Rome (Reuters): Ireland recorded their biggest ever Six Nations victory as they smashed Italy 63-10 in Rome on Saturday, running in nine tries and earning the tournament’s first attacking bonus point.

The 2015 champions rebounded from a narrow loss against Scotland last week in Murrayfield and earned their four-try bonus point in barely 30 minutes, with flanker and man-of-the-match CJ Stander scoring the second of his three tries.

Substitute winger Craig Gilroy also bagged a hat-trick late in the second half as Italy, the tournament’s perennial wooden-spooners, found that the new bonus-point system had sharpened their opponents’ desire to put them to the sword.

Ireland next play France in Dublin after two away games.

France beat Scotland 22-16 in Six Nations

AFP: France pulled clear in the final 10 minutes to defeat battling Scotland 22-16 in the Six Nations on Sunday.

Scotland outscored France by two tries to one but Camille Lopez kicked 17 points with the boot to guide France to victory.