We stopped by Trafalgar Park, Nelson, this morning for the meeting between two of Ireland’s Pool C rivals, Italy and Russia.
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FT: Italy 53-17 Russia
Let’s get rocking. It’s time for today’s glamour tie — by virtue of the fact that it’s today’s only tie: Italy v Russia.
I have the team sheets in my hand. Here goes nothing.
Italy: Masi; Toniolatti, Bevenuti,Pratichetti, McLean; Bocchino, Gori; Perugini, Ongaro, Cittadini; Geldenhuys, Bortolami; Derbyshire,Bergamasco, Parisse.
Russia: Klyuchnikov; Artemyev, Kuzin, Makovetskiy, Ostrushko; Rachkov, Shakirov; Botvinnikov, Korshunov, Prischepenko; Voytov, Byrnes; Grachev, Garbuzov, Gresev.
Most of those names will probably be misspelled repeatedly over the next 80 minutes. Apologies in advance.
MISSED PENALTY! (Bocchino, 2′) The Italian out-half has an early chance to kick Italy into the lead after Russia go into the ruck off their feet, but drags his penalty wide.
The Italians have started as though they really mean business, kicking their next penalty to the corner. If they can get a four-try bonus point here today, they’ll really boost their chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
TRY! (Parisse, 6′) The Azzurri get the reward for their early ambition. With numbers out wide, Parisse sells the defender a beautiful dummy and coasts through the gap to touch down under the posts. Bocchino adds the conversion. Italy 7-0 Russia
Toniolatti looks to have gone over in the corner, but referee Wayne Barnes needs to go upstairs to the TMO for confirmation.
TRY! (Toniolatti, 13′) It’s try time alright. The Russian defender had almost got one of Toniolatti’s feet into touch, but the replay shows that the ball was clearly grounded. Another flowing attacking move by Italy, capped by a beautiful reverse pop by Parisse which unlocked the defence.
Bocchino’s conversion misses to the left, so it’s Italy 12-0 Russia.
TRY! (Benvenuti, 15′) It’s raining tries in Nelson, and this one is gift-wrapped for the Italians. With full-back Klyuchnikov out of position, Italy kick into acres of space. Ostrushko is the first man back, but he dives over the ball rather than on to it and Benvenuti strolls across for one of the easiest tries he’s ever likely to score.
Bocchino is off-target with his conversion against — that’s one from four place kicks from the out-half so far. Italy 17-0 Russia
Should Ireland be worried about this? The Italians aren’t looking too shabby at all.
TRY! (Toniolatti, 22′) Well, that didn’t take long, did it? Twenty two minutes played and Italy already have their bonus point. It’s the winger Toniolatti again, with Bocchino adding the conversion.
Italy look like they could run in 10 tries tonight. Italy 24-0 Russia
PENALTY TRY! (28′) Italy have the Russian scrum under tremendous pressure yards from the line and when it inevitably crumbles, Wayne Barnes has little other option but to award the penalty try. Bocchino looks delighted with the chance to improve his kicking percentage and adds the extras. Italy 31-0 Russia
TRY! (Yanyushkin, 33′) Wonderful scenes as Russia score their first try of the evening — and, if my notes are correct, their first try ever at the Rugby World Cup. Is that right?
Italy are a man down up front after hooker Ongaro is sin-binned and Russia take full advantage. It’s substitute scrum-half Yanyushkin who claims the glory, sniping off the back of a ruck and darting inside Cittadini to force his way over.
Rachkov converts. Italy 31-7 Russia
TRY! (Gori, 37′) Another Italian try? Why not?
Inspired by the exploits of his opposite number, Eduardo Gori profits from some clever work by Pratichetti and McLean in midfield and dots down under the posts. Bocchino tacks on the conversion — he’s now four from seven. Italy 38-7 Russia
Ok, time for me to catch my breath. I’m off for a quick bowl of porridge, but I’ll be back before you know it, so send in your thoughts and comments on Italy’s dominant first-half performance.
We’re back underway in Nelson. And for those of you who were wondering, yes, the porridge was excellent.
TRY! (Benvenuti, 48′) He has. Wonderful work by the Italian forwards who pummel their way across the gain line time and again. The ball is eventually fired out wide to Benvenuti and the centre plays a grubber through the defensive line and dives after it to touch down. The grounding was finger-tip stuff, but there was definite downward pressure and Benvenuti has his second try of the evening. He tries the conversion himself, but drags it to the right. Italy 43-7 Russia
TRY! (Ostrushko, 50′) This is absolutely manic. Russia march straight back down the pitch where Ostrushko finds himself one on one with McLean out in the corner. The Russian winger eyeballs his man, jinks one way, goes the other and goes over in the corner. Wonderful finishing and that will make up for the mistake which he made in the first half. Rachkov has no joy with the conversion, and so it remains Italy 43-12 Russia.
With the game won, Italy have decided to make a few changes. Masi, Gori, Bortolami and Parisse all go off for a well-deserved rest.
