Rugby, an alternating current Italy overcomes Chile

GENOA - Last test of November and second victory for the Azzurri of rugby. After beating Australia and being overtaken by South Africa, Italy changed register by facing Chile, an emerging but still inferior team, as favourites. In the night in Marassi, a little less cold than feared, and in front of 12 thousand spectators, Gonzalo Quesada's XV took the expected victory: final result 34-19 (first half 15-7).

For the guests it was a very important match, at the end of a European tour and against one of those rivals that they almost never manage to cross. Chile put in application, physical and mental toughness, strength and attitude, they played with their limitations but also with their merits, and with all the initiative they could muster. Italy is obviously stronger and they showed it, but they went in alternating currents, playing without real continuity and lacking more than once in accuracy.

It was logical that, compared to the matches in Udine and Turin, there were many changes (around ten in the starting line-up) to give space to those who had had less. And consequently it was also logical that there were lower doses of understanding and experience on the field. At the end of the game Quesada, always able to get to the point without going round in circles, summed up: 'So many substitutions, so many men who hadn't played a game for almost a month, a slippery ball due to the humidity at this time of night (kick-off at 21.10, ed.). We didn't manage to make the most of all the balls we won in the second half, and in the second half we lacked a bit of precision. The scrum played very well securing possession and we could have closed the game earlier, as we were almost always in their half. Yes, we had to manage certain moments better: on five or six occasions, when we were precise, we scored or put them in great difficulty. The next step is to be able to make 10 changes and stay on a certain level: that is not easy for anyone, as South Africa showed against us a week ago.

The goal count is five to three. Italy scored two in the first half. In the 11th minute there was the usual razor-sharp strike by Capuozzo, served at the right time by Alessandro Garbisi and capable of inserting himself like a thunderbolt: a movement well prepared by three effective groupings. The 10-0 came with the transformation and then with a spot kick, signed by Da Re. In the 35th minute the young hooker Di Bartolomeo scored, on the prolonged thrust of the forwards after a lineout. There could have been other markings, which failed due to scattered errors here and there. And then Chile imitated us, at the end of the first half: touche, good work by the scrum-halves and breakthrough goal by prop Lues.

The Còndores were at their best at the start of the second half: after narrowly missing a penalty with Salas, they set up with a high kick that found Capuozzo unprepared: Saab rushed in and made the ball disappear, flying into the goal. Salas converted and reduced the gap to just one point, 15-14.