Italy 17 Canada 22

Stand-off Jared Barker netted 17 points for Canada through four penalties, a drop kick and a conversion to lead his team to a 22-17 victory over a largely experimental Italy in Rovigo.

For Italian coach Brad Johnstone it could be a costly loss as well, with rumours circulating that he would be sacked if the Azzurri lost to the 12th ranked North Americans.

Barker opened the scoring in the tenth minute with a 26 metre penalty after the Azzurri were called for offside by referee Didier Mene.

Barker's opposite number Francesco Mazzariol evened it up with a 46 metre effort a few minutes later after Canada were called for offside as well.

It was the James Bay player taking Canada into the lead again with a penalty kick, showing that the Italians would have to pay for the mistakes as his kicking game was on.

Canada showed aggressive defense by the backs, coming up quickly to snuff any Italian threat, and often regaining possession with good work in the rucks by the forwards.

The partisan Italian crowd began to coo in admiration as both Dan Baugh and Rod Snow made punishing runs into the Azzurri forwards, driving for valuable extra metres with each contact.

Italy's work in the lineout seemed effective on their own ball, and Canada began to withdraw quickly on three man throw-ins, setting up a solid defensive wall.

Mazzariol appeared to be putting his team under constant pressure with short kicks, poor decision making and, along with passing problems from debutant scrumhalf Filippo Frati, the Italians had little consistent ball to play with.

Barker slotted two more to take the Canadians into a 12 -3 lead before Mazzariol slotted a 10 metre penalty in the 36th minute and another in the 40th to reduce the lead to 12-9

It was Barker opening the scoring in the second half with a 29 metre drop goal just 56 seconds after the restart.

Both teams were reduced by one as flanker Dan Baugh and wing Denis Dallon were told to sit out for ten minutes after a brawl broke out on the Italian goal line.

A few minutes later another Azzuri penalty on their own goal line gave Morgan Williams a chance to use his quick tap magic to great affect getting within a metre of the line before Kevin Wirachowski rumbled in to get his second try of the tour.  Barker converted to take the lead to 22-9.

In the 67th minute Canada were down to 13 on 14 after Ryan Banks was shown the door for ten minutes following an incident in a ruck.  With the advantage the Italians began to put some impressive passages of play together culminating in an overlap that freed centre Manuel Dallan for a try in the left corner.  Replacement fly half Ramiro Pez could not make the touch line coversion and the Azzurri were within 8, 22-14.

The lack of numbers began to bend the Canadian defense with the Italians attacking late in the game, netting a penalty from Pez in the 39th minute to make the score 22-17.

Canadian captain Al Charron received a sin bin in the 81st minute for offside, and Italy pressed with a kick to the Canadian ten metre line.  After winning the lineout the Italians knocked on in the backline and the final whistle preserved the Canadian victory.

Morgan Williams was named the Jaguar man of the match by a panel of Canadian and Italian journalists.

Italy:  1 Andrea Lo Cicero, 2 Alessandro Moscardi, 3 Andrea Muraro, 4 Wim Visser, 5 Andrea Gritti, 6 Fabio Ongaro, 7 Mauro Bergamasco, 8 Carlo Caione, 9 Filippo Frati, 10 Francesco Mazzariol, 11 Denis Dallan, 12 Manuel Dallan, 13 Cristian Stoica (c), 14 Luca Martin, 15 Marco Baroni
Reserves:  Luca Mastrodomenico, Andrea De Rossi, Tino Paoletti, Ramiro Pez
Unused:  Nicola Mazzucato, Stefano Saviozzi, Lisandro Villagra

Canada:  1 Rod Snow, 2 Harry Toews, 3 Kevin Tkachuk, 4 Mike James, 5 John Tait, 6 Dan Baugh, 7 Alan Charron, 8 Ryan Banks, 9 Morgan Williams, 10 Jared Barker, 11 Sean Fauth, 12 Kyle Nichols, 13 Nik Witkowski, 14 Winston Stanley, 15 Scott Stewart
Reserves:  Gregor Dixon, Kevin Wirachowski
Unused:  Dale Burleigh, John Cannon, Garth Cooke, Nick Milau, Jeff Tomlinson

Referee:  Didier Mene
Touch Judges:  Joel Dume, Joel Jutge

Points Scorers:

Italy
Tries:  Dallan M. 1
Pen K.:  Mazzariol F. 3, Pez R. 1

Canada
Tries:  Wirachowski K.M. 1
Conv:  Barker J. 1
Pen K.:  Barker J. 4
Drop G.:  Barker J. 1