Player ratings as Ireland scrape past Italy by the skin of their teeth

A close one.

Jeremy Loughman - 4

Doesn't bring enough around the park, and the scrum went backwards at a rate of knots.

Disappointing after a good outing last week.

Dan Sheehan - 6

Lineout went well once again and we saw glimpses of his carrying.

Conceded a poor penalty near the start from a five-metre tap and go which was very costly for Ireland's scoreboard and momentum.

Tom Clarkson - 5.5

Won an early scrum penalty and made an impressive nine tackles.

However, the Italians started to turn the screw at set-piece and he was hooked off at half-time.

Joe McCarthy - 6

Brought the fight to Italy in the first quarter of the game, and looked rabid in his carries.

Lineout went well when he was on, but he was substituted after 51 minutes for Tadhg Beirne.

Had a really poor pull-back pass with Ireland on for a linebreak.

James Ryan - 6.5

A similar performance to McCarthy, with an aggressive showing.

Cormac Izuchukwu - 7

Perhaps would have liked to have a bigger impact on the ball, considering his reputation for Ulster.

Was superb at lineout time and made a crucial steal in Ireland's 22.

Caelan Doris - 7

Stacked the stat sheet as usual, with 14 tackles, 36 metres made, and a turnover to boot.

Hopefully he can build on this performance next week.

Jack Conan - 6.5

Topped the tackle count with 17 and was brilliant with ball in hand in the first quarter of the game.

Had a shocker of a missed tackle which led to a disallowed try for the Italians.

Nice close carry for his try.

Craig Casey - 6

Despite Jamison Gibson-Park's lack of form at the minute and his error-strewn performance against France, his box-kicking remains world class.

This is where the Munster No 9 fell down, but was bailed out by superb fielding from James Lowe and Robert Baloucoune.

Despite coming off worse for wear, he went too high in his tackle which resulted in a yellow card.

However, he made a superb try-saving tackle to save Ireland and Sam Prendergast's blushes.

Sam Prendergast - 4.5

Started the game well, with control and a range of passing that was giving trouble to the Italian defence, with Ireland unable to convert territory into points.

After his missed conversion in front of the posts, nothing much went right for the Leinster man other than a couple of superb kick-offs.

An erratic showing and missing two simple conversions was simply not good enough.

James Lowe - 8

Talk about man who was fired up.

Was a menace all game and made the game-sealing interception.

Stuart McCloskey - 8.5

Fast becoming one of Ireland's top three players.

The go-to man in the backline who never takes a backwards step.

Two brilliant assists, with the second to Baloucoune particularly special.

Put in a huge try-saving hit just before half-time.

Garry Ringrose - 6

Still trying to find his best form.

Made a massive hit with Ireland defending for their lives at the end of the game.

Robert Baloucoune - 8.5

A near perfect return to the green jersey.

His pace was a breath of fresh air, while he also showed excellent handling throughout.

However, it was his defence and aerial skills which stood above all else.

Finished his try brilliantly.

Jamie Osborne - 7

Another solid performance, and did admirably in a second playmaker role.

Had one poor dropped pass in a crucial position for Ireland.

Replacements:

Rónan Kelleher - 6.5

Tom O'Toole - 6.5

Tadhg Furlong - 5

Edwin Edogbo - 6.5

Tadhg Beirne - 7

Nick Timoney - 6.5

Jamison Gibson-Park - 7

Jack Crowley - 5.5