Saturday, February 27, 2010
Italy end drought with Six Nations win over Scotland
Neither side had won a match going into this match, and both looked determined to change that, but they struggled to crack one another's defence for a large portion of the match. It was 6-6 at halftime, and 9-9 ten minutes into the second.
Mirco Bergamasco and Dan Parks exchanged penalty kicks, before replacement scrumhalf Pablo Canavosio scored the only try of the match, a brilliant effort, that ultimately took victory away from the visiting Scots and lifted the spirits of the loyal Italian fans.
"We've been trying to move the ball wide more and keep it in hand," said Italy's coach Nick Mallett. "It was a great break by Gonzalo and excellent support running from Pablo. But it is on such fine margins that games are won and we are not getting carried away."
"This is the seventh time we've won in this competition and every win is significant," Mallett said. "We've come close in other games and it is pretty frustrating when, like last time against England, you lose by five points.
"Everyone was very nervous about how Scotland would play, especially on a sunny day perfect for running rugby. But now we are proud that we stopped them scoring a try and proud of our defence.
"We've shown for two games we are perfectly capable of keeping the ball in hand. We've improved our defence consistently over the last six months," said Mallett.
"That's not a bad effort for a team that used to be at sea against sides who play quickly."
Despite looking promising in recent times, Scotland now face the possibility of taking the wooden spoon.
"Any losing experience is pretty difficult," Scotland coach Andy Robinson said. "The players put a lot into their performance, but didn't do enough to score a try."
Posted at 10:26 pm | 34 comments
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Viewing 34 comments
Anonymous February 27, 2010 11:07 pm
having said that: YEAHHHH!!!!! They finally won, I knew Mallet was doing a great campaign. and great kicking from Mirco too ;)
Gavin February 28, 2010 1:40 am
I'm happy for Italy, they deserved the win - but a word on Scotland: they have been hopeless for a few years, but this is a different Scotland team. They made a very good French team sweat, would have beaten Wales with an iota of luck and could easily have won in Rome against an improving Italy. If they continue to improve they will back - maybe not at the top, but back as a serious team.
samitarugby February 28, 2010 2:05 am
SO DAMN HAPPY. FORZA AZZURI PER SEMPRE! heart was out of my chest for the last 10 mins of the game.
Madflyhalf February 28, 2010 10:46 am
I think Scotland (at least until the heavy injuries of 2 wks ago) is a team that can beat anyone in this Six Nations.
Will be very tough for England in Edinburgh!
Anyway... forza azzuri!!! :D
P-R says man of the match is Dan Parks... well I think he played very very well (especially on kicing), but what Gower made in defence, in keeping Tebaldi's murdering-ball alive and attacking the line... probably he deserved the award too!
Will be very tough for England in Edinburgh!
Anyway... forza azzuri!!! :D
P-R says man of the match is Dan Parks... well I think he played very very well (especially on kicing), but what Gower made in defence, in keeping Tebaldi's murdering-ball alive and attacking the line... probably he deserved the award too!
Salvatore, curva sud February 28, 2010 11:29 am
I was in Flaminio yesterday, I have seen a great rugby by both team, and a great match beetwen the supporters too.
Great bagpipes, great inno di Mameli and I-ta-lia I-ta-lia.
Love this game, love all of you!
Forza Azzurri :D
Great bagpipes, great inno di Mameli and I-ta-lia I-ta-lia.
Love this game, love all of you!
Forza Azzurri :D
3/4 centre February 28, 2010 2:07 pm
Totally agree with Gavin. Scotland's game become better year after year. I hope they will have a good finish in the tournament.
Very happy for Italia. And they miss their best player and captain, Parisse. (one of the best n8 of the planet to me). They have a good tournament this year... and what a superb try!
Very happy for Italia. And they miss their best player and captain, Parisse. (one of the best n8 of the planet to me). They have a good tournament this year... and what a superb try!
andrew February 28, 2010 2:34 pm
what do you think 'bout craig gower? is he a good kicker? or only good defense?
Maximus February 28, 2010 7:47 pm
Flicitations! Bien jou! Pour les deux quipes.
It's going to be a tough game in France... For both teams.
It's going to be a tough game in France... For both teams.
Anonymous March 01, 2010 3:54 am
I really enjoyed this game, it was on in the pub before Eng - Irl and it really got the place going!
Anonymous March 01, 2010 10:14 am
Gower gives them direction.
Almost every line break they make now comes from his passing game.
