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Italy crack 50 points in big Russia win
Source: Agencies |
September 21, 2011, Wednesday
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ITALY illustrated the benefits of playing regular international test rugby when it routed Russia 53-17 in the only game at the World Cup yesterday, while players from the Pacific islands were in hot water with tournament officials.
Captain Sergio Parisse was at the heart of his side's best moments in a dominant first half for the Italians, breaking tackles and linking backs with forwards as they jumped out to a 38-7 lead at halftime.
Italy scored nine tries, one of which was a penalty try as its dominance at the scrum proved too much for Russia, and it was the first time it scored 50 points in a World Cup match.
Italy joined the Six Nations in 2000 and the benefits of regular top-level competition were plain to see against weaker opposition.
"We haven't often played against sides lower than us, in fact they are only the second team we have played in the last four years who are lower than us in the IRB rankings," Italy coach Nick Mallett said.
"So I was a little bit nervous with how it was going to go but very pleased how we came through it."
Stirring haka
Prior to the match, more than 1,000 students from Nelson College performed a stirring haka on the steps of the city's cathedral to commemorate the first World Cup game to be held in the city.
Nelson College was the site of the first organized game of rugby in New Zealand in 1870, and a reenactment of the match took place with 18-players dressed in replica period costumes on each side.
Fiji's Dominiko Waqaniburotu fell foul of tournament officials when he was banned for three weeks for a dangerous tackle on South Africa's Pat Lambie in its match on Saturday.
The suspension means the 25-year-old's World Cup is effectively over unless Fiji embarks on an unlikely run to the last four as he will not be eligible to return until October 10 - the day after the completion of the quarterfinals.
Samoa centre Eliota Sapolu Fuimaono escaped censure after apologizing for a Twitter rant in which he said his side's treatment by the IRB was "like slavery, like the holocaust, like apartheid" in reference to their playing schedule.
The Pacific islanders play all four of their Pool D games in 16 days and were pipped by Wales 17-10 on Sunday, just four days after they had played Namibia which prompted his outburst.
Captain Sergio Parisse was at the heart of his side's best moments in a dominant first half for the Italians, breaking tackles and linking backs with forwards as they jumped out to a 38-7 lead at halftime.
Italy scored nine tries, one of which was a penalty try as its dominance at the scrum proved too much for Russia, and it was the first time it scored 50 points in a World Cup match.
Italy joined the Six Nations in 2000 and the benefits of regular top-level competition were plain to see against weaker opposition.
"We haven't often played against sides lower than us, in fact they are only the second team we have played in the last four years who are lower than us in the IRB rankings," Italy coach Nick Mallett said.
"So I was a little bit nervous with how it was going to go but very pleased how we came through it."
Stirring haka
Prior to the match, more than 1,000 students from Nelson College performed a stirring haka on the steps of the city's cathedral to commemorate the first World Cup game to be held in the city.
Nelson College was the site of the first organized game of rugby in New Zealand in 1870, and a reenactment of the match took place with 18-players dressed in replica period costumes on each side.
Fiji's Dominiko Waqaniburotu fell foul of tournament officials when he was banned for three weeks for a dangerous tackle on South Africa's Pat Lambie in its match on Saturday.
The suspension means the 25-year-old's World Cup is effectively over unless Fiji embarks on an unlikely run to the last four as he will not be eligible to return until October 10 - the day after the completion of the quarterfinals.
Samoa centre Eliota Sapolu Fuimaono escaped censure after apologizing for a Twitter rant in which he said his side's treatment by the IRB was "like slavery, like the holocaust, like apartheid" in reference to their playing schedule.
The Pacific islanders play all four of their Pool D games in 16 days and were pipped by Wales 17-10 on Sunday, just four days after they had played Namibia which prompted his outburst.
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