Italy 25 Romania 17

Italy booked their place at Rugby World Cup 2003 after battling to a 25-17 win over Romania in Parma, the Azzurri now pooled with New Zealand, Wales, Canada and a repechage qualifier in Group D next year.

The match at the Stadio Lanfrachi stadium in the northern city of Parma ensured that Romania's hopes of a place in the World Cup finals now rest on a winner-takes-all clash against Spain in the Romanian city of Iasi in two weeks.

The match was tense and close, spoilt by bad handling, in which the losers scored two tries to the victors' one.

It was the fifth Test Italy had played in Parma, and the fourth time it has won there.  In 1948 Italy beat Czechoslovakia 17-0;  in 1964 France won 12-3.  Italy beat Romania 13-12 in 1976 and Spain 62-15 in 1994.

Parma may be the gastronomic capital of Italy, if not Europe as far as the Parmigiani are concerned, famous for cheese and ham, a university city of grand buildings and many bicycles, a famous baptistry and Giuseppe Verdi, but, despite its two Super 10 clubs, rugby does not have a great following there, not as great as in Treviso, and the crowd was pretty threadbare for this important World Cup Qualifier.

Before the match John Kirwan called on the people to sing the national anthem, Inno de Mameli, with the team, but there were not enough to raise the roof of the Parma Opera House, not nearly.

Victory has ensured that Italy will end top of its group with victories over both Spain and Romania.  That means that Romania and Spain will have to fight it out for second place in the group, and a direct passage to Australia.

In this match Italy played in white with black shorts.  Romania, unchacteristically played in jerseys that were mainly black with gold flashes and slashes.

On the evidence of this match, one would expect Romania to win well in Iasi as they did better against Italy in Parma than Spain had done in Valladolid when they lost 50-3 to Italy.

There was a time in the first half when Italy looked on the way to building a healthy score.  Andrea Lo Cicero, the bulky prop who is supposed to be playing for Toulouse, scored when the forwards rumbled.  Lo Cicero was brought down but raised the ball and place it for the try.  The Romanians had their doubts about the try.

Gert Peens the Italian fullback, converted the try and added two penalty goals to give Italy a 13-0 lead.

But the Romanians had got their mauling going and their tall, athletic captain, Alin Petrache, who plays for Racing in France, was over for the try.  Flyhalf Ionut Tofanu, also of Racing, converted -- 13-7.

Peens kicked his third penalty goal to make it 16-7.

Then from close quarters sturdy scrumhalf Lucian Sirbu, also of Racing, who was in for injured Petre Mitu, stepped inside two defenders top score.  Tofanu converted -- 16-14.

That was the score at half-time.

The second half started with Romania in charge of possession and showing all the attacking ideas as they tried to run with their backs and rumble with their forwards, but their hands let them down.

When the Italian were penalised for holding on, Tofanu put his side in the lead for the first time at 17-16.

Kirwan then sent in the old brigade.  In came Mauro Bergamasco and Carlo Checchinato for Andrea De Rossi and Marco Bertolami.

From then on Checchinato ruled the line-outs and Bergamasco played like a man possessed, defending with ruthless exuberance.

A late tackle penalty gave Peens the chance to get the lead back for Italy who seemed to lift their game from then on as Alessandro Troncon kept them going forward.

Two more penalties for off-side brought the score to 25-17, where it ended.  This was not without some hectic Romanian attack which broke on great Italian defence in which Bergamasco was the most prominent.

The best of the Italian backs was big, fast, strong, young Nicola Mazzucato.  The best of the forwards, throughout, was No.8 Sergio Parisse, also a young player.

Italy:  1 Leandro Castrogiovanni, 2 Andrea Moretti, 3 Andrea Lo Cicero, 4 Enrico Pavanello, 5 Marco Bortolami, 6 Andrea De Rossi, 7 Aaron Persico, 8 Sergio Parisse, 9 Alessandro Troncon (c), 10 Andrea Scanavacca, 11 Denis Dallan, 12 Cristian Zanoletti, 13 Cristian Stoica, 14 Nicola Mazzucato, 15 Gert Peens
Reserves:  Ramiro Martinez-Frugoni, Mauro Bergamasco, Carlo Checchinato
Unused:  Mirco Bergamasco, Francesco Mazzariol, Juan Manuel Queirolo, Stefano Saviozzi

Romania:  1 Silviu Florea, 2 Marius Tincu, 3 Petrisor Toderasc, 4 Cristian Petre, 5 Ovidiu Tonita, 6 Florin Corodeanu, 7 Alexandru Manta, 8 Alin Petrache (c), 9 Lucian Sirbu, 10 Ionut Tofan, 11 Cristian Sauan, 12 Romeo Gontineac, 13 Valentin Maftei, 14 Mihai Vioreanu, 15 Gabriel Brezoianu
Reserves:  Sorin Socol, Remus Lungu, Razvan Mavrodin, Marius Picoiu, Cristian Podea, Marcel Socaciu, Dan Tudosa

Attendance:  2000
Referee:  Courtney d.

Points Scorers:

Italy
Tries:  Lo Cicero A. 1
Conv:  Peens G. 1
Pen K.:  Peens G. 6

Romania
Tries:  Sirbu L.M. 1, Corodeanu F. 1
Conv:  Tofan I.R. 2
Pen K.:  Tofan I.R. 1