Hooker Vittoria Vecchini scored a brace of tries as Italy beat Ireland 27-21 in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations in Dublin.
Vecchini barged over the line from close range in the 25th minute and repeated the trick in the second half following a superb break from winger Alyssa D’Inca at the RDS Arena.
Ireland had taken an early lead when Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi was adjudged to have committed a deliberate knock-on and sent to the sin bin, referee Hollie Davidson awarding the home side a penalty try.
However, Vecchini’s two tries and further scores from Valeria Fedrighi and winger Aura Muzzo turned the game in the visitors’ favour, Muzzo diving over in the corner just minutes after having a try ruled out by the TMO for a forward pass.
Ireland refused to throw in the towel and Katie Corrigan intercepted a loose pass to sprint in under the posts, leaving Dannah O’Brien a simple conversion with a minute remaining.
Roared on by a record crowd of 6,605, the home side piled on the pressure and worked their way to within two metres of the Italian line, only to lose the ball in the tackle as Italy clung on for the win.
Full-back Lauren Delaney was carried off on a stretcher with a neck injury shortly before half-time but was later seen sitting amongst the Ireland substitutes.
