Whangarei (New Zealand)
Andrea Di Giandomenico’s Italdonne opens its world championship adventure in the best possible way at the New Zealand Rugby World Cup, beating the US battleship for the first time in its history on Sunday 9 October for 22-10 at the Northland Events Center in Whangarei and conquering the point bonus.
Against the sixth force in the international ranking, the Azzurre captained by Elisa Giordano suffer the greatest opposing physicality for the first half hour, but manage to contain the passive result of an initial pick-and-go goal of the Americans and, after closing the first half in the lead for 5-7, overturning the result at the end with Ostuni-Minuzzi, they hold the match firmly in the second half, showing off a beautiful and effective rugby, which sends the opponents out of control even when a yellow in the extreme blue forces Italy in inferiority for ten minutes.
Player of the Match for Giada Franco, but after the initial suffering the whole blue pack is the protagonist of an afternoon to remember, with balls stolen in tosche and on breakdowns to dig the furrow in the second half.
Next Sunday, at Waitakere Stadium in Auckland, the second round of the group stage against Canada.
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The game starts with a transmission error by Rigoni on the first oval, the Italian defense manages to keep up a complex situation but loses after two minutes of play Ilaria Arrighetti, forced to go out with a knee problem.
Italy gets the first orderly scrum of the match, but gets sanctioned on their own introduction just outside five meters, the Americans move fast and after two pick-and-go they open the scoring.
The Azzurre try to shake off inspired by Madia, but the two attack fronts opened by the Italians in the first ten minutes are thwarted by two onwards, struggling in the minutes that follow to get out of their own half despite the overtime of Franco and Sgorbini on the points meeting and conceding other penaltouche from their own scrum to the opponents, who assert their physical superiority.
Despite the greater possession, the Americans fail to materialize, stopped by the defense that on five meters stops the advance of the North American maul shortly after the first quarter of the game.
At half an hour, Italy shows flashes of good play, attacks from the midfield and puts the American back line in difficulty, but two handling errors and a too long following soccer thwart the offensive efforts of Giordano and his teammates.
Efforts rewarded two minutes from the end, with Madia who reads the defense well on an attack at five meters, jumps two companions and finds off the Ostuni-Minuzzi that crushes on the corner. Sillari transforms and overturns the result, sending the teams to the interval with Italdonne leading 5-7.
It starts again and the inertia at the end of the first half does not seem to change, Italy maintains control of the throw-ins and holds its own in an orderly scrum to the opponents. Then on the tenth a long vertical attack by the Italian forwards – Tounesi drags the companions – sends Aura Muzzo to the goal, for the 5-12.
At the sixteenth of the second half the United States have the first, clear offensive opportunity of the restart, they open wide and a volunteer forward from Ostuni-Minuzzi leaves the Azzurre in inferiority for ten minutes after the intervention of the TMO: on the action that follows, the Americans go in goal with the second line Kronish, but fail the transformation of the tie from easy position.
With one less woman, Italdonne does not give up playing their rugby fast and effective, attacking in the half of the field after yet another touch-off stolen from their opponents. Franco creates the interval, the Madia-Rigoni couple launches Muzzo who avoids three tackles and goes to goal for the second time in the evening.
At the half hour, when the numerical parity has been restored, Di Giandomenico makes the first changes after the initial replacement of Fedrighi for Arrighetti, Barattin, Locatelli and Veronese enter and it is the veteran scrum half who launches the action of the fourth goal by attacking in the open field: Madia then serves inside Magatti who points the flag, cuts the field vertically and brings Italy to 10-22.
This is the result with which the match ends, with the Italians looking for the fifth goal in the final without finding it, but can celebrate an amazing start to the World Cup with their first ever victory over the USA.
Whangarei, Northland Events Center
Rugby World Cup, Pool B – Matchday 1
USA v Italy 10-22
Markers: pt 3′ m. Taufoou (5-0); 38′ m. Ostuni-Minuzzi tr. Sillari (5-7); street 10′ m. Muzzle (5-12); 17′ m. Kronish (10-12); 22′ m. Muzzle (10-17); 29′ m. Magatti (10-22);
USA: Kelter; Detiveaux, Haungatau, Howard (23’ st. Bizer), Clapp; Cantorna, Waters (23’ st. Ortiz); Zakary (C), Johnson, Matyas; Kronish (23’ Perris-Redding), Taufoou (1’ st. Sommer); James (28’ st. Jacoby), Kitlinksy, Rogers
all. Cain
Italy: Ostuni Minuzzi; Muzzo, Sillari, Rigoni, Magatti; Madia, Stefan (28 ‘st. Barattin); Giordano (C), Franco (28 ‘st. Veronese), Arrighetti (2’ pt. Sgorbini); Tounesi (28 ‘st. Locatelli), Fedrighi; Gai (39 ‘st. Seye), Bettoni (39’ st. Vecchini), Turani (39 ‘st. Maris)
annex By Giandomenico
Player of the Match: Franco (Italia)
Cards: 16 ‘st. yellow Ostuni-Minuzzi (Italy)
Footballers: Waters (USA) 0/1; Cantorna (USA) 0/1; Sillari (Italy) 1/4
Arb. Davidson (Scotland)
Post-match reactions
“We are very satisfied with how we started the Tournament, it was what we wanted and for which we were prepared” begins the head coach Andrea Di Giandomenico after the match: “in the first half we had some problems in managing the possession and of the territory, the United States crushed us in our half of the field. Fortunately the goal at the end of the first half gave us confidence and in the second half we were able to express our game to the fullest and finalize the opportunities we have built. there is still some work to be done: now, let’s recover our energies and shift the focus to next Sunday’s meeting with Canada “.
“We started the game with the right energy, despite knowing it would be a difficult and demanding match. I am very happy with how the team was able to react to the incidents that occurred along the way, Ilaria’s (Arrighetti) injury and the yellow card. to Vittoria (Ostuni Minuzzi). Before the kick off I asked each member of the group to chase away negative thoughts, because at the end of the game we would have to leave the field happy, regardless of the result. World was beautiful “, adds Captain Elisa Giordano.
Giada Franco, Mastercard Player of the Match, shares the recognition with her teammates: “I’m happy and honored, but the whole team deserves it: I dedicate it to my mother, who came to Whangarei alone just to see me play today. This one. victory was very important, and the result is worth much more than any recognition. Now, head to Canada! “