Source: Federugby press release
With a great team performance, Italy overtakes Canada 48-7 at Hakatanamori Stadium in Fukuoka, taking the second consecutive victory in the current World Cup in Japan, with bonuses in Group B by taking a step forward towards qualification for the next World Cup in France in 2023 .
Seven tries to one for the Azzurri who start well and after a minute they close to the advantage with Braley being anticipated by a whisker by Parfey before crushing the ball in the goal. A few moments later from an initiative by Steyn comes the free kick of Tommaso Allan who unlocks the result by moving the partial to 3-0. Italy plays well and from a scrum in the Canadian 22-meter defensive line comes the first goal of the match scored by Steyn who collects the oval and uses his physicality to break two tackles before scoring. A llan converts for the momentary 10-0 in the eighth minute of play .
O’Shea’s XV plays on velvet and from a choral action comes the second goal of the match in the 13th minute with captain Buddwho finds an opening in the Canadian defense shortly after the midfield and flies alone scoring in the middle of the posts with Allan who transforms for the 17-0. Canada tries to raise their heads and in the 17 ‘wastes a sensational opportunity with the newly entered Heaton who only a few meters from the posts loses the oval by committing forward. Jones’s team tries to take advantage of the speed of their backs but between imprecision in attack and excellent positioning of the blue defense with Minozzi, Benvenuti and Bisegni manages to send the threat to the sender. The Azzurri in the final half have a good opportunity but fail to take advantage of the scrum a few meters from the opponent’s goal line with the first half ending 17-0.
The first minutes of the restart follow the start of the match with an aggressive Italy that immediately exploits a repeated action close to the Canadian posts with Sebastian Negri who finds the right opening to move the result to 24-0 with the transformation of Allan . Jones’s team dives into attack creating dangers on the Van Der Merwe-Hassler axis with the Canadian number 14 being stopped by a last-second recovery by Minozzi avoiding a practically scored goal . Italy presses on the accelerator and in the 58th minute virtually closes the match by finding a technical goal, the result of repeated fouls by the Canadian defense, which finds itself outnumbered with the warning remedied by Heaton.
Five minutes later, the Azzurri took advantage of the spaces granted with a foray by Polledri that started the action that led Mattia Bellini – his second consecutive goal in the Rugby World Cup – to the left-handed attacking side. In the final, Canada manages to shake off zero by going to goal with the speed of the newly entered Coe in the 70th minute and, a few minutes later, again from the bench, the Azzurri’s goal arrives with Federico Zani who takes advantage of a maul born from a touch-off on the left-handed attacking side. At 79 ‘Minozzi closes the game using the Polledri-Bellini axis, nailing the result at 48-7.
In Shizuoka on Friday at 6.45 pm local time (11.45 am Italian time) Italy will face South Africa in the third match of Group B.
Group B, II day
Italy v Canada 48-7 (17-0)
Scorers: pt 3 ‘cp ​​Allan (3-0); 8 ‘m. Steyn tr. Allan (10-0); 13 ‘m. Budd tr. Allan (17-0); st 44 ‘m. Negri tr. Allan (24-0); 58 ‘Meta Tecnica Italia (31-0); 62 ‘m. Bellini (36-0); 70 ‘m. Coe tr. Nelson (36-7); 74 ‘m. Zani tr. Canna (43-7); 79 ‘m. Minozzi (48-7)
Italy: Minozzi; Welcome (41 ‘Bellini), Campagnaro, Hayward, Bisegni; Allan (62 ′ Canna), Braley (72 ′ Palazzani); Steyn (62 ‘Mbanda), Polledri, Negri; Budd (cap), Sisi (55 ‘Ruzza); Ferrari (47 ‘Riccioni), Bigi (59’ Zani), Lovotti (47 ‘Quaglio)
All. O’Shea
Canada:Parfey; Hassler (62 ‘Coe), Lesage, Blevins (8’ Hearn), Van Der Merwe; Nelson, McRorie (66 ‘Mackenzie); Ardron (cap), Rumball (15 ‘Heaton), Sheppard (76’ Campbell); Larsen, Keys; Tierney (50 ‘Keith), Howard (57’ Piffero), Buydens (39 ‘Duru-Sears)
All. Jones
Arb. Nigel Owens (WRU)
Cards: at 58 ‘yellow for Heaton (Canada)
Players: Allan (Italy) 4/5; Nelson (Canada) 1/1; Canna (Italy) 1/2
Points won in the standings: Italy 5; Canada 0
Man of the match: Jake Polledri (Italy)
