Ireland vs Italy LIVE: Six Nations rugby result as debutant Michael Lowry helps secure bonus point after Hame Faiva red card

That just about does us for our coverage of the weekend’s Six Nations actions. France remain on track for a Grand Slam but England and Ireland are still in the hunt, with the second fallow week sharpening the six sides’ focus ahead of back-to-back fixtures to close the campaign.

We’ll have plenty more reaction and analysis from three games over the next couple of days, but for now, do stay safe and well. Goodbye!

“It is just the rules. Our hooker got injured before the red card, so we didn’t have any other hookers that could play. We couldn’t play normal contested scrums so we had to take someone off.

“To play a scrum uncontested, you have to get someone off. It was really punishing us, but it is the rule. I don’t know...

“We’ve lost by 50 points, so... I’m sure we showed something but it is difficult to be happy with the result. What matters is the result. The boys really stayed in the fight. It’s difficult. We managed the game pretty well with 13, but you have to leave something [empty] when you are 13 against 15.”

As Andy Farrell noted, that was a performance full of spirit and character from Italy against the odds. Particular mention must go to Danilo Fischetti, who was outstanding defensively, and makeshift hooker Ivan Nemer, too, who threw better than could have been expected and combined well with Fischetti in defence and attack. Captain Michele Lamaro was a ubiquitous presence in contact and Paolo Garbisi, who I’m not sure ever fully recovered from a hip issue in the first half, fronted up to make 18 tackles.

“It was a strange old game. I thought it was sloppy at times. We were sloppy. The scoreboard was 57-6, you think we’d be happy with that, and I suppose we got the points we needed in the end.

“I thought Italy were unbelievably brave. It was really hard to play them with 15 men, but when they went down to 13 they were so brave, getting off the line, going hard at the breakdown. It’s not nice to see for the game. I understand why [they were forced to lose an extra player].

“Michael Lowry was sharp and brave. It says a lot about the man that he was on a hat-trick and put his mate James Lowe in instead.”

“It’s a special feeling. I tried to compose myself coming out, friends and family wishing me the best - all I can say is thanks to everyone.

“Lining out for the anthems, it is everyone’s childhood dream. It’s a moment I will never forget.

“I suppose it is about taking our opportunities when they come. I’ve worked hard for this. Hopefully I’ll step forward from this and get a few more caps.

“It was just about playing our game after the red card. Fair play to Italy, they kept coming at us, we had to play our game and be patient at times.”

Job done for Ireland in a game that ceased to be true sport after Hame Faiva’s first-half dismissal. An already out-matched Italy battled brilliantly after being forced to drop to 13 players as scrums went uncontested, and Ireland will probably be disappointed not to have scored more than the 57 they eventually did.

Michael Lowry was a danger of debut, Johnny Sexton got some minutes in his legs and a few of the fringe forward faces enjoyed the open pasture afforded them by Italy’s numerical disadvantage - Ireland leave with a bonus point but little truly learned ahead of their visit to Twickenham.

This time Kieran Treadwell gets it down to send the crowd home happy. Italy’s goalline dropout fails to leave the 22 as they seek a quick ending to a tough afternoon, but Ireland claim it and launch another wave of attack. Jack Conan makes a dent and then fellow replacement Treadwell arrives to add a final Irish score.

Johnny Sexton asks the abacus operator to slide two more beads over and that’ll be that.

Held up! Strong defence at the last from Italy, dismissing Craig Casey’s darting advances with a triple hit on the scrum-half and then resetting for the lumpier forwards, getting bodies beneath Josh van der Flier as he drives over.

Italy cover the corner well from an Irish kick but are forced to slide over the touchline. Ireland’s final assault will be launched from a lineout.