Afternoon, the Aviva Stadium is humming at the minute as the fans amble in.

Be sure to keep that URL tuned right here for the latest match updates.

It’s a beautiful day for rugby so no excuses today.

The teams have just returned to the dressing rooms so allow me to introduce The Score’s vantage point for the day.

The volume has just been ratcheted up. The flames are shooting high across the field from me.

Paul O’Connell has led Ireland onto the field.

We’re standing for the anthems.

Get that band off the field! There’s rugby to be played.

Right, we’re almost underway.

Please send us in your predictions. I reckon Ireland will beat the -15 handicap.

Clear eyes, full hearts. CAN’T LOSE!

Botes gets us underway.

An early penalty, and a chance for Botes to give Italy a lead from distance.

Botes drops it left and wide.

Paul O’Connell gathers the restart and Ireland are away.

Ireland went side to side for close on 10 phases without really making ground. Sexton kicks and Italy do the same. Eventually- by way of an Irish scrum, they are back within kickinng range with Botes on the 10 meter line.

Ireland racking up the penalties early. This time Botes hits the target from 40 meters.

Italy have come to play, but their efforts in the backline are curtailed by crossing.

Sexton’s turn to find his range.

After a little bit of attention from the physio the Leinster fly-half is up and walloping the ball through the posts from the left side of the 10 meter line.

All square here after 10 minutes.

As can be expected for a 1.30 kick off in Dublin the atmosphere is a little subdued.

A D’arcy break on halfway and offload to Earls soon has the vocal chords getting stretched.

Sean O’Brien eventually tackled, but Ireland attack inside the 22 and have a penalty which Sexton puts in the right hand corner.

TRY: O’Connell takes but Ghiraldini stops the maul at source. Ireland take the ball into contact for three to four phases before Murray switches back to Sexton heading right.

Keith Earls grounds the score.

Yep, Lansdowne is happy now. That unfamiliar shape in the number 13 jersey scoring in the right hand corner.

Sexton converts and with 20 minutes gone, Ireland couldn’t really have hoped for better from the first quarter.

A little bit worrying here, Cian Healy looked to be laid out cold, but he’s up and at them again.

An attack ends in a Trimble knock-on, but Ireland’s backs showing plenty of promise.

Sexton has them moving, running purposeful lines from deep and hitting the ball at pace.

A little bit too much pace that time.

Sexton’s first Garryowen of the day ends in a uncharicteristic knock-on from Kearney.

Just a few little jitters in the side, but nothing that can’t be ironed out by stringing a few phases together.

Gordon D’Arcy the latest to be penalised and usher the kicking tee onto the field.

Botes, from a difficult angle on the left wing, hits the bar. Kearney catches the rebound but the blue shirts are all over him and Italy have a 10 meter scrum.

‘ITALIA, ITALIA’  echoes from two corners of the ground, but Gori’s pass is patted down by D’Arcy.

Looked like a knock on from here, but Sexton clears.

Botes lined up a drop goal from the next phase, but it is harmlessly 10, 12 meters right of the posts.

TRYItaly are looking seriously dangerous on the attack, but after one off-load too far. Kearney looks set to romp clear.

A mix-up between he and F erris lets the Azzuri back in.

Ireland clear, but Italy find a vast amount of extra jerseys as the spin left and it’s the captain, Sergio Parisse who plants the ball under the posts.

All square after an easy conversion.

Ireland go straight up the other end and win a penalty as a blue shirt fails to roll away.

Kicked to the corner again.

TRY Sexton gets the backs going left again, but after a phase it’s slowed down.

Switch back to the right and Italy are short, Kearney does well to skip a pass to Ferris before he is hit hard and hands the try to the one, the only, Tommy Bowe.

Sexton has converted that score and Ireland lead at half time by the full seven point score.

Bit of a mixed bag in the opening half, but after three weeks without a game, Ireland were never likely to hit the ground at full speed.

Tomas O’Beag certainly wasn’t impressed with what he seen, commenting:

“Sooner the better we realise Ireland are not as good as we all think. Their an average team have been for last 3 years”

Another unhappy man is Mark ‘Tosh’ McIntyre exiled in London.