He does alot of work people don't take notice of, and it has a calming influence on his team.
He also gets thru a mountain of defensive work, and will play injured without any noticeable difference.
His kicking game isn't amazing, but it's ok.
Almost every line break they make now comes from his passing game.
He does alot of work people don't take notice of, and it has a calming influence on his team.
He also gets thru a mountain of defensive work, and will play injured without any noticeable difference.
His kicking game isn't amazing, but it's ok.
Anonymous March 01, 2010 1:42 pm
Intense match from the two teams that are improving more.
Keep up the good work guys!
Forza Italia!!!!!!!!!!
Keep up the good work guys!
Forza Italia!!!!!!!!!!
Westerner March 01, 2010 3:07 pm
Delighted for Italy, hard luck to Scotland, but you have to cheer on the underdog! These two teams are going to come into form soon. Scotland should have a few more wins, and hoping that they do win a game (just once it isnt the Irish game, ya ye know who I want them to beat!).
Fair play again to Italy, thats the main object of these posts, not other 'Bull'-crap...
Fair play again to Italy, thats the main object of these posts, not other 'Bull'-crap...
Conor March 01, 2010 7:57 pm
Great to see Italy winning they do have some great individuals on their team and its great to see them clicking! Unfortunate for Scotland but someones gotta lose for Italy to win!
Maximus March 01, 2010 8:06 pm
At least, the efforts in NH to spread rugby beyond its boundaries seem to pay. There ARE 6 decent teams in NH. Today, no big team can think about winning against Italy without a real fight, it wasn't the case 10/15 years ago.
S14 may be considered as the best organized comp ever (and thus it surely is) but we can't say SANZAR does its best to develop rugby down there.
S14 may be considered as the best organized comp ever (and thus it surely is) but we can't say SANZAR does its best to develop rugby down there.
Tom March 02, 2010 12:30 am
What? Argentina is being brought into the 3-nations, despite it being a country without the resources or geographical location of italy, while fiji, japan, samoa and tonga all are being supported by SANZAR.
In fact if it weren't for SANZAR the World Cup would not have gone to Japan, Australia in aprticular has championed them.
Don't talk about soemthing you know nothing about maximus.
In fact if it weren't for SANZAR the World Cup would not have gone to Japan, Australia in aprticular has championed them.
Don't talk about soemthing you know nothing about maximus.
Anonymous March 02, 2010 3:40 am
Well Tom, one thing is for sure....while New Zealand "borrows" the best island players...it is not clear to me ...what NZ gives back !?
Maximus March 02, 2010 7:52 am
Waow Tom,
if everybody here posted only about things they knew or made constructive relevant posts, there'd be 15 comments per video.
I know little about that, for sure, and aparently far less than you anyway, but I didn't say SANZAR didn't do ANYthing to promote rugby in SH. I simply wrote it doesn't do "its best", perhaps should I have written it "hasn't done its best so far", thus you'd have felt less attacked.
By the way, did you know that before accepting to open 3-nations to Argentina, everybody tried to include Argentina to the 6N because all the players of their squad played in Europe? They turned the idea down because there are already too many matches up here.
And yes, as anon above hinted, we could post all day long about the careers of the best islanders. What is best for rugby in general, help them develop a competitive team or give money, make everyone believe you help to support different federations while you take the best elements?
Considering the Japan thing, you undoubtedly know that everybody expected Japan to host the RWC in 2011 but a very influencial rugby Southern nation really really really wanted it so against all odds... well, you know that anyway. So I can't see how SANZAR kinda "helped" Japan to have it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Rugby_World_Cup
if everybody here posted only about things they knew or made constructive relevant posts, there'd be 15 comments per video.
I know little about that, for sure, and aparently far less than you anyway, but I didn't say SANZAR didn't do ANYthing to promote rugby in SH. I simply wrote it doesn't do "its best", perhaps should I have written it "hasn't done its best so far", thus you'd have felt less attacked.
By the way, did you know that before accepting to open 3-nations to Argentina, everybody tried to include Argentina to the 6N because all the players of their squad played in Europe? They turned the idea down because there are already too many matches up here.
And yes, as anon above hinted, we could post all day long about the careers of the best islanders. What is best for rugby in general, help them develop a competitive team or give money, make everyone believe you help to support different federations while you take the best elements?
