The National Times - Ireland keep Six Nations title hopes alive as focus switches to Cardiff and Paris

Success in the opening match of the championship's concluding Super Saturday took Ireland top of the table on 19 points, three points clear of France and four ahead of England.

Italy took the lead at the Stadio Olimpico through Monty Ioane's 12th-minute try but the Azzurri played more than half the match at least a man down after Michele Lamoro and Giacomo Nicotera were yellow-carded, while No 8 Ross Vintcent was shown a 20th-minute red card for a head-on-head challenge.

Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan scored a hat-trick of tries, with full-back Hugo Keenan also crossing Italy's line.

"Happy with five points, we probably needed a bit more points difference," Sheehan told ITV.

"Fair play to Italy, I thought their game-plan worked well and they put us under pressure. We got five points and it's up to the other teams now."

The destiny of the title does indeed remain in France's hands.

A bonus-point victory at home to Scotland will be enough to take France to 21 points, with 20 the most England can manage if they beat Wales heavily in Cardiff in the second game of the day.

Another factor in favour of France, who scuppered Ireland's bid for a Grand Slam with a dominant 42-27 win in Dublin last weekend, is they are currently 86 points better off than England on points difference.

The only surprise is that after three thumping wins -- including 43-0 and 73-24 routs of Wales and Italy -- France are not on course for a Grand Slam of their own.

That dream died with an error-strewn display in a 26-25 second-round loss away to England, when France squandered several clear try-scoring opportunities.

But they have been in commanding form since that Twickenham reverse and even the loss early on against Ireland of inspirational captain Antoine Dupont to a knee injury that has ruled the outstanding scrum-half out of the Scotland game failed to derail their progress.

- 'Maturing France' -

Stand-in skipper Gregory Alldritt said Dupont's absence this weekend had "changed nothing" in terms of the team's overall approach.

"We're at the end of a Six Nations, the system has been in place since the start," Alldritt told reporters on Friday. "We've continued with what we've been working on for seven weeks."

The No 8 added: "We've progressed little by little. We've matured, become more consistent and I hope we'll prove that once again on Saturday night."

Scotland co-captain Finn Russell, who spent five years playing for Paris-based club Racing 92, is well aware of the task facing his side.

"They (France) have got everything to play for," said the fly-half. "Hopefully, we can disrupt it. I know it's going to be a massive challenge tomorrow night."

England will be favourites to beat a Wales side on a 16-Test losing streak.

- 'Aggressive' -

But they would not be the first Red Rose team to be undone by the raucous atmosphere of a capacity Principality Stadium crowd, with England captain Maro Itoje saying it is vital his side hit the ground running.

"Whenever you play Wales, but particularly in Cardiff, you need to be aggressive," Itoje said.

The 30-year-old lock, a veteran of 92 England caps added: "The atmosphere is obviously great, it is a stadium you want to play in and I don't see it as intimidating at all...I have played very badly in Cardiff. I have played well in Cardiff, so I draw on all of those experiences."

Saturday's match will be Matt Sherratt's third and last as caretaker Wales boss since the Englishman took over mid-tournament following the end of Warren Gatland's unsuccessful second stint in charge.

T.Cunningham--TNT