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Fighting Irish Henderson's three tries lift Ireland over Italy 41-22
Updated: Sunday February 04, 2001 8:27 AM
ROME (AP) -- Rob Henderson scored three tries and set up one for Ronan O'Gara as Ireland romped to a 41-22 victory over Italy in the Six Nations rugby union championship on Saturday. Although the Italians, forced to play without injured kicking expert Diego Dominguez through injury, performed well in the first half at the Stadio Flaminio and trailed by only four points at the interval, the Irish took control soon after Henderson scored his second try early in the second period. Winger Shane Horgan also crossed the Italian line while fly half O'Gara contributed 21 points with a try, four penalties and two conversions as Ireland won its opening game for the first time since 1988. Winger Corrado Pilat and lock forward Carlo Checchinato crossed the Irish line in the first half and Mauro Bergamasco scored a late consolation try. The one sour note was Italian scrum half Alessandro Troncon flooring Peter Stringer with a right hand and being sent off five minutes from the end. The game was just two minutes old when Ireland was awarded a penalty 22 only meters out for Pilat not releasing the ball when tackled and O'Gara made the kick. But Pilat made it 3-3 with another short range kick when the Irish forwards were penalized in front of their own posts in a ruck. O'Gara regained the lead for the visitor in the 11th minute when the Italians was caught offside in a ruck.
But the Italians were playing some brilliant rugby in open play and, when fullback Christian Stoica burst through a gap in the Irish defense in the 26th minute, they charged into the lead with a try. The ball was fed by center Luca Martin and Stoica again to winger Denis Dallan who passed it on to the overlapping Pilat and the other wing raced over in the corner. Pilat was injured scoring the try so Pez took the conversion attempt but missed the target. It looked a costly miss when O'Gara landed a third penalty for Ireland in the 31st minute to put the visitor 9-8 ahead. The lead should have changed hands yet again when Ireland Alan Quinlan was penalized for offside but Pez pulled the 35-meter kick well wide. And, after Italy was reduced to 14 man with prop Andrea Muraro sent to the sinbin for using his feet in a ruck, the Irish broke out to score a stunning try in the final minute of the first half. Henderson collected a short sideways pass near the halfway line, charged through two tacklers and went on a weaving 40-meter run to cross for the score. O'Gara followed his conversion with a penalty so that Ireland led 19-8. Checcinato charged over the line in injury time, taking the ball from a ruck and pushing two Irish tacklers back before rolling over and touching down. Unsure whether the Italian lock forward had grounded the ball, South African referee Jonathan Kaplan called for the fourth official to rule on the score from a video replay and the Italians fans in the 22,000 crowd roared when it was confirmed. They roared again when Pez kicked the conversion and cut the Irish lead to four points by the interval at 19-15. Henderson scored his second try only three minutes into the second half when the Irish gained a turnover from an Italian knock on, Anthony Foley fed O'Gara whose long pass found the center at pace. Henderson shrugged off a tackle from Dallan to make the score and O'Gara conversion opened up a 26-15 lead. The center's third try came in the 59th minute when Tyrone Howe broke through two tackles on the left and kicked ahead only to be blatantly late tackled by Stoica. Henderson followed up well to collect the loose ball and score the try. O'Gara missed the conversion attempt but the Irish looked comfortable at 31-15 with 20 minutes to go. The Irish maintained the pressure and Horgan provided the overlap to go over for a fourth try in the 64th minute. O'Gara again missed the conversion kick. Irish prop Peter Clohessy was sinbinned 10 minutes from the end but it became 14 vs. 14 when Troncon was red carded for punching and flooring fellow scrum half Peter Stringer. Henderson then set up O'Gara's first try in Irish colors with a break and an inside pass to the fly half while Mauro Bergamasco slipped through a slack Ireland defense for a third Italian try in injury time and Pez converted. Lineups: Italy -- Christian Stoica; Corrado Pilat, Luca Martin, Giovanni Ranieri, Denis Dallan; Ramiro Pez, Alessandro Troncon; Andrea Muraro, Alessandro Moscardi, Andrea Lo Cicero, Wilhelmus Visser, Carlo Checchinato, Carlo Caione, Mauro Bergamasco, David Dal Maso. Ireland -- Girvan Dempsey; Shane Horgan, Michael Mullins, Rob Henderson, Tyrone Howe; Ronan O'Gara, Paul Stringer; Peter Clohessy, Keith Wood, John Hayes, Mick Galwey, Malcolm O'Kelly, Alan Quinlan, David Wallace, Anthony Foley. Referee -- Jonathan Kaplan, South Africa.
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