Considering the Japan thing, you undoubtedly know that everybody expected Japan to host the RWC in 2011 but a very influencial rugby Southern nation really really really wanted it so against all odds... well, you know that anyway. So I can't see how SANZAR kinda "helped" Japan to have it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Rugby_World_Cup
Maximus March 02, 2010 8:01 am
Tom, by the way, you earned me 20 euros:
1) I bet 5 euros someone, supposedly a southener, would react to my line quoting my name;
2) I bet 15 others about the fact he would react violently, not really trying to explain his point of view or the situation but simply to hush me up.
Cheers.
1) I bet 5 euros someone, supposedly a southener, would react to my line quoting my name;
2) I bet 15 others about the fact he would react violently, not really trying to explain his point of view or the situation but simply to hush me up.
Cheers.
Maximus March 02, 2010 8:07 am
One last thing:
if the geographical location was the problem, South Africa would play the 6N. For them, Europe is nearer than Australia or New Zealand AND they are nearly in the same time zone.
if the geographical location was the problem, South Africa would play the 6N. For them, Europe is nearer than Australia or New Zealand AND they are nearly in the same time zone.
Anonymous March 02, 2010 10:05 am
Maximus ta gueule tu saoules tout le monde avec tes "blablabla" de fillette et tes polmiques a 2 balles!Tu pollues toutes les vidos avec tes commentaires inutiles et tes gamineries, fait donc une cure de RD mon pote!
Tom March 02, 2010 10:27 am
Maximus, I explained logically why you were wrong, so I think you owe your buddy some money.
If you want I can go into alot more detail.
NZ got the World Cup with the support of the NH unions more than anyone.
Australia was one of the few countries to vote against them and for Japan.
Further to that, Aus and NZ abandoned South Africa to allow England to have 2015, so that England, and the other NH unions who voted with England, would support their push to allow Japan to host 2019.
You see Australia and NZ are part of the Asian economy and can see the benefits of expanding into Asia, and Japan specifically, more than any of the other unions.
In regards to Argentina, the 6 nations simply didn't want them.
It makes just as much geographical sense for them to be in Europe as it does to be in the tri-nations, in fact there'd be less travelling overall if they were in the 6-nations.
You're right about South Africa being a long way from Australasia, so why would adding Argentina make mores sense? Think about it, with the Argies, it means 3-nations players will be circumnavigating the globe several times a season.
So if South Africa doesn't make geographical sense, how does Argentina. Add to that the fact they have no domestic pro comp, and their best players are playing in Euro leagues during the 3-nations, and really it makes very little sense for SANZAR to add them at all.
But they did anyway, for the good of the game.
And in regards to Italy, that's great but that was done in 2000.
The Churchill cup is ok, but it's the same as the Pacific Cup.
If you want I can go into alot more detail.
NZ got the World Cup with the support of the NH unions more than anyone.
Australia was one of the few countries to vote against them and for Japan.
Further to that, Aus and NZ abandoned South Africa to allow England to have 2015, so that England, and the other NH unions who voted with England, would support their push to allow Japan to host 2019.
You see Australia and NZ are part of the Asian economy and can see the benefits of expanding into Asia, and Japan specifically, more than any of the other unions.
In regards to Argentina, the 6 nations simply didn't want them.
It makes just as much geographical sense for them to be in Europe as it does to be in the tri-nations, in fact there'd be less travelling overall if they were in the 6-nations.
You're right about South Africa being a long way from Australasia, so why would adding Argentina make mores sense? Think about it, with the Argies, it means 3-nations players will be circumnavigating the globe several times a season.
So if South Africa doesn't make geographical sense, how does Argentina. Add to that the fact they have no domestic pro comp, and their best players are playing in Euro leagues during the 3-nations, and really it makes very little sense for SANZAR to add them at all.
But they did anyway, for the good of the game.
And in regards to Italy, that's great but that was done in 2000.
The Churchill cup is ok, but it's the same as the Pacific Cup.
Tom March 02, 2010 10:41 am
Anon, NZ takes Islander players huh?
That's the talk of someone who's never been to NZ or the Pacific.
Like many Europeans you have a very limited understanding of Islanders.
They are a type of people, and they live all over the South Pacific.
The All Blacks were almost all born in NZ. Auckland has more people of Samoan descent than any other city in the world.
Ironically, it'd be more accurate to say that Samoa, Fiji and Tonga are full of New Zealanders since far more of their players were born in that country than vice versa.
That's the talk of someone who's never been to NZ or the Pacific.
