Saturday in Milan, Italy opened their Autumn Nations Series campaign with a 49-17 triumph against Samoa, their fourth win in their past five Tests.
The team coached by Keiran Crowley scored six tries in a strong performance in Padua, with Pierre Bruno, Monty Ioane, Juan Ignacio Brex, and Lorenzo Cannone scoring on their international debuts.
Tommaso Allan kicked 12 points and Paolo Garbisi added seven more to give Italy a superb start to their autumn schedule, which includes matches against Australia and South Africa.
The away team’s tries were scored by UJ Seuteni, Duncan Paia’aua, and Theo McFarland as they were swept away on a gorgeous autumn day in northern Italy.
First-half scores by Brex (his first for Italy), Bruno, and Ioane, as well as Allan’s accurate kicking, gave the home team a 28-0 advantage at Stadio Plebiscito.
It has been Italy’s inability to properly handle the ball in crucial situations, whilst Crowley’s squad has been adept at converting their opportunities.
In the 24th minute, Bruno scored and converted a try to give Italy a 17-0 lead. The ball was carried the length of the field with quick passes before the Zebre wing touched down.
Ioane, who was born in Australia, scored two tries immediately before and after halftime to give Italy an unassailable 35-0 lead; Allan converted the second of these tries.
D’Angelo Leuila converted Seuteni’s excellent low take and dive 11 minutes after the half to give the away side the lead.
The superb scrum half Stephen Varney, whose long ball sent the youthful Benetton flanker racing past the line, made Cannone’s debut for Italy a success.
Bruno concluded a period of pressure by converting a brilliant kick over the top by Garbisi, the fly-half for Montpellier, to bring Italy’s total to 49 with just over an hour remaining.
Samoa’s pride was restored by Paia’aua and McFarland with two touchdowns in the closing 10 minutes, but the outcome had long been decided.
AFP