He writes:

“Awful, awful. Ireland don’t want the ball. Not playing enough territory. Schoolboy stuff. ROG is the man to pin them boys in blue back in their own half.”

I hope that kettle has boiled. Because Italy are back on the field no doubt buoyed by a first half performance which seen them rock Ireland back on their heels a number of times.

Ireland follow, but there is little roar from the crowd as they are slowly returning to their seats, trays of stout in hand.

Italy on the attack again and Botes really gives them some invention.

His grubber, however, is well intercepted by Murray.

Unfortunately Craig Joubert has pinged Sean O’Brien and Botes has a chance from 35 meters, straight in front of the posts.

It’s not as easy as it looks, and the scrum-half drifts it to the right again.

D’Arcy touches down across the try-line but it’s been called back.

A great break from Ferris past his opposite number, Zanni.

The pass to Bowe looks good, but the winger knocks on. Possibly because his elbow is grabbed before he catches the ball.

Joubert doesn’t agree and Italy scrum down.

PENALTY TO IRELAND. Great work from Mike Ross to force it.

Right in front = no problem for Sexton.

Ireland lead by 10, with 10 gone in second half.

Again, Ireland show flashes of briliance, with Bowe breaking through on a trailer run off Sexton’s shoulder.

It all breaks down with Best, trying to force a quick off-load when D’Arcy was still nowhere near him.

Eoin Reddan is on the field in place of Murray. Not been a great day for the younger Munster half back.

Parisse is called to be holding onto the ball on Irelan’d right hand corner of the half way line. Another kick to the corner from Sexton, but the line-out hasn’t been at it’s best today. Yet.

Italy steal another line out but Ireland come back through Rob Kearney. He’s back to his best.

35 meter penalty chance now. Barbieri the man who doesn’t roll this time.

From the right side of the field, Sexton shows his mettle.

Peter O’Mahoney has come on to make his international debut.

Donnacha Ryan is also on in place of O’Callaghan.

TRY But enough about the subs, Keith Earls made another line break and the green jersey hammered the try line through four phases.

The balll comes out and Sexton again chose the right pass. Skipping the defender to find Tommy Bowe.

A straightforward conversion for Sexton and Ireland lead by a very healthy looking 20 points.

Italy are back on the offensive though with Kris Burton on in place of Botes.

Paul O’Connell is still working like a trojan, forcing Italy backwards from a five-meter line out.

A good day at 13 for Earls comes to an end after 67 minutes, Fergus McFadden is on the field.

Here comes O’Gara!

Tom Court and Sean Cronin are also ready to enter the action.

Game has hit a bit of a lull as we reach 10 minutes from the finish line. If there was a bonus point at stake, neither side would be feeling this game was over

Not before time, Ireland get a maul going and ROG sends Bowe on his way.

Reddan takes a quick penalty and Cronin is scampering towards the line.

Ireland are baying for a fourth try here.

Never heard that before. The stadium speakers have piped in drums to get the crowd going.

It hasn’t worked, a Mexican wave is starting to ripple in the east stand. Please stop.

TRY: Big Tom Court reaps the benefits of a tired Azzuri defence and Ireland have their fourth touch down.

TRY: Andy Trimble on the breakaway.

Italy are undoubtedly a side on the up. They have finally added some back invention to their forwards.

However, they were at their best in the first half and Ireland still went in leading by a maximum score.

The second period wasn’t perfect, but Ireland carved out a comprehensive victory none-the-less.

The final result is the kind of margin we always expect against Italy. It’s so rare we actually achieve it.

‘Don’t stop, thinking about tomorrow’ is the song putting a pep in supporters step as they leave the new stadium.

Perhaps tomorrow won’t bother Declan Kidney too much, but it can’t be long before his thoughts turn to France and a second go at Les Bleus in Stade de France.

So that’s all from me. Hope you enjoyed the game.

Good result, but there’s always improvements to be made in performance.

C’MON IRELAND.