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Hello and welcome to ESPN's live coverage of the Pool D clash between Italy and Romania!
Follow our man on the ground, Alex Perry (@AlexPerryESPN), who'll be providing us with his insights straight from Exeter.
You can read Alex's preview HERE
ITALY XV: Luke McLean, Leonardo Sarto, Michele Campagnaro, Tommaso Benvenuti, Giovanbattista Venditti, Tommaso Allan, Edoardo Gori; Matias Aguero, Andrea Manici, Lorenzo Cittadini, Quintin Geldenhuys (captain), Josh Furno, Francesco Minto, Simone Favaro, Alessandro Zanni
ROMANIA XV: Catalin Fercu, Madalin Lemnaru, Paula Kinikinilau, Florin Vlaicu, Ionut Botezatu, Michael Wiringi, Valentin Calafeteanu, Mihaita Lazar, Otar Turashvili, Paulica Ion, Valentin Poparlan, Johannes van Heerden, Valentin Ursache (captain), Viorel Lucaci, Daniel Carpo
Also see...
- Georgia set sights higher after historic World Cup
- What happened last night between England and Uruguay
- Preview of today's later game between Japan and USA
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| 1 |
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Romania have kicked us off and they're the first ones to attack. They've taken the ball back down the left flank and are pushing - albeit slowly - towards the Italian try line. However, they've just condeded the first penalty and Italy have attempted to kick for the lineout, but missed and it was caught by Romania's Catalin Fercu.
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| 3 |
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First scrum leads to the first penalty kicking opportunity, in favour of the men in yellow. Romania's Vlaicu lines up. His international point tally is already at 636 - can he make it 639?
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| 4 |
0 - 3 |
He sure can! Romania 3 - 0 Italy.
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| 5 |
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Romania have never won more than once in the World Cup, but it's a positive start so far with that first kick. We're back under way with the Italian's on the charge.
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| 6 |
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POTENTIAL TRY FOR ITALY! TMO time...
Edoardo Gori breaks the line and bursts towards the Romanian five point marker. He opts to kick and chase as Catalin Fercu - Romania's last line of defence - is in close proximity but instead of collecting and grounding the ball properly with his hands, the pressure the Romanian fullback imposed on the Azzurri No.9 is enough to put him off course and he just flops on top of the ball. NO TRY!
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| 8 |
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Italy gain another penalty, which is arguably in kicking distance but with a tight angle, and they kick for the lineout.
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| 9 |
5 - 3 |
ITALY TRY
Michele Campagnaro!
Fantastic passing from Italy, they use the width very well in that attack. Edoardo Gori breaks the line before finding his teammate Campagnaro on his left who rides it home unchallenged. Kick missed, however.
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| 12 |
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Couple of scrums in the Italian half, lots of milling about and not a lot of action is one way to describe play since the try.
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| 13 |
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Finally the scrum erupts and we're back into some rugby. The Azzurri have kicked up field and Romania are on the ball.
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| 14 |
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Romania's Paula Kinikinilau gifting another penalty to Italy for a high tackle. Lineout kick it is.
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| 15 |
8 - 3 |
Johann Van Heerden has been binned for cynical infringement, attempting to grab with his hands before kicking on the floor. All a bit of mess there from the Romanian lock. Italy score the resulting penalty kick.
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| 16 |
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| 17 |
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Romanian scrum on their right flank just inside Italian territory.
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| 18 |
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And the Oaks are penalised. Italy have kicked for the lineout.
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| 20 |
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Cheeky quick lineout lands in Alessandro Zanni's hands before touching down, but the referee has said it wasn't straight. Retake needed.
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| 21 |
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Lineout again looks like another try but the ref again blows for a knock on. The right decision and we have the scrum on the Romanian five metre mark.
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| 22 |
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These scrums aren't the most enjoyable viewing. Collapsed, reset, again...
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| 23 |
13 - 3 |
ITALY TRY
But there we have it. Try! Edoardo Gori - who has been the best player on the pitch so far - picks the ball of the floor, steps a couple of times forward and slides to his for the try.
Quite comically defending from Romania actually as Otar Turashvili, Valentin Ursache and another man in yellow all tackled in the same way at the same time next to each other and all missed Gori.
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| 24 |
15 - 3 |
Allan - conversion
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| 27 |
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Romania finally having a bit of breather and have an attacking lineout of their own in the Azzurri 22.
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| 28 |
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And they got to within two metres! Good Azzurri defending to keep them out but still the ref has awarded the penalty to the Oaks. Another lineout incoming.
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| 29 |
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Romania slamming into Italian tacklers right on the Azzurri try line but they're doing so well not to allow any Oaks ball carriers through. Try looming.
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| 30 |
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Simone Favaro offside for Italy and we have another lineout from the penalty kick.
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| 31 |
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Same old stuff here. Right on the Italian try line. Some brave stuff from the men in blue. Can the Oaks find a way through? We're battling right under the sticks now...
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| 32 |
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And it's all come to nothing - unbelievable! Italy awarded the penalty and they can finally release this Romanian pressure.
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| 33 |
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| 35 |
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Lineout doesn't result in anything significant but Romania are eventually awarded the penalty themselves after a bit of stalemate for possession in midfield. Too far out of kicking range so they opted to kick in the corner for the lineout...but it was still missed and Luke McLean comfortably collected before firing it back into outer orbit via his boot.
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| 38 |
20 - 3 |
ITALY TRY
Great pace from Tommy Allen, one of Italy's better performers this tournament. Quintin Geldenhuys offloads to Allen who breaks the line with ease. Nice 40 metre run for the try as even Fercu didn't have the speed to catch him. Easy for the fly half.
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| 39 |
22 - 3 |
And Allen has rounded off the half in even more style as he successfully converts his own try!
