Rugby, Italia beats England and makes history
It took 35 years and 33 matches but today, at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, the Azzurri did it
ROME - Celebration, it's celebration spiced with tears. It has taken 35 years and 33 matches. But today rugby Italia has done it. England has been beaten for the first time. The only European opponent that had always put us under, that had treated us with condescension for years, fell at the Olimpico. With almost 50,000 Italian fans exhausted too and overflowing with happiness, and with 20,000 incredulous English fans. For the third consecutive defeat in the tournament, and for the result that was overturned in the last 25 minutes, on the strength of a 13-0 partial in favour of the Azzurri. Victorious with merit, captain Lamaro and his teammates, who did not lose in the most difficult moments of the match, even at a psychological level, and were also able to prevail in terms of discipline.
It was a tough battle for the entire first half, and Italia was able to defend with order and - indeed - discipline, especially when it came to getting through the first ten minutes of the game without conceding any points, in which the English remained 96% of the time in our half of the field, with 74% ball possession.
The guests took the initiative first, but the Azzurri held and gradually came back. A free kick taken in a closed scrum was good, Ioane's volley was fine and then, on 21 minutes, the first points of the match were signed by Paolo Garbisi on a spot kick following an offside by the Whites. England lost a little of their composure, but after having played a free-kick in their favour (this time for an Azzurri irregularity in a closed scrum) they opted for the long throw, then twice shifted the front line to a 20-metre pass to Freeman, who was free (as his surname suggests...) to go and score on the left out. It was the 26th minute.
Eight minutes later great action of the Azzurri with a well-managed possession in the middle of the field and then the hole in the cross by Menoncello (voted man of the match), who received from Alessandro Garbisi and went to score with speed and power. Garbisi's major transformation and 10-5 until the end of the half, when for the first time in the Azzurri's house lucidity suddenly dropped. Having won a scrum, it was enough to kick the ball out, but Niccolò Cannone decided to attack at half-time: ball recovered by England, quick counter-attack and kick-pass by Fin Smith for Roebuck's try, with transformation by the same Smith and closing the first half on 10-12.
It was a blow to morale, and the start of the second half was not the best, with concentration struggling to return to full strength. Opener Fin Smith hit two penalties, in the 44th and 53rd minutes, for the largest gap (eight points) between the two teams in the match. The second kick, moreover, was awarded for a foul by Nicotera, who took a penalty with 10 minutes to spend off the field. Even in the second half, however, Italia were able to pull themselves together, without letting slip the opportunities provided by the two yellow cards given to the Englishmen. In the 57th minute a shoulder-to-head contact by Underhill on Fischetti also left coach Borthwick's men in 14 and gave Paolo Garbisi the chance to score three points. Another spot-kick in the 60th minute, again with a favourable outcome, and the disadvantage fell to two points: 16-18.
