Italy vs Samoa

So I'm guessing I might be the only one watching this and this thread might sink like a stone to the bottom of the forum!

But for what its worth;

Italy: 15 Andrea Masi; 14 Luke Mclean, 13 Michele Campagnaro, 12 Luca Morisi, 11 Leonardo Sarto; 10 Kelly Haimona, 9 Edoardo Gori; 1 Matias Aguero, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 3 Dario Chistolini; 4 Quintin Geldenhuys, 5 Joshua Furno; 6 Alessandro Zanni, 7 Simone Favaro, 8 Sergio Parisse (capt)

Replacements: 16 Andrea Manici, 17 Alberto De Marchi, 18 Lorenzo Cittadini, 19 Marco Bortolami, 20 Robert Barbieri, 21 Guglielmo Palazzani, 22 Luciano Orquera, 23 Giulio Toniolatti

Samoa: 15 Fa'atoina Autagavaia; 14 Ken Pisi, 13 Johnny Leota, 12 Alapati Leiua, 11 David Lemi (capt); 10 Tusiata Pisi, 9 Kahn Fotuali'i; 1 Sakaria Taulafo, 2 Ti’I Paulo, 3 Anthony Perenise; 4 Kane Thompson, 5 Fa’atiga; 6 Piula Fa’asalele, 7 Jack Lam, 8 Taiasina Tuifua

Replacements: 16 Ole Avei, 17 Albert Toetu, 18 Viliamu Afatia, 19 Teofilo Paulo, 20 Maurie Faasavalu, 21 Pele Cowley, 22 Michael Stanley, 23 Winston Stanley

Samoa win a penalty under the sticks after 20 seconds... and run it! Solid defending from Italy and it comes to nothing. 0-0 after 5.

Italy 3-0 up, probably a fair scoreline. Both sides feeling their way in. I'm switching to the England game now.

I was going to record it but wanted the Wales one instead. I'll keep checking this thread if you're up for updating?

I'll do it periodically. So far Samoa are adventurous with the ball but not executing. Italy dominating the set piece. Samoan problems at lineout and scrum.

Yet to really burst into life. Haimona misses his second kick at goal, it's 3-0 Italy.

Lot of indiscipline around the ruck from both sides stopping the game developing any real fluency.

I'll also keep an eye on this thread but don't disrupt your own viewing to update it.

Samoa earn a penalty after a great little grubber into space from Pisi at 10. Chase is good and they win the penalty at the breakdown.

Tusi Pisi makes it 3-3.

Rugby Fan wrote:I'll also keep an eye on this thread but don't disrupt your own viewing to update it.

Don't worry I wasn't going to!

Yes it's a shame they play so many games at similar times. Would have been nice to have a couple on sunday or in the evening.

Cheers Notch, but echo what Rugby Fan said. Try and enjoy it (if you can focus in the build up to your game against the boks)

HammerofThunor wrote:Cheers Notch, but echo what Rugby Fan said. Try and enjoy it (if you can focus in the build up to your game against the boks)

Yeah this is a mere aperitif!

Samoa penalty at the scrum! Now thats a big moment for them psychologically, and their kick takes them right down to the opposition 22!

Bust from Samoa 8! TMO called in...

Held up, Masi got his leg under the ball- desperate tackle- really, really close.

A perfect set piece move from a lineout from Samoa, great play, deserved a try.

Samoa have completely turned the scrum around, another penalty and another lineout and a drive and a try! Jack Lam at the back. Set piece has just turned right around. Two perfectly executed lineout moves off two scrum penalties that got them the field position. One try, one ruled out by TMO.

Italy 3-10 Samoa

Lot of penalties in this game. A lot of penalties. Steve Walsh will need a new whistle at half-time.

This is 10-3 Samoa now.

Italy look really poor to me. You thought they were looking poor but in control she they were winning the set piece battle. Seems like Samoa drew the attention to the Italian loose heads illegal scrummaging, Steve Walsh went round the other side and the penalties started going the other way. Turning point of the game.

Scrums are messy, but it's started going against the home team in the last fifteen minutes and to be fair, Samoa are the only side playing rugby out there. So Italy need to take control of that set piece because on the evidence of the first half thats all they have!

Samoa had two great chances apart from their try and Fotu'alii was at the heart of them both. Super offload to Tuafui in midfield and a great individual dart which was unlucky not to see a try in the opening minutes.

The try they did score, well- any Italian side that prides themselves on their pack should have stopped that lineout drive. This looks like an Italian team that is going nowhere fast. We'll see if they can react.

Haimona penalty 6-10.

Big response from the Italy pack, catch and drive, Samoa completely failed to get their lineout defence set! I think it's Joshua Furno who scored, Haimona misses the touchline conversion.

11-10 game on!

Favaro who scored I think. Italian broadcasters not clear, big pile of bodies.

Andrea Masi gives a stupid penalty away, pulling back Ti'i Paulo. Easy three pointer.

Italy 11-13 Samoa

Haimona restores Italys lead, 14-13

Pisi misses his first kick and a chance to see the lead change hands again.

Both tries from lineout drives then?

Yep. Neither well defended.

Pisi puts another of those lovely grubbers into the corner and the chaser forces the Italian wing into touch. It's nearly identical to the kick that lead to the first try but this time Samoa blow the lineout. Parisse knocks on and they have a scrum in a dangerous position...

Gori does a job on the back of the scrum getting between 8 and 9 and causing all sorts of trouble. Turnover comes, Italy counterattack from deep and eventually they get a penalty in Samoas half. Big moment there. Haimonas penalty is just barely short and falls under the posts. Still just 1 point in it.

Bortolami on now. He's basically been around forever.

BRILLIANT try for Italy! A great half-break and offload from Zanni to Campagnaro gives Italy some momentum, the ball comes to Kelly Haimona who is flat on the gain line.

Haimona puts in a gorgeous chip which falls perfectly into Parisses arms in the in-goal area. Great chip. Great try.

Now it's 21-13 and Samoa are in serious bother.

Oho, it's the Kelly Haimona show! Another great break up the middle nearly sets up Gori. McLean nearly finds Parisse with a cross-field kick on the next phase. Italy finally finding some rhythm. Much, much better second half.

Italy 8 points up and 10 to go.

Scrum penalty, Haimona makes it 24-13. Samoa may have deserved their HT lead but it's been one way traffic since the break.

Great final flourish from Samoa, Khan and Pisi nearly combine to engineer a great score. Cynical breakdown pen from Italy.

Samoa knock the ball on trying the SBW offload under the posts. Penalty advantage. Samoa go. Advantage AGAIN. Samoa just miss out in the corner, good cover from Sarto, back for another penalty! Must be yellow for Italy?

No, but immediate infringement right away! Finally a yellow! Next time it goes dead is full time. Samoas momentum is gone and they eventually cough up the ball.

Urgh, Italy deserved to win but leaves a bad taste in the mouth they basically gave away penalty after penalty on their own line once the clock was in the red.

Final score; Italy 24-13 Samoa

Cheers, Notch. Not the most controversial thread but the BBC & PR have been a bit reluctant to mention this game.

Thanks too. In football terms, 9th vs 14th in the FIFA rankings would be Portugual vs Croatia.

Cheers Notch