelan Doris for the first time, the reigning champions gave Six Nations debuts to replacements Jeremy Loughman and Harry Byrne, who kicked the final conversion. Jordan Larmour also made his first international appearance since 2021.

With 30 players getting game-time across the opening two rounds, Farrell’s side are now two points clear at the top of the Championship table. They resume their campaign on Saturday, February 24, when Wales visit Irish Rugby HQ.

Italy out-half Paolo Garbisi missed his only kick at goal in the fourth minute, pulling a 30-metre effort wide after the impressive Robbie Henshaw had infringed at the breakdown. Ireland’s response was to run from deep and lift the tempo.

Having marked a kick, Hugo Keenan showed his acceleration to make it up to halfway. Henshaw broke the line twice, and the momentum built for Crowley to cleverly link with Nash before his half-back partner, Craig Casey, neatly released him to scamper over from 10 metres out.

The Cork youngster’s pulled conversion left the early lead at five points, and Italy held the next green wave at bay. Garbisi tackled Lowe at close quarters to force a fumble, yet the latter fired back with a subsequent turnover following a rare Italian visit to the hosts’ 22.

The Azzurri were working off a 52% share of possession, but Ireland increased the defensive pressure with Joe McCarthy rushing up twice to bring down Garbisi, and hooker Sheehan managed to block a Stephen Varney box-kick.

Crowley’s fingerprints were all over Ireland’s next potent attack in the 22nd minute, which came from a scrum penalty. He helped Keenan to make the initial incision, then the latter had Nash coming around the corner to straighten up and breach the Italian 22.

It was quick ruck ball and Crowley brilliantly stepped in between Garbisi and Alessandro Izekor, getting his hands free to offload to Henshaw. The latter’s well-timed offload found Stuart McCloskey who put Sheehan over. with Crowley converting from the left wing.

Now 12-0 to the good, Ireland’s offload count increased as Lowe and McCloskey made further inroads. Despite Danilo Fischetti winning a turnover penalty, McCarthy partially blocked a Varney kick, and Ryan Baird – not for the first time – rose highest to gobble up the breaking ball.

The home side extended lead with a strong finish to the first half. Baird stole a lineout and the scrum earned two penalties in quick succession, coming on the back a crucial Casey tackle on Ange Capuozzo which spoiled a promising Italy break.

Sheehan and McCarthy used the platform of a close-in lineout maul to bring Ireland right up to the Italian whitewash, and it was Conan, with Baird on the latch, who forced his way over with nearly 37 minutes on the clock. Crowley’s right boot delivered the extras again.

Baird and Lowe were increasing their influence on the game, the former stretching his legs on a terrific run up past halfway, and the latter again using his big left boot to gain territory early in the second period.

With Italy guilty of a crooked lineout throw and then conceding a scrum penalty, Ireland duly registered their bonus point when a maul marched Sheehan over the line in the 49th minute. Crowley slid the conversion wide at 24-0.

The next Irish attack deserved a try, with Casey’s kick over the top from his own 22 gathered by Keenan whose purposeful run fired up the home fans. They took Italy through 23 phases but a stretching Henshaw had a try chalked off for a double movement.

Credit to Varney too for a superb tackle to deny Sheehan his hat-trick score, and Ireland swiftly changed their entire front row as part of their first four changes. Loughman and Byrne both came on, with the latter replacing Keenan whose place at full-back was taken by Crowley.

Tommaso Menoncello then saw yellow for a foot trip on Lowe after he had intercepted a pass. A Garbisi kick that went out on the full meant more defending for the Azzurri, and four players could not prevent Lowe from powering over from McCloskey’s precise skip pass.

The 31-year-old cut in from his wing, getting in between Garbisi and Capuozzo. The Italian full-back hung on in the tackle, and Giacomo Nicotera also got a grip of him, but the Leinster ace was able to reach out and ground the ball with Monty Ioane also unable to stop him.

Larmour, winning his first cap since lining out against Japan in July 2021, entered the fray with the scoreboard showing 29-0. A couple of penalties invited Italy forward, but their lineout let them down, with Ronan Kelleher first to an overthrow, and McCarthy then slapping back another one on Ireland’s side.

Lowe exposed a defensive gap when set free by Byrne’s deft inside pass, and while Italy survived on that occasion and Ireland had a few more false starts, they did end the match very much on the front foot.

Armed with a penalty advantage, the men in green niftily worked the ball wide – with great feet and hands from McCloskey in particular – and winger Nash had the speed and strength to finish off from 15 metres out, spearing in between two defenders to score.

Byrne picked up his first Six Nations points with a well-struck conversion from the right. Brought on for the final few minutes, Jamison Gibson-Park narrowly missed out on a try past the 80-minute mark when he knocked on under pressure from Martin Page-Relo.