Greetings Ireland. We’re well into the preamble for the first Six Nations fixture of the day and George Hook has already written Ian Keatley off as ‘an average club fly-half’ and compared Ireland to the Seahawks.

But in the real world, we’ve got less than 50 minutes to wait before kick-off in Rome.

Let’s get the predictions out of the way nice and early, shall we?

I went with 9 – 24 in this morning’s preview, but frankly, I’m getting more positive as the day goes on.

To help you along, here is that preview.

And here’s Murray Kinsella’s letter from Rome to give you a taster of the pre-match fervour.

While we consider who’d do better in a sport swap between Jack McGrath and Francesco Totti, here are the teams.

Italy

15. Andrea Masi
14. Leonardo Sarto
13. Michele Campagnaro
12. Luca Morisi
11. Luke McLean
10. Kelly Haimona
9. Edoardo Gori

1. Matias Aguero
2. Leonardo Ghiraldini
3. Martin Castrogiovanni
4. Josh Furno
5. George Biagi
6. Alessandro Zanni
7. Francesco Minto
8. Sergio Parisse (capt.)

Replacements:

16. Andrea Manici
17. Alberto De Marchi
18. Dario Chistolini
19. Marco Fuser
20. Robert Barbini
21. Guglielmo Palazzani
22. Tommaso Allan
23. Giovanbattista Venditti

Ireland

15. Rob Kearney
14. Tommy Bowe
13. Jared Payne
12. Robbie Henshaw
11. Simon Zebo
10. Ian Keatley
9. Conor Murray.

1. Jack McGrath
2. Rory Best
3. Mike Ross
4. Devin Toner
5.  Paul O’Connell (capt.)
6. Peter O’Mahony
7. Sean O’Brien
8. Jordi Murphy

Replacements:

16. Sean Cronin
17. James Cronin
18. Marty Moore
19. Iain Henderson
20. Tommy O’Donnell
21. Isaac Boss
22. Ian Madigan
23. Felix Jones.

It’s getting close. The players are moving through the final stages of their warm-up and headed for the changing room.

Final preparations, and perhaps most importantly on a day like this, final checks that players are ready to match the aggression of Italy.

Worrying images of Sean O’Brien being relayed by RTE now, before going into that last huddle he held his hamstring and appeared to be in some pain.

It looks like there’ll be a change to the team-sheet coming. Most likely with Tommy O’Donnell coming straight in at openside.

We’ll let you know more when we do.

Thanks to RTE, on the ball to get this still.

Tommy O’Donnell is in the Tullow Tank. Robbie Diack now on the bench.

So, a bit of late drama, here is that revised team-sheet.

Ireland

15. Rob Kearney
14. Tommy Bowe
13. Jared Payne
12. Robbie Henshaw
11. Simon Zebo
10. Ian Keatley
9. Conor Murray.

1. Jack McGrath
2. Rory Best
3. Mike Ross
4. Devin Toner
5.  Paul O’Connell (capt.)
6. Peter O’Mahony
7. Tommy O’Donnell
8. Jordi Murphy

Replacements:

16. Sean Cronin
17. James Cronin
18. Marty Moore
19. Iain Henderson
20. Robbie Diack
21. Isaac Boss
22. Ian Madigan
23. Felix Jones.

Such a gut-wrenching blow for O’Brien. That injury looked serious enough to make him a big doubt for next weekend and if he has no game time before England come to Dublin on March 1, would he be risked on that day?

Oof. Anyway. We march on without our most important player again.

Here come the champions.

KICK OFF:

Haimona gets us under way in Rome and Furno takes the ball from the restart. Italy on the attack early on.

Excellent start for Italy, Gori making a little half break inside Rob Kearney, but fortunately his shoveled pass wide was forward.

Boom. There’s a marker laid down for Ireland as Castrogiovanni is pinged for not binding and Keatley can clear the line.

Ireland with another scrum, this time in Italy territory, and they work a nice set-play off the back with Kearney stepping and Keatley sent through a hole.

He’s tackled though and a phase later the Azzuri are done for offside.

PENALTY: Italy 0 Ireland 3

Keatley holds his nerve amid the whistles and kicks Ireland into an early lead. Good steadying strike.

Italy getting on the wrong side of the ref early on. Penalty against them for sneaking round the side of the maul and dragging O’Donnell out.

An eighth of the game over now and there have been one or two nervy moments so far from Keatley. One kick from hand was dreadfully misplaced and, just now, a pass slipped forward and so Italy have a scrum on the edge of their 22.

Penalty goes Italy’s way this time. Jack McGrath the man singled out for collapsing.

The game is being played at a ferocious pace so far. Italy, as you expect, being really aggressive early on. But Ireland are matching them and thanks to some accurate tackling are managing to frustrate the blue attack with choke tackles.

Rob Kearney briefly stood in to take some kicking pressure off Keatley and his exchange has put Ireland in a good position. Ireland being patient in opposition territory, working through phases with simple carries before the set breaks down with Simon Zebo.

As the camera keeps drifting to the inconsolable Sean O’Brien, Ian Keatley slots another penalty over.

PENALTY: Italy 0 Ireland 6

Italy ruin a bit of hard-earned momentum with Sergio Parisse running into Tommy Bowe as he calls a mark. Keatley clears the lines and Bowe is soon up chasing another high ball. This one is a bit more favourable for the Azzuri and so Ireland have to play without the ball again.

Ireland in good position now after strong scrummaging from Mike Ross sets up a line-out in the Italian 22.

Again though Ireland opt to go through phases rather than taking Italy on in the maul and about 10 phases later, there’s a penalty for holding on against Simon Zebo.

Another pressure moment for Keats but It’s advantage Ireland as play is brought back for an offside penalty off Italy’s box-kick.