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| 40 |
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| 40+1 |
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HALF TIME ANALYSIS
ESPN's Alex Perry (@AlexPerryESPN) had this to say:
"The 22-3 half-time scoreline will flatter Italy who, despite two superb tries, have been pushed to the limit by a determined Romanian side. A sloppy start from the Azzurri was punished by the boot of Florin Vlaicu, but the boys in blue soon showed what they could do with a superb counter-attack by Edoardo Gori. But no! Denied by the dreaded TMO. Italy didn't have to wait long though. Leonardo Sarto soon flew over before Gori finally got his touchdown. Then, Italy's poster boy, the twinkle-toed Tommy Allan, hopped, skipped and jumped through the Romanian backline to put Italy well in control. Romania came back against Canada on Tuesday. It's going to take something to repeat that here at Sandy Park. "
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| 40 |
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We're back under way here in Exeter and we're back into the scrums already. Italy to feed along their left flank near half way.
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| 41 |
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Gori nicks it off the floor and bursts down the left flank, not far off the try, and he's almost there but is barged into touch.
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| 44 |
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Ooo, so nearly again. Allen breaks the line just inside the 22 and bursts for the try, he offloads left to Francesco Minto but he fumbles it! Minto still goes on to ground it but a TMO decision sees a Romanian hand intercepting before being held up. All going on here! Scrum to restart.
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| 45 |
27 - 3 |
ITALY TRY
It's been coming! Alessandro Zanni pounces on the loose ball off the scrum and heads home. Relatively easy for the Azzurri making amends for fumble a moment ago.
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| 47 |
29 - 3 |
Allan - conversion
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| 48 |
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Romania on the charge for the first time in quite some while. Just inside the Italian 22 and they're making good progress, albeit quite slowly.
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| 49 |
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Better from the Oaks. Florin Vlaicu cross field kick is collected well by Catalin Fercu before he's bundled into touch by Giovanbattista Venditti down the left flank. However, play's been brought back for an Romanian pen and they've kick to touch.
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| 51 |
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Italy managed to push up field by about 10 metres from the Romanian lineout, but they've got another go just on the edge of the 22.
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| 52 |
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Italy defending these lineouts well as Luke McLean boots to clear the pressure.
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| 54 |
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Romania's attack is well and truly broken down now as Italy have been awarded the pen. They've kicked for the lineout and they've got their own go at pushing from the set piece.
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| 55 |
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| 56 |
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Italy lineout along their left flank, still inside the Romanian half.
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| 57 |
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Italy pump the ball well from left to right and just as they look like finding their right winger, Tommy Allen's little stab through with his feet just skips past him and bounces into touch. Almost another try for the Azzurri.
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| 58 |
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Italy are still well within the Romanian half but they've just kicked out. Bit of a rest bite for the Oaks as we approach the final quarter.
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| 62 |
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Not a lot to report on at the minute. Scrum has been gifted to Romania, and after collecting from the rear, theyare being pushed backed into their own half from an increasingly impressive Italian defence. A lot of back and forth kicking, too.
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| 64 |
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Finally a bit of action as the Romanian lineout results into the driving maul...
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| 65 |
29 - 8 |
ROMANIA TRY!!
The classic driving maul move. Three Italian players on the eventual scorer Adrian Apostol who still has a lot of work to do on the line to actually get the ball down. Very strong from the Oaks replacement. TMO is needed by try is still awarded.
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| 66 |
29 - 10 |
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| 67 |
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Italian scrum inside the Romanian 22.
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| 68 |
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And Italy have the penalty! Kick incoming, this time for the sticks...
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| 69 |
32 - 10 |
Allan - penalty goal
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| 72 |
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Romania have the lineout deep in the Italian 22 and they are very close to boosting their score here - can they do it?
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| 73 |
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Driving maul is collapsed by Italy so Romania have the penalty advantage. Can they make this pay? They're just metres out from an extra five here.
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| 74 |
32 - 15 |
ROMANIA TRY!
What a complete mess this is turning into at Sandy Park. Even I can't see what's going on here. But, they awarded a try because somehow they've seen that Valentin Poparlan has grounded the ball amongst a huge pile up of bodies. Well, hey ho, Romania have the points with a chance of a couple extras.
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| 75 |
32 - 17 |
Vlaicu - conversion
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| 76 |
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Italy's lineout along half way results in the driving maul, and it actually looks like gaining a significant amount of ground to begin with but Romania manage to take control and shut it down. Their turn to attack now.
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| 77 |
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Scrum just under the Italian sticks. Great little kick from Fercu from the left into the centre, leaving Carlo Canna in no mans land just under his sticks with three incoming Romanian's. Lucky to get away with it unscathed.
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| 78 |
32 - 22 |
They've got it! ROMANIA TRY!
Great offload from Fercu, passing it over three players to find Adrian Apostol in the corner. Good vision from Fercu, who has been really impressive since being shifted to No.10, and finished nicely by the replacement winger.
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| 79 |
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Missed kick, but Romania have won the second half so that's definitely something to cheer about. Nearly in bonus point territory for the Oaks!
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| 80 |
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No bonus point as the it's done here at Sandy Park! FULL TIME! Analysis to come in a few moments...
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| 80+1 |
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ESPN's Alex Perry (@AlexPerryESPN) had this to say:
"Excuse the cliché, but that was a game of two halves. Italy dominated the first and notched up enough points to ultimately win them the match. But what might have been if the Romania that came out for the second 40 had showed up in the first. Three late tries had the 11,450 packed into Sandy Park on their feet, but it was far too little, far too late. Italy have qualified for the 2019 tournament in Japan. Too early to talk of extending the Six Nations? Not if this match is anything to go by…"
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