"We were told by the Ireland camp last week that it would be disingenuous to say the team are in decline. After they white-knuckled their way to a narrow home win against Italy, it would be disingenuous to suggest they are not."
"They did enough to beat an improving, vibrant Azzurri side who had more than enough chances to win their first Six Nations game in Dublin, but you couldn't say they deserved it."
Ireland secured a narrow home win against Italy after a white-knuckled performance that offered little reassurance. The victory came despite clear signs of struggle and raised questions about Ireland's standing among Six Nations teams. Italy played a vibrant, improving game and generated numerous chances to claim their first Six Nations win in Dublin. The Azzurri performance indicated tangible progress and deserved greater reward. The result highlighted that Ireland did enough to win but did not produce the quality or authority expected of a top-tier side.
Read at Independent
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