Deflated Ireland scrapes past Italy 22-17 in Rome and remains third in the Six Nations

ROME (AP) — Ireland overcame Italy by a scrappy 22-17 at the Stadio Olimpico and finished the last day of the Six Nations where it started, in third place.

Ireland had slim hopes of an historic third consecutive title, and the unconvincing bonus-point win in Rome was overtaken as expected within hours by England, which finished second, and France, the new champion.

A week after Ireland was hammered by France in Dublin and lost control of its destiny, it briefly regained the tournament lead with a fourth win in five matches. But the Triple Crown holder suffered a French hangover trying to force too much against an Italy determined to show its best side after conceding 18 tries to France and England.

“There's a little bit of disappointment that we didn't play at our best,” Ireland interim coach Simon Easterby said.

"Credit to Italy, they had a part to play in that. We coughed up too much possession and didn't make the most of some opportunities. We could have broken the back a little bit but we allowed them to stay in the game. The scoreline reflected it was tighter than it should have been.”

The Irish scored four tries to two and enjoyed 30-plus minutes with a man advantage but a clunky, deflated performance gave Italy hope of an upset.

Italy frequently found holes in the Irish defense but three yellow cards — one of them turning into a 20-minute red — undid all of its impressive work.

The highlight of Ireland's display was hooker Dan Sheehan's first test hat trick of tries, extending his men's Six Nations record for a forward to 13. Fullback Hugo Keenan could have had a hat trick, too, but one was ruled out and another wasn't given.

Italy should have led at halftime.

Winger Monty Ioane finished a try brilliantly engineered by Tommaso Menoncello and Paolo Garbisi, and Tommaso Allan converted and added a penalty.

Ireland replied with only a Keenan try assisted by flyhalf Jack Crowley, who converted.

Italy lost injured forwards Sebastian Negri, Lorenzo Cannone and Dino Lamb in the first 30 minutes but the team created four linebreaks to Ireland's one.

Then in the 39th minute replacement flanker Michele Lamaro, the long-time Italy captain who was dropped for the match, was yellow-carded for needlessly tapping the ball out of the hands of Jamison Gibson-Park.

Ireland used the penalty and extra man for a lineout maul and Sheehan's first try to go into the break 12-10 up, then 17-10 afterward when Sheehan scored from another lineout maul.

Just as Lamaro returned, with two tries conceded in his absence, teammate Ross Vintcent was yellow-carded for a head-on collision with Keenan. It was later upgraded to red.

Keenan should have had the next try, assisted by Crowley again, but it was chalked off because of a knock-on by captain Caelan Doris.

Sheehan got his third try when Gibson-Park's crossfield kick to a leaping Mack Hansen over the sideline was slapped inside to the hooker.

But while Ireland led 22-10 and Crowley was playing well in his first start since November, he missed a third straight conversion, two of them badly.

The missed goalkicks and bombed tries looked costly when Italy's Ange Capuozzo beautifully set up a try for Stephen Varney and Allan converted from the sideline. Italy trailed by five, never having been this close to Ireland in 11 years.

Sheehan left in the 70th to a standing ovation from the Irish fans, estimated to be more than 20,000.

Keenan went over again, late, but James Lowe was ruled to have stepped on the touchline, even though replays showed he didn't.

Italy's final fling unraveled when replacement hooker Giacomo Nicotera was sin-binned for a dangerous ruck clearout, confirming the team's 16th straight defeat to the Irish.

