Donncha O'Callaghan tries to make some ground for Ireland

"I was disappointed to say the least. It didn't happen for us," O'Sullivan told BBC Sport.

"We didn't get into a rhythm out there. It was stop-start in the first half. We needed to ratchet it up in the second half but we didn't do that.

"The one good thing is that we showed character to come back at the end."

Interview: Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan

606: DEBATE This was an embarrassing Irish display Tailskidder

O'Sullivan felt his team had failed to impose themselves on the contest.

"We didn't create any real good platform at the breakdown to run at the Italians which we knew we would have to do.

"Our ruck ball slowed down a lot tonight. The key for our game is good ruck ball but (instead) there was a lot of digging for the ball and a lot of slow ball.

"They are a physical side and once we didn't get them on the back foot, it was going to be a tough day."

Despite his team's struggles, O'Sullivan claimed that his side "are not 100 miles away".

We won today because we saw on the video that O'Gara lost the ball over the line Italy coach Pierre Berbizier

"But we have to make a lot of fixes pretty soon."

The Irish coach appeared to absolve Neil Best of any blame for the misfiring performance.

"Neil Best had a big game again. The midfield didn't fire well but you have to balance that against the quality of the ball."

Italian coach Pierre Berbizier felt his team had been "robbed" by referee Nigel Owens' controversial decision to award O'Gara's last-gasp try.

"We won today because we saw on the video that O'Gara lost the ball over the line," said the furious Frenchman.

"I don't know why the try was given. I didn't want to go into the World Cup with something like this - we deserve the same respect off the field that we have won on it.

"We clearly saw that O'Gara lost the ball. He did not touch it down, so why was it given? But I am proud of my team because they won the respect of Ireland on the field."

Italy skipper Marco Bortolami was also left seething by O'Gara's try.

Bortolami said: "I was very surprised when the try was given because it wasn't a try.

"It was very disappointing because we played well, defended well and put the Irish under a lot of pressure."