Italy scored seven tries in their opening match victory in opposition to Namibia.
Italy cruised to a seven-try bonus-point 52-8 victory over Namibia in their Rugby World Cup Pool A opener in Saint-Etienne on Saturday.
Star wing Ange Capuozzo was amongst the attempt scorers, with Lorenzo Cannone, Paolo Garbisi, Dino Lamb, Epalahame Faiva, Manuel Zuliani and Paolo Odogwu additionally dotting down, whereas Gerswin Mouton replied for Namibia.
Full-back Tommaso Allan contributed 17 factors with the boot in a faultless show.
It was a twenty third straight defeat in as many World Cup matches for the African facet.
Coming away with a most five-point haul was essential for Italy, with clashes in opposition to pool heavyweights France and New Zealand to return.
Kieran Crowley’s staff is seeking to make the knock-out phases for the primary time and the New Zealander mentioned they should enhance to face any probability of constructing it to the quarter-finals.
“If you’d given me 50 points before the game I would have grabbed them, but we turned over about 22 balls and you can’t afford to do that,” mentioned Crowley.
“But it was pretty hot out there and the boys are pretty gassed, so we’ll take it and we’ll move on.”
Namibia’s South African coach Allister Coetzee mentioned he was “really proud of the boys” regardless of failing to finish their look ahead to a primary World Cup win.
“They never gave up. They hung in there,” mentioned Coetzee.
“We struggled at stopping their lineout maul and in addition at scrum time. They are an excellent facet.
“Towards the end it ballooned out a bit, but that is the difference in the conditioning when you come up against a Tier One country.”
Frenetic begin
Namibia began on the entrance foot with fly-half Tiaan Swanepoel kicking the primary factors of the sport.
But these hopes rapidly unravelled as Italy hit straight again with a penalty of their very own from Allan.
And after Namibian hooker Torsten van Jaarsveld was sin-binned for cynically dragging down a rolling maul, Italy lower unfastened.
The Europeans’ No.8 Cannone barged over from a short-range catch-and-drive after which fly-half Garbisi ghosted by means of a gaping gap in the Namibian defence to dot down below the posts after a wretched line-out throw by the Africans’ No.8 Richard Hardwick — deputising for the binned Van Jaarsveld — put his facet in hassle.
The 14 males quickly hit again, although, as Mouton was launched in area out broad to dive over in the nook.
After that frenetic begin in searing warmth on the sun-drenched Stade Geoffroy Guichard, the tempo of the sport slowed markedly and neither facet might add to their rating earlier than the break, with Italy turning round 17-8 forward.
The second half was one-way site visitors as Italy began it in a lot the identical means as the primary, Lamb barging over from shut vary after a sequence of pick-and-gos.
The Six Nations’ perennial picket spoon finishers then lower unfastened as Capuozzo confirmed off his expertise, taking part in a one-two with Monty Ioane earlier than diving over in the nook.
Replacement prop Marco Riccioni thought he had added one other attempt nevertheless it was chalked off for a knock-on in the build-up.
However, fellow substitutes Faiva, Zuliani and Odogwu exploited a tiring Namibian defence so as to add a late flourish.
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