Ireland vs Italy LIVE: Six Nations rugby result as debutant Michael Lowry helps secure bonus point after Hame Faiva red card

Ireland 57-6 Italy: Azzurri finish game with 12 players after hooker Gianmarco Lucchesi injured and replacement Faiva sent off for dangerous tackle

Ireland's Michael Lowry celebrates scoring their sixth try (REUTERS)

Ireland kept the pressure on unbeaten Six Nations leaders France with a 57-6 thrashing of Italy on Sunday in a game that descended into farce after the visitors were forced to play most of it with just 13 men.

Ireland were 7-3 up when replacement hooker Hame Faiva, on for the injured Gianmarco Lucchesi, was sent off and because Italy resorted to uncontested scrums, they had to nominate another player to leave the pitch for the final 61 minutes. With gaps everywhere, the hosts followed up Joey Carbery’s early try with eight more from Jamison Gibson-Park, Peter O’Mahony, Kieran Treadwell, Ryan Baird and two each for debutant Michael Lowry and James Lowe. Ireland, who trail France by three points after taking a losing bonus point from Paris, need to beat England and Scotland to have a chance of winning the title.

“I tried to compose myself coming out to thousands of people,” Lowry said after his dream debut. All I can say is thanks to everyone who got me to this situation here today. Lining up for the anthems is everyone’s childhood dream and that chance is something I will never forget. I’ve worked hard for this. Hopefully I’ll step on from this now and get a few more caps. It was just about playing our game. fair play to Italy they kept coming after us. We had to play our game and be patient.”

(PA)

Ireland (24) 57

Tries: Carbery, Gibson-Park, Lowry 2, O’Mahony, Lowe 2, Baird,Treadwell.

Cons: Carbery 2, Sexton 4.

Italy (6) 6

Pens: Padovani, Garbisi.

Jamison Gibson-Park celebrates with teammates Dan Sheehan and Andrew Porter (Getty Images)

Six Nations 2022: Ireland vs Italy

• Six Nations deliver Ukraine message ahead of Ireland vs Italy
• Joey Carbery scores early try after bright start from Irish
• Italy’s Hame Faiva sent off for ‘clear contact to the chin and high danger’
• Jamison Gibson-Park strikes to ram home Ireland advantage
• Michael Lowry grabs try on debut to stretch Ireland’s lead
• Peter O’Mahony secures bonus point for rampant Ireland

[27 February 2022 15:16 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Ireland 7-0 Italy, 12 minutes

Tadhg Furlong tucks up the middle and is joined by three teammates to biff him onwards. Dan Sheehan’s handling is not quite secure, but the ball tumbles backwards.

It stalls Ireland, so Jamison Gibson-Park will go to the air. Edoardo Padovani comes down with it and takes a healthy tonking from the chasers as he lands, but only because they were ahead of Gibson-Park as the scrum-half box-kicked.

Interesting - Italy, kept scoreless by England, will go for goal from about a foot inside the Ireland half. It will be Padovani’s big boot...

[27 February 2022 15:14 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Ireland 7-0 Italy, 10 minutes

Now it is the turn of Ireland to get jackaling hands to the ball - Italian forwards are slow out of the maul and Stephen Varney is isolated at the base of a ruck, grabbed by Tadhg Beirne’s constricting limbs. Penalty Ireland.

[27 February 2022 15:13 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Ireland 7-0 Italy, 9 minutes

Garry Ringrose is back with us after being patched up as Ireland launch their next attacking passage. Ireland go down the left but Ignacio Brex makes a fine low tackle and soon Michele Lamaro is punching the air in celebration as a teammate earns a holding on penalty.

[27 February 2022 15:12 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Ireland 7-0 Italy, 8 minutes

Caelan Doris carries superbly, showing off his famous footwork through contact to evade Gianmarco Lucchesi and get over the gainline. Ireland’s ball is rapid again, but as the ball is returned to Doris he tries an ambitious little pop pass, that is both knocked on and then played by an offside player to concede a penalty. Ireland’s attack is fizzing but that is a chance missed.

That will be that for Lucchesi’s afternoon. It looks like Doris’ shimmy caused an awkward landing on his shoulder, and his shirt forms a makeshift sling as Hame Faiva comes on in his place.

[27 February 2022 15:09 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Ireland 7-0 Italy, 6 minutes

Ireland pinch an Italian lineout but it falls kindly for Giovanni Petenelli inside the opposition 22. Italy attack from side to side but run out of ideas, and a pass falls between three forwards.

Ireland fly-hack the ball clear and then rush up to win the collision, forcing a holding on penalty and allowing Carbery to return them to the Italian 22.

[27 February 2022 15:05 · Jack Rathborn]

TRY! IRELAND 7-0 Italy (Joey Carbery try, 4 minutes)

Ireland are into their attacking work straight away and Italy are cut to ribbons! Options aplenty, quick ball, and Italy cannot stem the flow of Irish shirts, Tadhg Beirne bashing through a tackle and then presenting well. Jamison Gibson-Park delivers for Caelan Doris, who takes contact and offloads to Dan Sheehan, who has the simple job of putting in Joey Carbery for the opening Irish score.

Carbery shares a smile and a hug, resets, and adds the conversion.

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

[27 February 2022 15:05 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Ireland 0-0 Italy, 3 minutes

Garry Ringrose has taken a bang to the eyebrow, and will need patching up. Ooh, that’s nasty, claret pouring down his cheek. Time for some hasty dressing room stitching.

James Hume relieves him temporarily.

[27 February 2022 15:04 · Jack Rathborn]

Six Nations deliver Ukraine message ahead of Ireland vs Italy

A message in support of Ukraine is shown inside the stadium before the match (PA)

A message in support of Ukraine is shown inside the stadium before the match (REUTERS)

[27 February 2022 15:04 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Ireland 0-0 Italy, 2 minutes

Here come Ireland’s intricate attacking patterns. Tadhg Furlong puts Caelan Doris into space and then Michael Lowry shimmies into a half-gap after Mack Hansen had meandered across field. An offload for James Lowe from Garry Ringrose hits the deck and Lowe’s toe onwards falls into Italian hands, allowing the visitors to clear.

Two more kicks and Edoardo Padovani clears for touch.

[27 February 2022 15:02 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Ireland 0-0 Italy, 1 minute

A strong start from Edoardo Padovani, up quickly and securely after rushing forward to claim Jamison Gibson-Park’s box kick.

A first sighting of Leonardo Marin, fading to the outside but just about clung on to. Monty Ioane tries to poke through a kick but over-cooks it - Ireland scrum on halfway.