What should have been a celebration of excellent rugby was instead an ugly spectacle marred by six yellow cards – five to Fiji – and a ridiculous penalty count against the visitors.
ITALY 37 vs 31 FIJI
Saturday, November 16, 14:00 GMT, Cremona
The game got off to a dreadful start as the TMO took an age first to make a decision on a review, and second to figure out where the mark was at the resulting penalty. As the viewers rolled their eyes Luciano Orquera lined up his first shot at goal and eventually succeeded with it to get the game back on track.
Fiji were sloppy with their own possession early, but if they were a bit casual, the Azzurri were criminal in their protection of the ball as a loose pass ended in Asaeli Tikoirotuma’s hands, and the Manawatu flyer ran 60 metres before offloading to Metuisela Talebula to score an opportune try. Seremaia Bai missed the conversion but Fiji had the lead.
The Azzurri looked to have put one over shortly after through Sergio Parisse, but the replays showed that the scoring pass was forward. Orquera missed a shot at goal and then Fiji lost their nerve. Four yellow cards in the space of eight minutes completely ruined the game as a contest.
First Akapusi Qera inexplicably hoisted Edoardo Gori upside down off the ground in a move more appropriately found in a wrestling ring. The second was a clumsy challenge by Tikoirotuma that was deemed a swinging arm tackle worthy of a card. Then it was a high tackle from Masi Matadigo, and finally an intentional knock on by Nemani Nadolo.
By half time the penalties tallied 11-0 in favour of Italy, the TMO had been summoned a half dozen times, and any flow that game might have had was dead and buried with the first half running twenty minutes over time including all the stoppages. It was comically painful to watch.
The second half started the same, as the referee continued to penalise Fiji at nearly every facet of play. Orquera kicked another penalty, but then a brilliant chip from Talebula created a try for Timoci Nagusa. The whistle would continue to dominate, however, and the Azzurri were awarded a penalty try after the Fijian scrum buckled on their own goal line.
Fiji fought back impressively given the circumstances, scoring a try through Nemani Nadolo, but were reduced yet again when Sisa Koyamaibole was binned for taking out a player off the ball. Manoa Vosawai took advantage of the numerical advantage as he crossed for a try against his country of birth, with Tommaso Allan recording the first points of his interational career via the conversion.
Incredibly Fiji continued to battle back, making things interesting in the last ten minutes by scoring two converted tries through Napolioni Nalaga and Timoci Nagusa. They even had a chance to win, gaining possession in the final minute, but ultimately losing the ball forward to mercifully call a close to the accursed match.
It’s generally in bad taste to comment on the referee following the match, but such was the disparity in penalties that it is simply unavoidable. The Azzurri didn’t have a single penalty called against them until the 71st minute, an astonishing fact that is surely a record in test rugby. A couple of the yellow cards were clear and unavoidable, but four of them were at least debateable if not uncalled for. Sergio Parisse was given the last of the six, a decision that was neither appropriate nor reconciliatory to the previous rulings.
As the cliché goes it takes two to tango, so blame must also be placed on the Fijians who were catastrophically short on discipline, failing to adhere to the interpretations of the referee however disagreeable they might be. Qera’s lift tackle, which ultimately caused no harm to the player, was nonetheless an act of poor judgement, especially coming from the captain, and Koyamaibole’s reckless shoulder barge could only be described as brainless – in the quiet words of Brian Moore.
After an impressive Pacific Nations Cup this performance is a considerable setback for Fijian rugby and one they will have to exorcise swiftly to restore credibility to the side ahead of their all-important centenary match against the Barbarians in only two weeks time. Italy meanwhile should not feel too high and mighty given that they allowed Fiji to stay within one score at the death in spite of the imperiously lopsided list of infringements. Had the visitors not fallen afoul of the law so early and so often the Azzurri might well be nursing a sorry defeat rather than a soured victory.
SCORING
04 mins – L. Orquera pen 3-0
09 mins – M. Talebula try 3-5
26 mins – L Orquera pen 6-5
29 mins – S. Parisse try 11-5
30 mins – L. Orquera con 13-5
33 mins – L. McLean try 18-5
34 mins – L. Orquera con 20-5
46 mins – L. Orquera pen 23-5
48 mins – T. Nagusa try 23-10
57 mins – Italy pen try 28-10
58 mins – L. Orquera con 30-10
60 mins – N. Nadolo try 30-15
61 mins – S. Bai con 30-17
68 mins – M. Vosawai try 35-17
69 mins – T. Allan con 37-17
71 mins – N. Nalaga try 37-22
72 mins – S. Bai con 37-24
75 mins – T. Nagusa try 37-29
75 mins – S. Bai con 37-31
CARDS
20 mins – A. Qera yellow (dangerous tackle)
24 mins – A. Tikoirotuma yellow (dangerous tackle)
25 mins – M. Matadigo yellow (dangerous tackle)
28 mins – N. Nadolo yellow (professional foul)
67 mins – S. Koyamaibole yellow (professional foul)
73 mins – S. Parisse yellow (professional foul)
ITALY
L. McLean; G. Venditti, G. Canale, L. Morisi (M. Campagnaro 10), T. Iannone; L. Orquera (T. Allan 68), E. Gori (T. Botes HT); M. Rizzo (M. Aguero 59), L. Ghiraldini (D. Giazzon 59), M. Castrogiovanni (L. Cittadini 59); Q. Geldenhuys, V. Bernabo (J. Furno 68); A. Zanni, M. Bergamasco (M. Vosawai 59), S. Parisse (capt.).
FIJI
M. Talebula; T. Nagusa, A. Tikoirotuma, N. Nadolo, N. Nalaga; S. Bai, N. Kenatale (N. Matawalu 56); J. Yanuyanutawa (C. Ma’afu 61), V. Veikoso (S. Naureure 54), S. Somoca (M. Saulo 61); A. Naikatini (S. Koyamaibole HT), W. Lewaravu; D. Waqaniburotu (A. Delai 77), A. Qera (capt.), M. Matadigo (M. Ravulo 64).
Referee: L. Hodges (WRU)
Assistants: J. Peyper (SARU) & J. Montes (URU)
TMO: E. Gauzins (FFR)
