Jack Crowley scored his first senior try on loan as Ireland continued their defense of their Guinness Six Nations title with a thumping 36-0 bonus point win over Italy in Dublin.
The fly-half, tasked with filling the void left by retired number 10 Johnny Sexton, has not scored a touchdown in 45 appearances for Munster.
He opened his international account within seven minutes of the 11th Test and helped the reigning champions power an emphatic opening weekend victory over pre-tournament favorites France.
Dan Sheehan scored another two of Ireland’s five tries, taking his competition record to three. Meanwhile, Jack Conan, man of the match James Lowe and Calvin Nash were also on the scoresheet for the team captained by Caelan Doris.
Ireland’s game certainly could have been more ruthless, but it was more than enough to send out the Championship’s regular wooden spoon winners and ensure a 17th straight home win.
Andy Farrell’s side are on track to become the first team to win back-to-back Six Nations Grand Slams, ahead of games against Wales on February 24 and England and Scotland in March.
Italy arrived at a packed Aviva Stadium as overwhelming underdogs, aiming for their first victory on Irish soil, backed by a strong performance that saw them lose to England by three points.
Paolo Garbisi converted an early penalty to give the Azzurri the lead before Irish scrum-half Craig Casey happily released his provincial team-mate Crowley to seal the breakthrough five points.
In the subdued atmosphere of a Sunday afternoon, the seven-minute score initially did little to calm the hosts, who soon found themselves on the wrong side after eight-year-old Stevie Mulroney enthusiastically played the Irish call. The atmosphere disappeared.
Farrell’s starting 15, which saw six personnel changes from Marseille, initially looked disjointed as contention descended into chaos.
Hugo Keenan’s energetic strike briefly lifted the crowd and led to a second goal in the 24th minute, with Crowley, Stuart McCloskey and Robbie Henshaw eventually combining to score for Sheehan.
The Cranberries’ zombie explosion, the anthem of the World Cup squad, rang out every time Ireland tried, and when Conan bulldozed over the line after Joe McCarthy was stranded three minutes before half-time. It rang again.
Ireland secured the bonus point within five minutes of the restart as hooker Sheehan, who also crossed for Les Bleus, scored his second try of the afternoon.
Henshaw, the center fielder, would likely have been judged to have double action before grounding out and would have been severely denied a point.
But Ireland won’t be ruled out for long after full-back Keenan limped off with an apparent leg problem.
Shortly after Italian center Tommaso Menoncello was sent to the sin box for illegally sticking his foot out to stop the game, impressive Leinster winger Rowe added more sparkle to the scoreboard with a powerful finish.
After Garbisi’s wayward penalty, an underdog Italy offered little attacking threat and barely made it into the hosts’ 22nd place.
Another futile trip to the Irish capital took a turn for the worse two minutes into the game. Munster winger Nash collected Jamison Gibson-Park’s pass to score for the second week in a row, while substitute No. 10 Harry Byrne added another point, adding to Crawley’s two conversions.