Wales vs England LIVE: Result and reaction from Six Nations grudge match in Cardiff

Stout defence of the drive by Italy, and then spread sufficiently to hit Ireland’s carriers two passes out.

Craig Casey is caught up in traffic, slowing ball briefly, but Ireland regather momentum through a neat exchange between Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan.

Tom O’Toole is up-ended, but possession is still with the visitors. It all ends up in a heap as both sets of players look to referee Mike Adamson for guidance - Ireland scrum.

Ross Byrne tasks his forwards with a lineout six metres out.

Italy make a change at prop, unhappy with consecutive scrum infringements against them: Marco Riccioni on, Simone Ferrari removed.

The Ireland assistant coaches study their laptops as Ireland are granted a scrum inside the Italy half. Craig Casey feeds it and the bursts away to the left as penalty advantage is drawn, Ross Byrne poking in behind.

James Lowe leads the putsuit but takes a tumble over the top of a sliding Paolo Garbisi. Back for the scrum penalty.

Penalty to Ireland! Both front rows hit the floor, with Italy deemed not to have quite taken the weight on the engage.

Nearly for Italy! Another leftward surge sees Ireland narrowed, but the ball doesn’t quite go to hand. Italy regather swiftly though and drive over the top of the Ireland ruck - ball unplayable, Italy scrum.

The hosts win a second half penalty almost immediately just inside their own half. Paolo Garbisi boots it down to the fringes of the Ireland 22.

Andy Farrell makes his way back up to the Ireland coaching box, purposefully striding up the stairs. He’ll have mixed feelings about that first half - plenty of good stuff in attack from the championship favourites, but Italy have looked very, very dangerous every time they’ve gone wide.

Back underway in Rome.

Italy have shown all of their flair and flow, though, with number eight Lorenzo Cannone to the fore and a very impressive sight at full tilt with a running start.

Phew. Breathless stuff in Rome, end-to-end stuff for most of the half as both sides explored every inch of open acreage that the Stadio Olimpico has to offer. Each side was fluent in attack and a little loose in defence, making for a pulsating game that Ireland have just about edged.

Bundee Aki’s been very impressive on his starting return, creating a couple of scores and adding one of his own.