It was a tough afternoon for the Boys in Green at the Olympic Stadium, but they managed to get the result and qualify for the Quarter-Fianls of the World Cup, beating Italy 16-9.
Here's how we rated them
15. Simon Zebo: 6
He wasn't afforded the same space to shine as he was against the Romanians, but he didn't put a foot wrong, and made a couple of decent clearance kicks. He is proving to be able back-up to Rob Kearney.
14. Tommy Bowe: 6.5
Another player who didn't get a chance to shine but it was another hard working shift from the Ulsterman, chasing kicks effectively and carried strongly. He remains an aerial threat for Ireland and should retain the jersey for the France game.
13. Keith Earls: 7
Like Zebo, he wasn't given the same space to dazzle today, but we saw glimpses. He drifted into a nice support line for the try and made a couple of half breaks. Defensively sound.
12. Robbie Henshaw: 6.5
A solid World Cup debut for the Connacht youngster, and he did brilliantly to offload for Earls' try. His physical presence was needed today, making 12 tackles. He still has quite a bit to learn about the position but is developing nicely.
11. Dave Kearney: 5
Rarely involved in the game which is a shame considering his form in the run up to today. Defensively sound but Earls will probably shift to the wing for the French game when Jared Payne returns.
10. Jonathan Sexton: 6
One good line break early in the first but he failed to boss the game as he usually would, and missed two penalties that would be within his range. Even when he wasn't at his best he was involved in most of what Ireland did well, giving the reverse pass for Henshaw in the build up to the try.
9. Conor Murray: 7
Another fine game from the Munster man, accurate with his passing and box kicking for the most part. Another player to put in a big defensive shift.
8. Jamie Heaslip: 6
Outshone by his counterpart Sergio Parisse for the majority of the game, it was still another decent shift. Disappointing that a leader like him didn't stand up when Ireland where under the cosh, but did make the final turnover when Italy were trying to mount one last attack. Would expect to see a much better outing next weekend.
7. Sean O'Brien: 7
Seven for the seven who made 14 carries in just over an hour. Still not at his steamrolling best but still our strongest ball carrier.
6. Peter O'Mahony: 6.5
One of Ireland's better performers today, with his pick in an Italian line-out leading to the try, while he made a fantastic try-saving tackle. Loses marks for his silly sin-binning late in the game when Ireland were still under pressure. A team leader like him should know better.
5. Paul O'Connell: 6
Wasn't really his day as he was pinged twice for penalties, and then a knock-on in the second summed up the frustration of the day. Still put in a strong shift in the ugly work, making 10 tackles while the line-out functioned well.
4. Iain Henderson: 8
Undroppable after today. Stood out with a phenomenal work rate and enthusiasm, while his abrasive style of play can be a joy to watch. Brings a mobility to the second row Ireland haven't seen in years. His man handling of Edoardo Gori is drawing further comparisons to Stephen Ferris.
3. Mike Ross: 6
Scrummaging was solid depite the Italian pressure, but brought very little in the loose.
2. Rory Best: 6
Line-out functioned well and made a contribution in the loose. Tried very hard, but like many other players it just wasn't his day as he fell off a couple of tackles. Still remains a key player for this tournament.
1. Jack McGrath: 6.5
Another good outing for the Leinster prop as he manages to keep Cian Healy on the bench. Scrummaged well and tackled well in the loose but was part of a disjointed effort when it came to the maul. Wouldn't be the biggest surprise if he was to start against the French.
Subs 6
Devin Toner had another fine game but it won't be enough to displace Henderson. Sean Cronin put himself about at ruck time while Nathan White didn't have the easiest of outings, dropping a pass, and was part of a seven man scrum. Cian Healy didn't have a chance to get on the ball but scrummaged well. Chris Henry shows us the depth we have in the back row with another strong performance at the breakdown. Luke Fitzgerald didn't get much of a chance to shine although he carry strongly toward the end.
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