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THERE was a moment yesterday during the second half when the thought that Ireland were deliberately concealing a few high-tariff cards might just have crossed your mind. This Six Nations opener was emphatically in the bag, so what was the point in showing a full hand a week before the season-defining game in Paris? Then you might have come out of your reverie and remembered that this was a test match with all the customary trappings of responsibility, and that no Irish player has ever played in third gear for his country – well, not consciously.
So, if the defence of the Grand Slam got off to a winning start, and if the team's unbeaten run has now extended to a record 12 games, Ireland strutted for a while, then stumbled. They scored two tries by Jamie Heaslip and Tomás O'Leary before the changeover and led by 20 points after little more than half an hour, and you sensed Croke Park was tantalised by the possibility of even better things to come.
Following injuries to Ronan O'Gara, who had a 100 per cent record from six kicks, and to Paul O'Connell, the team might have had a patchwork look coming up to full-time, however from a position where 50 points had looked on the cards, the second half was still disappointing.
So what went wrong after a first half which contained several blinding flashes of attacking play? Instead of going for the jugular, they lost the momentum they had built up, and as Italy dug in the ball was kicked away pretty aimlessly. As the forward effort began to stall and as only David Wallace and Heaslip provided any real dynamism, it was as if O'Gara was suddenly unsure whether to attack from the hand or pin the Italians back with his kicking game. In the end, Ireland fell between two stools.
Against widespread expectation that it might take the home side the best part of an hour to break free, the lead was 10-0 after less than 15 minutes. Heaslip's try ended up as an easy run-in following some quick hands by Gordon D'Arcy, Brian O'Driscoll and Wallace, but O'Gara's superb cut-out pass to Andrew Trimble on halfway had been the genesis of the score. O'Gara, who had stroked over an early penalty to pass 500 championship points, landed the conversion for good measure.
The out-half and his opposite number, Craig Gower, exchanged penalties before referee Romain Poite conspired to deprive Ireland of a try. Apparently fixated by Gonzalo Garcia's dodgy but hardly dangerous tackle on O'Driscoll, the trigger-happy Poite mysteriously failed to play an advantage with Italy's defence in tatters, and the net result was O'Gara's third penalty instead of a try.
With the winners coming on strong now, Rob Kearney would have scored if O'Gara had got the pace of his pass right, but soon the lead was up to 20 when Italy overthrew a line-out in the red zone. Leo Cullen rumbled forward and O'Leary had little problem dotting down.
Despite the evident gulf in class, Declan Kidney would have been more than happy with a 23-3 half-time scoreline, but they hadn't gambled on Kearney gifting the visitors the softest of tries. Occasionally guilty of rugby hubris, the full-back tried a risky banana kick from close to his line which Kaine Robertson predictably blocked down.
You felt that the green jerseys would come out seeking atonement, but instead of quenching the remnants of Italy's fire, they were only able to flicker themselves. Mirco Bergamasco, who had taken over the placekicking duties, struck a good penalty before O'Gara brought his personal tally to 16 points but from then on Ireland had little or no direction.
What followed was 20 minutes of torpor, probably the most numbing period of non-rugby since Kidney took charge. There were mitigating factors – the Italians' policy of deliberate offside in broken play, Poite's frustrating refereeing, and the fact that by the end, Heaslip was the only forward on the pitch who had started last season's Grand Slam match, but against the Azzurri who were woefully short on quality and ambition, it wasn't good enough.
Kearney and O'Driscoll kicked the ball wastefully at times, and Italy just hoofed it back. There was the sort of perspiration you would expect at this level, but you had to search hard for any inspiration. Paddy Wallace came off the bench in place of a limping O'Gara to add another penalty as the game petered out.
The last time Italy were here two years ago, it finished 16-11. This was certainly more emphatic, but as a marker for Paris next weekend, that dreary second half hardly registered. Before the changeover, we thought we'd seen just a sign of the swagger that might be bringing Ireland to a new level, however by the end, it had gone again.
Scoring sequence
10 mins O'Gara pen, 3-0 15 mins Heaslip try, O'Gara con, 10-0 27 mins Gower pen, 10-3 28 mins O'Gara pen, 13-3 33 mins O'Gara pen, 16-3 35 mins O'Leary try, O'Gara con, 23-3 38 mins Robertson try, 23-8 44 mins Mirco Bergamasco pen, 23-11 46 mins O'Gara pen, 26-11 68 mins P Wallace pen, 29-11
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