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 15:47 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Ireland 19-3 Italy, 34 minutes

Italy knock-on in midfield and Ireland can attack from the set-piece. Jamison Gibson-Park dummies blind and all of the Italian back-row go with him, creating acres of open pasture for Joey Carbery as the half-backs combine.

Carbery charges through and offloads to Josh van der Flier, supporting well. The ball hits the deck as it is flung wide and then free from the hands of Robbie Henshaw with Mack Hansen unopposed outside him. Just a touch over-eager from Ireland after the open expanses appeared.

[27 February 2022 15:44 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Ireland 19-3 Italy, 32 minutes

Ireland don’t necessarily need to go away from their basics. Jamison Gibson-Park nearly bursts free from the base of a ruck with Italy short a guard defender, but eventually Joey Carbery clears long and will force Ivan Nemer to hurl in another lineout...

Which the replacement loosehead does very well indeed, finding his jumper at the tail.

[27 February 2022 15:43 · Jack Rathborn]

Six Nations: Ireland 19-3 Italy

(PA)

[27 February 2022 15:43 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

TRY! IRELAND 19-3 Italy (Michael Lowry try, 30 minutes)

A try on debut for Michael Lowry! Italy are under-resourced, well, everywhere, but particularly out wide as Lowry injects himself into the line on the left. James Lowe ensures the widest defender marks him on the touchline, allowing the fleet-footed full-back a one-on-one against Ignacio Brex. Brex goes for his shoelaces but Lowry jigs away from him, and he’s in for a debut score.

Joey Carbery misses from the tee.

[27 February 2022 15:41 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Ireland 14-3 Italy, 29 minutes

Monty Ioane is forced over his own line and Ireland will have the stablest of attacking platforms with a five-metre uncontested scrum...

[27 February 2022 15:39 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Jamison Gibson-Park scored Ireland’s second try

[27 February 2022 15:38 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Ireland 14-3 Italy, 26 minutes

What a steal from Danilo Fischetti! Ireland begin to run rampant with Dan Sheehan, Jamison Gibson-Park and Josh van der Flier again to the fore, but the loosehead tracks back as van der Flier is felled and forces the flanker to cling on, conceding the penalty.

[27 February 2022 15:36 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Ireland 14-3 Italy, 24 minutes

Ferocious carrying from Josh van der Flier, first brushing off one tackler and then keeping his thighs pumping to make ten metres after first contact.

Space appears on the right, and Joey Carbery spots it...not quite! Mack Hansen climbs well for the crossfield kick but can’t clasp it cleanly. Knock-on, Italian (uncontested) scrum just inside their own 22.

[27 February 2022 15:35 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Ireland 14-3 Italy, 23 minutes

Edoardo Padovani appears to be filling Pierre Bruno’s right wing vacancy when he can as Italy kick with regularity to try and force Ireland back. They win one back in the air but Paolo Garbisi limps away after sending another kick skywards - looks like a hip issue for the Italian fly-half, who will surely have to try and run it off.

Ireland kick out of play and Ivan Nemer, a prop by trade, is the emergency dart-thrower...

He hits his jumper! Joe Marler will be taking notes.

[27 February 2022 15:32 · Jack Rathborn]

TRY! IRELAND 14-3 Italy (Jamison Gibson-Park try, 21 minutes)

Attacking against 13 players, Ireland waste little time in capitalising on those alterations. It’s the converted connection of New Zealand-born Leinster-men, Jamison Gibson-Park fizzing a pass flat to the vacant space left by Pierre Bruno, James Lowe collecting and a piston hand-off taking him free from the drifting defence.

Lowe returns to Gibson-Park, and the scrum-half saunters over. Joey Carbery converts. This could get ugly.

(Getty Images)