15 Hugo Keenan
An outstanding footballer who reads the game as if it’s unfolding in slow motion. Superb run from a quick trap, great tackle on chase for loose ball, hustles in defence and attack and adds value in everything he does. Rating: 8
14 Calvin Nash
Wings need to get the benefit of play going their way at times. He didn’t get a great deal of ball in hand in the first half but chased honestly and carried with aggression into multiple tacklers. A reward came in the form of a try that took a little bit of finishing, but he was up to the task. Rating: 7
13 Robbie Henshaw
Conceded an early penalty for hands on floor at ruck but thereafter broke the gainline with regularity and was muscular and thoughtful in both tackling and defending. The disallowed try a great example of that power. Rating: 8
12 Stuart McCloskey
His virtues were on display, a real handful for the Italian midfield when direct in his carrying with a couple of trademark offloads. His vision and passing, two long-distance cut-out beauties to put team-mates away were impressive. Rating: 8
11 James Lowe
Put an early knock-on behind him and thereafter was industrious in his work, a ruck turnover, while also dominating the collisions which allowed his team-mates to play off him in attack. Try a great example of his power through the tackles. Man of the match. Rating: 8
10 Jack Crowley
An outhalf is generally the principal game manager and he discharged those duties brilliantly. Given time to play, his range of passing, footwork, decision-making and courage ensured that he was a dominant attacking force. Try a fitting reward. Rating: 8
9 Craig Casey
A few kicking aberrations aside he ensured an up-tempo pulse to Ireland’s attacking game, sharp in his passing, early on he appreciated where the space was with one or two snipes. Might have looked to move the ball rather than kick on a couple of turnovers. Rating: 7
1 Andrew Porter
There is a consistent quality to his work-rate on both sides of the ball, whether hunting down ball carriers as Italian outhalf Paolo Garbisi found out. The scrum won penalties and he deserves his share of those kudos. Rating: 7
2 Dan Sheehan
Tackles, carries, a charge down, two tries all in an afternoon’s work for the Ireland hooker who got through his usual high-quality contribution. The lineout purred once again, so it was productive in every sense. Rating: 8
3 Finlay Bealham
Given a chance to lay down a marker, he fulfilled the remit. Scrums went swimmingly, he did his fair share of trucking up slow ball and made his tackles, an all-round contribution with which he can be very satisfied. Rating: 7
4 Joe McCarthy
Another huge display in the contact battle, typically aggressive and powerful in the tackle as Paolo Garbisi found on one occasion when driven into a different postcode. No matter how many Italians lined him up, he went forward in the collisions. Rating: 8
5 James Ryan
He allowed his team-mates to play in terms of the work he did in clearing out at the breakdown, making tackles, and turned up to carry his fair share of possession, more often than not into heavy traffic. One penalty for a neck roll but an integral part of the team’s success. Rating: 7
6 Ryan Baird
Italian hooker Gianmarco Lucchesi will see Baird in his nightmares given how often he managed to pinch or disrupt the visitors’ lineout ball. Excellent high ball take, trademark gallop for 40 metres and while he was pinged a couple of times, he got through a significant workload. Rating: 7
7 Caelan Doris (capt)
He didn’t let playing out of position or his first outing as Ireland captain distract him from a typically industrious afternoon. He didn’t get many chances to carry in open spaces, instead slowing down Italian ball at the breakdown. Rating: 7
8 Jack Conan
His carrying game is first-class, picking the collision points, generally finding the path of least resistance in the wider channels through footwork, or using his power from close range as he did for his try. Rating: 8
Replacements
Rónan Kelleher, Josh van der Flier and Jamison Gibson-Park had a pronounced impact, albeit against a tiring Italian team. Jeremy Loughman and Tom O’Toole won a couple of scrum penalties, Iain Henderson and Harry Byrne linked play well, while Jordan Larmour didn’t really get a chance in space. Rating: 7
Coach
Andy Farrell elected to make six changes, a couple because of injury considerations, while simultaneously trying to ensure a freshness within the squad, without compromising performance levels. The newly constituted team did enough in fits and starts to justify his faith, piggybacking on some fine individual displays. Rating: 8
