Ireland beat Italy to keep faint title hopes alive

Men's Six Nations

Italy (10) 17

Tries: Ioane, Varney Cons: Allan 2 Pen: Allan

Ireland (12) 22

Tries: Keenan, Sheehan 3 Con: Crowley

Ireland held off a spirited Italy to secure a bonus-point win in Rome and keep alive their faint hopes of winning a third consecutive Six Nations.

Hugo Keenan's first-half score and Dan Sheehan's hat-trick ensured a win that took Ireland to 19 points in the table, three clear of France and four ahead of England.

Italy scored tries through Monty Ioane and Stephen Varney, but paid the price for ill discipline, with Michele Lamaro sin-binned just before the break and Ross Vintcent shown red in the second half for a high hit on Keenan.

After Sheehan's hat-trick score put the visitors 22-10 up, Stephen Varney's try raised Italy hopes of a rare win over Ireland, but the home side's late pressure failed to yield a winning moment.

Wales face England in Cardiff at 16:45 GMT before leaders France welcome Scotland to Paris at 20:00.

An England win would take them top of the table as they have a superior points difference over Ireland.

But victory for France would almost certainly secure them the title given their vastly superior points difference over England.

More to follow.

Italy: Allan; Capuozzo, Brex (capt), Menoncello, Ioane; Garbisi, Page-Relo; Fischetti, Lucchesi, Ferrari; Lamb, Ruzza; Negri, Zuliani, L Cannone.

Replacements: Nicotera, Spagnolo, Zilocchi, N Cannone, Lamaro, Vintcent, Varney, Marin.

Sin-bin: Lamaro (40), Nicotera (80)

Red card: Vintcent (56)

Ireland: Keenan; Hansen, Ringrose, Henshaw, Lowe; Crowley, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Bealham; Ryan, Beirne; Conan, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).

Replacements: G McCarthy, Boyle, Furlong, J McCarthy, O'Mahony, Murray, Prendergast, Aki.

Referee: Luke Pearce (Eng)