Ireland overpowered Italy to record a bonus point win and take control of the Six Nations, setting up a Super Saturday finish next weekend in this prolonged competition.
There was a feeling that this was a hit out in preparation for something bigger. Both sides are rebuilding and both got something useful out of it. Whether or not it was a tough enough test for Ireland, we’ll find out next week.
Starting debutants, Hugo Keenan and Will Connors certainly ticked all the boxes with Keenan bagging a brace and Connors adding PotM to a debut try. Jacob Stockdale’s reversion to full back, where he played extensively in the Ireland U20 set up, was fairly seamless but it wasn’t a match that produced many, if any, intense “white hot heat of the game” moments.
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