Ireland v Italy Reaction: Four players made their Six Nations debuts on Saturday.

Hooker Bernard Jackman came in briefly, number eight Jamie Heaslip arrived from the bench, Tom Buckley replaced John Hayes in the frontrow and Rob Kearney also entered the match when his good friend, Gordon D'Arcy, was ushered to hospital with a fractured wrist. At this stage it seems that Kearney has been around for aeons but his first touch in a Six Nations match was fetching a high ball that was dropping from the Croke Park terraces swollen with 75,000 fans.

That wasn't a baptism for the faint-hearted but Kearney knows now that after one match his international season could take flight on the back of D'Arcy's misfortune. "It's opening up. Obviously there is nothing definitive there, we'll have to wait and see," he said cautiously before rising to the Croke Park experience.

"Personally it was fantastic first time playing in that arena - 75,000 is pretty special. It is something I will never forget. I think collectively we got the win which was the important thing and created the opportunities which was positive. We left a few (opportunities) of them behind but hopefully we can capitalise on a few more next week."

The high ball that he plucked from the sky was a gem and it further strengthened Kearney's growing reputation as a talented young footballer, who has managed the step up with aplomb. His mettle has already been tested this year with Leinster after a few high-profile Heineken European Cup errors, but he capably buried those, cold and just off the bench for D'Arcy.

"First contribution to the game is often the most important one," he added. "Obviously if you can come out on top then it sets you up for the rest of the game and you feel as if you have gotten into it. It's important to come out on top after the first contribution. You've got to act quick enough because you don't have that long when you are coming on. Gordon being a close friend as well, it's something you never like to see. At the same time it gave me my opportunity."

For Kearney now, it is game by game. Playing well personally was the cream on top. But getting the win was always the team imperative. Former tennis professional and coach of Andrei Agassi, Brad Gilbert wrote the book Win Ugly. Ireland must have read and digested the lot.

"There was nothing down about it (in the changing room)," added Kearney. "Getting the win was the important thing. It was a dog fight out there and it wasn't easy and I think at times we really dug deep and came out on top. Obviously there was a bit of frustration about the opportunities that we left behind but we know they are very little things and they are things that can be easily fixed. It's no secret that it wasn't Ireland's full potential out there. Nobody is doubting that and we'll be out next week to prove that."

If Kearney was the youngster, Girvan Dempsey is the try-scoring elder statesman. Less wide-eyed, Dempsey pockets the win alright but he knows there is much to do before Paris next weekend. But was the performance good enough for Stade de France? "No," he says. "We'll look to address a lot of the issues during the week. The penalties were a concern. Normally we never give away that amount of penalties. We have to read the referee. We have to read him to see how he referees a game, be a bit smart in the way we ruck and go into rucks."

But there was no talking down the importance of victory. "It kicks off our championship on a winning note which was our aim. The guys are obviously battered and bruised because it was very physical but everyone's on a high. Particularly early in the championship, the Italians really like to target teams and go after them."

The disappointment of the World Cup has not been totally expurgated and the question is whether Ireland has moved on. Italian backrow Mauro Bergamsaco might be seen as an honest broker in an increasingly polarised debate. "I think this team was a better Irish team than the one we played in Belfast," said the flanker.