Dan Sheehan's hat-trick sees nervy Ireland edge past Italy to keep Six Nations title hopes alive

The five points earned at Stadio Olimpico was all the was required of an Ireland team, whose Grand Slam bid had been ended in emphatic fashion by France in Dublin seven days earlier.

But Simon Easterby’s players had seen their title destiny taken out of their own hands and placed in those of second-placed England and the French, both of whom can knock the Irish out of top spot in games later on Super Saturday.

Yet while there were celebrations in Rome as a hughe travelling army of up to 30,000 Irish supporters paid homage to veteran internationals Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and non-playing reserve Cian Healy, it was not a final-round game which brought Ireland’s most-complete performance of the 2025 championship, as the squad had hoped it would.

A hat-trick of tries from hooker Dan Sheehan scored between the 39th and 57th minutes was the highlight after Hugo Keenan had replied to Monty Ioane’s opening try for the Azzurri but three missed conversions from the recalled Jack Crowley meant Ireland were always within touching distance of their opponents and a try from Italy’s Stephen Varney made for a nervy ending.

Ireland also had three tries struck off by referee Luke Pearce and his officials to underline Irish frustrations.

They had travelled to Rome in the belief the could bounce back from their home defeat by France by delivering their best performance of the championship, yet despite the presence of that massive Irish support in a sell-out 68,000 crowd, their first-half outing was distinctly below par.

It was Italy who started strongest in a disjointed opening 40 minutes, taking the lead in the 11th minute as they countered from an Irish goal-line drop. Fly-half Paolo Garbisi broke the visitors’ defensive line, eluding tackles from Mack Hansen and Garry Ringrose before passing to support runner Martin Page-Relo, the number nine in turn finding wing Ioane to finish in the left corner at blistering speed. Full-back Tommaso Allan converted from wide left of the posts to put the home side 7-0 up.

Ireland struggled to find their rhythm but were denied an opening try on 18 minutes when Finlay Belaham was deemed to have made a double movement when grounding the ball from close range. Yet there was glimpse of their attacking potential when half-backs Jamison Gibson-Park and the recalled Crowley combined well from a five-metre scrum to serve the ball up for Hugo Keenan to run onto at speed, the fly-half’s conversion levelling the scores.

Allan pushed Italy back in front on 32 minutes with a penalty but Ireland closed the half by taking the lead for the first time as the finished the opening period on the front foot, aided by replacement back-row Michele Lamaro’s yellow card. The captain had been dropped to the bench after heavy back-to-back defeats to France and England and he blotted his copybook further just before the interval, slapping the ball out of Gibson-Park’s hands at a ruck.

Ireland capitalised instantly, the resulting penalty and five-metre lineout drive seeing Dan Sheehan crash over for a 12-10 lead, Crowley miscuing off the tee with the conversion which ended the half.

Ireland began the second period with much better fluency, but the final pass continued to elude them. And when captain Caelan Doris did find pack-mate James Ryan with a short pass, both he and James Lowe were denied on the tryline.

Yet the visitors had a penalty advantage and used it well, Sheehan adding his second of the afternoon with another finish off a powerful lineout drive. Keenan was denied his second after a TMO check spotted a knock-on in the build-up but Ireland finally got the try bonus-point their pressure merited when Gibson-Park delivered a crossfield kick to the right touchline, Hansen rising to bat the ball inside to where Sheehan was on hand to claim his hat-trick on 47 minutes. Ireland had scored twice with Lamaro in the sin bin and Italy were briefly reduced to 13 men when replacement back-rower Ross Vintcent was yellow carded with a bunker review to follow after a head-high tackle on Keenan as the Irish full-back fielded a high ball.

The review wound find Vintcent’s foul play did merit a 20-minute red card but Ireland failed to make their one-man advantage count. Crowley had missed his third conversion and the consequences of that were apparent when replacement Italian scrum-half Stephen Varney pounced on a loose ball which Hansen had failed to gather from an Ange Capuozzo kick ahead five minutes later Allen’s conversion reducing Ireland’s lead to 17-22 with the final score of the game.

There was still time for another Italy yellow card, though, replacement hooker Giacomo Nicotera sin-binned in the final minute for a dangerous elbow to O’Mahony’s head at a ruck. Yet it was Ireland who finished on the back foot desperately defending as Italy went in search of victory but having to settle for a losing bonus point.

ITALY: T Allan (L Marin, 75); A Capuozzo, J I Brex – captain, T Menoncello, M Ioane; P Garbisi, M Page-Relo (S Varney, 45); D Fischetti (M Spagnolo, 55), G Lucchesi (G Nicotera, 68), S Ferrari (J Zilocchi, 55); D Lamb (N Cannone, 18), F Ruzza; S Negri (M Lamaro, 29), M Zuliani, L Cannone (R Vintcent, 29).

Yellow card: M Lamaro 39-49 Yellow card (bunker review): G Nicotera 79- Red card (20-minute red following bunker review): R Vintcent 48-58.

IRELAND: H Keenan; M Hansen, G Ringrose, R Henshaw (B Aki, 55), J Lowe; J Crowley (S Prendergast, 64), J Gibson-Park (C Murray, 66); A Porter (J Boyle, 64), D Sheehan (G McCarthy, 70), F Bealham (T Furlong, 46); J Ryan (J McCarthy, 46), T Beirne; J Conan, J van der Flier (P O’Mahony, 52), C Doris - captain.

Referee: Luke Pearce (England).