Italy beat Fiji in Monza

Two tries to one

Italy beat Fiji 23-8 before 12 000 lively, singing spectators in the slippery snow at Stadio Brianteo in Monza north of Milan on Saturday afternoon.

The snow fell as the teams ran out onto the cold field not far from the Alps.  The teams stood in the falling snow for the anthems on a white field, the men from the warm Pacific their legs bare to the elements.  Then in theri white jerseys on the white field they did their wardance, the cibi.  Their replacements sat in a shed huddled in large blackets like mediaeval monks at matins.

The lines on the field were marked in a reddish colour, that became pinkish.  It may have been a good idea to have had a red ball as well, as the white one was not always obvious.

Italy were never behind in the match and never looked like losing the match but it was only in the last ten minutes that they made the victory safe.

Both sides tried to run with the ball, Italy more so than the Fijians because they had a lot more ball to run with.  The Azzurri's pack was dominant throughout.  They destroyed the Fijian scrum and had by far the better of the line-outs.  Italy took five Fijian line-outs, the Fijians none of the Italians'.  Fiji spent much of the slithery afternoon under pressure.

Flyhalf Ramiro Pez kicked a penalty which Seremaia Bai, blowing on his hands to warm them, equalled to make the score 3-all after eight minutes.  That was the half-time score.

Not that the half was without life.  Fiji's Kameli Ratuvou had a good run, Mirco Bergamasco made a clean break in midfield and from a tapped free kick burly Norman Ligairi ran some 50 metres from near his own line.  Fiji once threatened as they chased a kick but Ludovico Nitoglia came across from the left wing to the right wing to save for Italy.

There were also two yellow cards just before the break.  Lock Kelemete Leawere, who was penalsied four times apart from this action, played a man from the side when he did not have the ball, and Sergio Parisse, the Italian No.8, stuck an angry shoulder into the big Fijian.  The referee sent both to the sin bin.  It was the nearest the match came to producing an untoward incident.

Italy relied heavily on the pack and it paid off soon after the restart when they turned a penalty into a line-out and drove a fast maul over the Fijian line for hooker Fabio Ongaro to plunge to ground for the try.  Pez converted.  10-3.

Pez then kicked two more penalty goals to make it 16-3.  After a run by Nitoglia Italy attacked and mauled and scrummed their way to the Fijian line, taking scrums instead of penalties as they did regulalrly in the half.  But, vitally, they failed to control the ball, and captain Mosese Rauluni saved for Fiji.

Ratuvou had a good run down the left wing and was close to scoring as the Fijians went on their best attack of the match.  They actually got over the line with a maul but the television match official was unable to confirm the grounding for a try.  But from the ensuing scrum inside centre Seremia Bai grubbered into the Italain in-goal where right-wing Mosese Luveitasau skied in for the try.  16-8.

With ten minutes to go, Pez side-footed a grubber into the Fijian in-goal where Mirco Bergamasco, playing outside centre, copied the Fijians and went skiing in for a try, converted by Pez.

In the last bit of the match the Fijians got more ball and handled well but the Italian defence held.

Man of the Match:  For Fiji Norman Ligairi was strong, defended well and thumped booming kicks with his right boot.  Marco Bortolami ruled the line-outs, Paul Griffen was as enegertic and effective as ever and Ludovico Nitoglia had moments of great skill.  Our Man of the Match is Italian flyhalf Ramiro Pez whose handling of the ball was remarable, his judgement and control exceptional and his kicking at goal successful with five out of six on that slippery field.

Moment of the Match:  There were two, the one a carbon copy of the other - Seremaia Bai's grubber for Mosese Luveitasau's try and Ramiro Pez's grubber for Mirco Bergamasco's try.

Villain of the Match:  Nobody really.  Even the two yellow cards were of a pale and innocent hue.

The president of the Italian Federation Giancarlo Dondi said afterwards:  "What I saw of Italy today pleased me.  They had a will to win and did so despite the snow-covered field."

Coach Pierre Berbizier said:  "It was important to come back after the defeat by the Argentinians in Genoa last weekend The squad got it right.

"In the second half we gradually changed our gameplan to fit in better with the playing conditions."

Captain Marco Bortolami said:  "We are pleased to have beaten a team ranked above us on the world rankings."

The Fijian coach, Wayne Pivac, said of the conditions:  "We are not used to playing in such conditions but we also made some stupid errors that allowed Italy to take advantage through their strong pack.

The Fijian captain Mosese Rauluni said:  "We made too many mistakes.  The weather did not help us.  I play in England so that the weather today was not new but many of my team-mates had not seen snow before."

Scorers:

For Italy:
Tries:  Ongaro, Mirco Bergamasco
Cons:  Pez 2
Pens:  Pez 3

For Fiji:
Try:  Luveitasau
Pen:  Bai

Teams:

Italy:  15 Ezio Galon, 14 Samuele Pace, 13 Mirco Bergamasco, 12 Gonzalo Canale, 11 Ludovico Nitoglia, 10 Ramiro Pez, 9 Paul Griffen, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Mauro Bergamasco, 6 Alessandro Zanni, 5 Marco Bortolami (captain), 4 Carlo Del Fava, 3 Martin Leandro Castrogiovanni, 2 Fabio Ongaro, 1 Matias Aguero
Replacements:  16 Carlo Festuccia, 17 Carlos Nieto, 18 Valerio Bernabò, 19 Maurizio Zaffiri, 20 Pablo Canavosio, 21 Luciano Orquera 22 Rima Wakarua.

Fiji:  15 Norman Ligairi, 14 Mosese Luveitasau, 13 Epeli Ruivadra, 12 Seremaia Bai, 11 Kameli Ratuvou, 10 Nicky Little, 9 Mosese Rauluni (captain), 8 Sisa Koyamaibole, 7 Aca Ratuva, 6 Alifereti Doviverata, 5 Kelemete Leawere, 4 Ifereimi Rawaqa, 3 Apisai Nagi, 2 Sunia Koto, 1 Josese Bale
Replacements:  16 Bill Gadolo, 17 Sikeli Gavidi, 18 Jone Qovu, 19 Kiniviliame Salabogi, 20 Mosese Volavola , 21 Aporosa Vata, 22 Maleli Kunavore

Referee:  Tappe Henning (South Africa)
Touch judges:  Joël Jutge (France), Daniel Jabase (Argentina)
Television match official:  Eric Darrière (France)