This time Ireland do take on the maul and, with advantage coming, Murray chips over the top for Bowe to chase. The winger bats it back and Murray is dragged into touch.

Penalty coming.

PENALTY! Italy 0 Ireland 9

Keatley’s three from three.

Excellent set of phases from Italy, good response to going two scores down.

Tommy O’Donnell is penalised for not releasing on the left flanker and… oh, Haimona has kicked for the corner.

The Italian maul goes nowhere and Tommy O’Donnell  is embroiled in a bit of a mild shoving match.

Peter O’Mahony getting treated for a shoulder knock in the meantime.

Penalty: Italy 3 Ireland 9

Kelly Haimona strikes the ball well and puts Italy on the board.

HALF-TIME: Italy 3 Ireland 9

So that was a pretty poor first half if you’re looking for a spectacle, but this is just what you expect from an opening day in Rome.

When Italy are on form, they are extremely effective at spoiling game and that is what is happening today.

Some of Ireland’s calls in attack have been odd, and they’ve been punished for some blunt backline play with penalties conceded.

However, at this point I can only see this game following the cliche, Ireland are six points clear at the break and — with a more structured in attack — they’ll pull away.

A tough day at the office, but Ireland will get this job done. Keep the faith.

Here we go then, second half is under way. Keatley kicks to the 22.

No more injury worries for Ireland, Peter O’Mahony is abck on the field after treatment through the break.

Italy still fanning out effectively in defence, but Kearney visibly trying to inject some added impetus on each carry. Whether he’s stepping to change an angle or just passing quicker before contact, he’s looking for a margin that will break this game open.

Ireland’s pack finding a rhythm now on clear-outs. Some really effective rucking coming after another Kearney carry.

The quick ball leads to a chance on the left wing s Keatley spins a pass to Zebo, but Campagnaro knocks it on.

First change of the day for Ireland. Sean Cronin is in for Best.

Ireland scrum looking more solid as the game goes on and Murphy feeds Murray on the way to a set-play. O’mahony carries for the gap but is caught in the 22 and Italy manage to force Ireland back with some messy ball.

Best chance of the game for Ireland.

Simon Zebo took the ball on a nice angled run towards the left, he fed Payne who in turn showed his soft hands to send Henshaw barreling towards the line.

Close, but Ireland knock on on the next phase.

Zebo again provided the spark with a fine pass to Payne, he checks inside 30 metres out, but is tackled and Henshaw knocks on the follow up.

Marty Moore is on in place of Mike Ross and is first act involves a whistle as McGrath is penalised.

The state of Ireland’s attack starting to get a bit worrying now. A lot of knock-ons and stuttered play. The most recent one is no fault of their own however, Keatley’s reverse pass was directed to the turf by the referee and so Ireland have a scrum on the 22.

PENALTY!

Penalty: Italy 3 Ireland 12

Ian Keatley extends the lead with a straightforward shot from the 22.

We’re at the hour mark and maybe, we’ve just seen the first sign of Italy beginning to wilt. Conor Murray races to charge down a Masi clearance and the heads in blue jerseys drop ever so slightly.

Ireland can’t strike on the turnover, but there is a maul to attack with.

With a penalty coming, Keatley attempted a cross-field kick but his target was well covered. Coming back against the grain, Kearney attempted to slip Bowe through, but couldn’t make the pass work.

We go back for the penalty and Ireland go for the corner again.

As the pitch-side mic clearly picks up Paulie going ‘keep going, keep going’ the whistle goes for another penalty against Italy and finally Italy see a yellow card;

SIN-BIN Ghiraldini

TRY! Italy 3 Ireland 17 (Murray ‘ 64)

After Paul O’Connell made the hard yards past the five metre line, Murray raced in and sniped through the smallest of gaps and over the line.

Keatley adds the conversion.

Italy 3 Ireland 19

TRY! Italy 3 Ireland 24 ( O’Donnell)

Excellent try from O’Donnell, taking Madigan’s pass on an excellent angle before handing off a weak tackle on the 22 and romping home.

Madigan adds the conversion.

Italy 3 Ireland 26

With the game now beyond Italy, Joe Schmidt has unleashed the bench: Along with Madigan, Boss is in the game. James Cronin completes a new front row.

Paul O’Connell rises LeBron-style in a line-out to swat a ball onto Ireland’s side off a blue throw. Now we’re in the swing of things.

This Six Nations celebration shot made me chuckle anyway…

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Ireland have spent the majority of time since that O’Donnell score in their own half. Schmidt will be cracking the whip from the stand to ensure Ireland’s defence don’t concede a late try here – even if it is meaningless.

Two minutes to go and Italy are still the side dominating late possession. Ireland, with Boss and Madigan at half-back, unable to exit effectively.

We’re with the TMO after Haimona appeared to crash in for a try on the end of a chip over the top.

TMO checking for a knock on by Parisse, but for me Isaac Boss takes Parisse out off the ball and that should be a penalty try to Italy.

Fortunately, I’m not the TMO and the outcome is a scrum V for Ireland.

FULL-TIME Italy 3 Ireland 26

Well, there we have it. A win in the bag and it turned out even better than my reserved 9 – 24 prediction.

Some worrying signs for Ireland, but sure isn’t that always the way when you play Italy.

The big test comes next week. We’ll be back on home soil with a point to prove against France.

Sean O’Brien may not be fit enough, but Ireland will have Jonathan Sexton and Jamie Heaslip back in the ranks for the big bash against Les Bleus.

Thanks for joining in all the fun of the fair, folks. It was pretty emotional – never more so than the moment Sean O’Brien was seen stricken on the bench.

We’ll have reaction and opinion coming in from Stadio Olimpico in the coming hours, not to mention news of France v Scotland.

Until then, happy rugbying.