RWC 2015: Ireland secure quarter-final place with nervy Italian win

Ireland are through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup after defeating Italy 16-9 in a close encounter at the Olympic Park on Sunday.

Munster’s Keith Earls scored his eighth Rugby World Cup try to become Ireland’s record RWC try scorer, as Leinster’s Johnny Sexton added the extras with the boot, to see the Irish into the quarters ahead of this weekend’s final pool clash with France.

An early penalty from Sexton got the scoreboard underway before a line-out steal from flanker Peter O’Mahoney set Ireland’s backs alight in the midfield. Sexton and Robbie Henshaw combined effectively to send Earls through to the left of the posts, with Sexton converting successfully.

The quality of the Italian defence kept Irish momentum at bay, as Sergio Parisse put in a ferocious shift for 68 minutes to keep his men in contention. Italy’s out-half Tommaso Allan kicked two penalties either side of half-time to bring the score within a point at 10-9.

You will need to log in or register to read the rest of this article. If you have not already registered you can click here to register.

In 2022 we added 102,631 new images in 510 galleries with a gallery breakdown of 263 Rugby, 217 Hockey and 30 Athletics. Your registration and subscription will help us to continue.

Thanks.


Corrections, comments or questions?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.