TRY! (McLean, 65′) Easy peasy lemon squeezy for Luke McLean as he runs in Italy’s eighth try. He turns on the afterburners out on the left wing and zips through with very little difficulty. Benvenuti is still on kicking duties, but he misses his second conversion attempt of the morning.
I said ten tries earlier on — will Italy get there?
Italy 48-12 Russia
Here come Russia, desperately seeking their third try of the evening. Good pressure…
TRY! (Makovetskiy, 71′) Try time for Russia, and it’s no more than they deserve. Their relentless work inside the Italian 22 pays dividends as the ball is flung high into the Nelson night sky and out towards Makovetskiy who is totally unmarked on the left wing. Russia could get their very own bonus point here with one more try.
The ball falls off the tee as Rachkov lines up his conversion attempt, so he picks it up and has a pop Rugby Sevens style. He still misses though. Italy 48-17 Russia
TRY! (Zanni, 77′) Italy’s ninth try isn’t exactly the Russian defence’s finest moment. The Italian scrum applies the pressure again and, as Zanni picks off the back, he swats off both Makovetskiy and Yanyushkin as if they’re made of straw. Unsurprisingly given the standard of kicking tonight, the conversion is missed. Italy 53- 17 Russia
Darragh Walshe has been in touch with this:
I’ll admit, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I sat down this morning, but that was a thoroughly entertaining game of rugby.
From the first whistle, Italy looked determined to get the four-try bonus point and had managed that with little more than 20 minutes played.
After that, the result was never really in doubt, but to the credit, Russia stuck to their task and went over for three tries of their own.
But what does it all mean for Ireland? Well, without taking anything for granted, we shouldn’t have too many problems against Russia on Sunday, particularly in light of their quick turnaround.
And Italy? Well, this wasn’t exactly Nick Mallett’s strongest side and though they often looked fragile in defence, you have to respect a team that scores nine tries, irrespective of who they come against.
Approach with caution.
That’s my lot for the moment, but we’ll have all the rest of the news from the Rugby World Cup as the day progresses. If you haven’t already done so, check out our RWC2011 microsite right here.
Thanks for stopping by.
Delighted for the lad! Would be great if in the future more young Irish players could come back for half a season play some LOI and go back with that bit of experience, seems to have done Eoghan no harm
Ambrose and boyata are both a liability,simunovic still an unknown quantity so I’d say it’s a toss up between o Connell and kolo to partner sviatchenko.would be great to see eoghan nail down a regular spot and continue his progress
That is brilliant news for Celtic and Ireland.
I watched the match – O’Connell showed great character throughout the game.
Can’t but read Rogers interview in his voice
Lads…. were ye watching a different game,,, he was 100% to blame for the goal…. lost his man completely
Blueman, you’re right, the goal was his fault but his head didn’t go down after it as most young players would and he went from strength to strength as the game went on.
It’s a zonal marking system, therefore no man to lose. Although he could have been better for it so could every other defender in the box and if Gordon stayed on his line maybe it wouldn’t have been a goal so 100% is very harsh on the the young fella. For a 20 y/o making his first European start in a notoriously tough place to go he done very little wrong and was one of Celtics better players. If you were watching the match and not just the goal you would have seen that!
O Connell did well all things taken into account,good result to take back to glasgow
Fact is the goal was his fault, you can dress it up anyway you want,… football at the highest level is a harsh game, and goals decide games, if he wasn’t a young irish player playing for celtic , people wouldn’t be raving about his performance and making excuses for his defending for the goal… think we need to take off the green white and gold glasses here…. and I did watch the full game
Blueman there’s nobody bigging him up.if simunovic can be kept fit and playing regularly,o connell won’t get much game time.at the moment he’s the pick of a bad bunch and just a potentially good defender
Blueman get a grip ffs. He’s 20 years of age, made one or two small mistakes in the biggest game of his career to date. Start blaming the young man now and giving him abuse about the goal could shatter his confidence, that’s why he’s being praised. Attitudes like yours is the reason a lot of talented youngsters don’t make it in the game!
Hahaha…. one or two small mistakes???… wouldn’t call losing his man for a goal in a champions lge game a small mistake. … its quite a significant one. If young pros can’t take a bit of criticism they may as well forget about a career in the game…. and I thought he he will let a bit of criticism on the 42 get to him… if he he was that type of character he would never have made it this far
You said people wouldn’t be raving about his performance if he wasn’t Irish or playing for Celtic. Well this is an Irish site and an article about Celtic, so obviously people who have a better understanding of the game than yourself (and people who really watched the game) think he merits praise for his performance! And if you’re a Celtic supporter you should be ashamed of yourself :-/
I am not a celtic fan … I am looking at the game… which I watched in full from an unbiased point of view… it’d obvious your biased towards him, , and if u can’t see he was at fault for that goal than it is you who doesn’t really know that much about football….