Like many Europeans you have a very limited understanding of Islanders.
They are a type of people, and they live all over the South Pacific.
The All Blacks were almost all born in NZ. Auckland has more people of Samoan descent than any other city in the world.
Ironically, it'd be more accurate to say that Samoa, Fiji and Tonga are full of New Zealanders since far more of their players were born in that country than vice versa.
vinniechan March 02, 2010 12:37 pm
Italy have persisted with the same game plan for the last 15 months (they played the same way against everyone in the 6N and the AB. I still remember Nick Mallet jumped in joy when they were beaten by the AB by 21 points and I'd never seen such a happy face for a team that got beaten by this margin) and finally it paid off.
I must say I am impressed.
I must say I am impressed.
Chaosphere March 02, 2010 12:57 pm
Scotland aren't a bad team. They're not far off being a pretty good one. They play like a team with no belief though. Time will tell.
Anonymous March 02, 2010 4:10 pm
'Scotland aren't a bad team. They're not far off being a pretty good one. They play like a team with no belief though. Time will tell'
I agree and disagree.....
they can never keep belief for a whole game...
sometimes they start with belief then the last 20 mins they relax
sometimes they start poor, and the last 20 mins they believe and by then its too late, they score but to no avail.
but in all honesty they didnt have rory lamont, chris paterson, or thom evans....so i think their confidence lacked somewhat....
I agree and disagree.....
they can never keep belief for a whole game...
sometimes they start with belief then the last 20 mins they relax
sometimes they start poor, and the last 20 mins they believe and by then its too late, they score but to no avail.
but in all honesty they didnt have rory lamont, chris paterson, or thom evans....so i think their confidence lacked somewhat....
Maximus March 02, 2010 4:47 pm
Tom,
I prefer your long explanation but it really was a bet and I don't want to put this thread on fire. And I reacted after your post because I didn't like the "don't talk when you don't know kid". I won't do it again, promise.
I won't turn my 20 euros back though (yeah, I know, that's mean) and this thread is good for me since I earn 5 euros per quoted "Maximus". I bag money and France wins, March starts damn well. :)
Back to the topic again: ben giocato azzurri.
I prefer your long explanation but it really was a bet and I don't want to put this thread on fire. And I reacted after your post because I didn't like the "don't talk when you don't know kid". I won't do it again, promise.
I won't turn my 20 euros back though (yeah, I know, that's mean) and this thread is good for me since I earn 5 euros per quoted "Maximus". I bag money and France wins, March starts damn well. :)
Back to the topic again: ben giocato azzurri.
Anonymous March 04, 2010 9:06 am
I know Tom & Maximus have been going back and forth but just to chime in on the topic of Japan and the 2019 RWC....how the hell did they manage to beat out Italy for that spot?
I can understand that with England already being squared away in 2015 they want to avoid having consecutive hosts in Europe, but I think Italy is the more logical choice. Not only do they offer the largest cities with the biggest stadiums of the two, but they also have been able to consistently fill big venues with a good combination of domestic and foreign fans (see fall test vs NZ in the San Siro). I honestly think having the RWC would provide a lot more benefit to Italy than it would for Japan...maybe I'm biased but that's the way I see it.
Anyway, great game and lets hope we can get another win or two...FORZA ITALIA!
I can understand that with England already being squared away in 2015 they want to avoid having consecutive hosts in Europe, but I think Italy is the more logical choice. Not only do they offer the largest cities with the biggest stadiums of the two, but they also have been able to consistently fill big venues with a good combination of domestic and foreign fans (see fall test vs NZ in the San Siro). I honestly think having the RWC would provide a lot more benefit to Italy than it would for Japan...maybe I'm biased but that's the way I see it.
Anyway, great game and lets hope we can get another win or two...FORZA ITALIA!
Tom March 06, 2010 3:48 am
Italy didn't get it, because it's not fair to non-European rugby fans to have the game twice in a row on the same continent.
Japan got it to fulfill the IRB's ambition to expand the game and also due to the lobbying of Australia and New Zealand.
Italy will get the World Cup though, I wouldn't be surprised if they got 2023, though they might have to wait until 2027, since South Africa is likely to get one of the next Cups.
Japan got it to fulfill the IRB's ambition to expand the game and also due to the lobbying of Australia and New Zealand.
Italy will get the World Cup though, I wouldn't be surprised if they got 2023, though they might have to wait until 2027, since South Africa is likely to get one of the next Cups.
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