Ireland survived a big scare against a committed and passionate Italian team who threatened an upset early on.

Fielding three new players, Ireland were stunned by a Cenci try after just nine minutes as the Italian fans in the crowd celebrated.

However, Ireland were not to be denied and responded with 2 tries in four minutes that turned the game around in their favour, with Curran and Cromie getting scores

They took a 12-point lead into the break when Jack O’Sullivan found space to go over for an 18-4 lead at the break

Italy responded quickly after the break when Davide Arena broke the line to score, but a Biscomb McNamee penalty settled Irish nerves before Curran got his second to end the game as a contest

Ireland will face Serbia in the 5^th/6^th playoff, while Italy will renew acquaintances with Ukraine in the 7^th/8^th playoff

Ireland Coach Wayne Kelly was delighted with the result after the game: “It’s great to get our first ever win at Under 19 level and it’s important for the development going on in Ireland. It was an emotional occasion and I’m very proud of the boys and the way they responded to the Scotland game. We played some debutants today and we have great strength in depth ahead of the Serbia game and 5^th is now the realistic target for this group”