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

Ireland's Dan Sheehan, center, is tackled by Italy's Gianmarco lucchesi, left, and Manuel Zuliani during the Six Nations rugby match between Italy and Ireland, at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Players compete for the ball during the Six Nations rugby match between Italy and Ireland, at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Italy's Tommaso Menoncello, bottom, with his teammate following the Six Nations rugby match between Italy and Ireland, at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Ireland's players celebrates following the Six Nations rugby match between Italy and Ireland, at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Ireland's James Lowe, jumps over Italy's Ange Capuozzo during the Six Nations rugby match between Italy and Ireland, at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Ireland's Hugo Keenan, left, score a try as Italy's Martin Page-Relo tries to defend during the Six Nations rugby match between Italy and Ireland, at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market is holding relatively steady, for now, following sharp swings up and down since the war with Iran began and sent oil prices spurting. The S&P 500 was flat in early trading Tuesday, a day after careening from a sharp early loss to a solid gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 34 points, and the Nasdaq composite edged up 0.2%. Trading was also relatively calm in the oil market, which has been the center of action because of worries about the potential for long-term disruptions to the energy industry in the Middle East.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

Trading steadied early Tuesday and crude prices eased after wild swings this week with investors trying to figure out how long the war with Iran will continue.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2% before the opening bell, while S&P 500 futures inched up 0.1%. Futures for the Nasdaq were up 0.2%.

On Monday, markets swung from big losses to finish the day with gains, while oil prices neared $120 per barrel before falling back to about $90. Oil prices inched down further early Tuesday.

Helping to assuage investors’ fears, U.S. President Donald Trump told CBS News on Monday that he thinks “the war is very complete, pretty much.” However, Trump also made other somewhat contradictory comments that seemed to threaten intensified action against Iran if it makes any “attempt to stop the globe’s oil supply.”

Iran launched new attacks on Tuesday at Israel and Gulf Arab countries, keeping pressure on the Middle East in a war started by Israel and the United States 10 days ago that has sent oil prices surging.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell $5.44 to $89.33 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, dipped $6.97 to $91.99 a barrel. Oil prices are still up about 34% since the war began.

The average U.S. price for a gallon of gas continued to climb, rising to $3.54, according to auto club AAA on Tuesday. That average was just under $3 a gallon in the days before the conflict began, and $3.11 last week.

There is a great deal of uncertainty about just how high oil prices will go and how long they will stay there because of disruptions to Middle East energy facilities.

If oil prices stay very high for very long, household budgets already stretched by high inflation could break under the pressure. Companies would see their own bills jump for fuel and to stock items on their store shelves or in their data warehouses.

Concerns have focused on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway off Iran’s coast that a fifth of the world’s oil sails through on a typical day. Iran has threatened to set fire to ships sailing the strait.

Global shares rebounded Tuesday from their sharp declines a day before.

France's CAC 40 added 2.1% in early trading, while Germany's DAX surged 2.5%. Britain's FTSE 100 gained 1.7%.

In Asia, Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 added 2.9% to finish at 54,248.39 after the government released revised economic data that showed Japan's economy grew slightly faster than initially estimated in the final quarter of last year, boosted by solid business investments.

Japan's economy expanded at an annual pace of 1.3%. The initial estimate was a much weaker 0.2%.

“Today is the rebound, obviously positive comments from President Trump overnight, we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel for the war," said Neil Newman, a managing director and head of strategy at Astris Advisory Japan.

"So volatility is going to remain with us but things are certainly looking a lot brighter today,” he said.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.1% to 8,692.60. South Korea's Kospi jumped 5.4% to 5,532.59.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 2.2% to 25,959.90, while the Shanghai Composite index rose 0.7% to 4,123.14.

South Korea’s Kospi, where extremely volatile trading set off two circuit breakers in the past week, including Monday, rose more than 5% Tuesday.

In currency trading, the U.S. dollar rose to 157.78 Japanese yen from 157.67 yen. The euro was trading at $1.1646, up from $1.1636.

AP Videographer Ayaka McGill in Tokyo contributed.

The New York Stock Exchange is seen in New York, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Pedestrians mill about outside the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Currency traders watch monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), right, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency traders work at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

U.S. President Donald Trump is seen on a screen as traders work at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency trader react near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), rear left, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A currency trader passes by a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), rear center, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, rear left, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)