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Rugby: Italy gives Tonga
a drubbing
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Articles about Italy)
Azzurri put on fine all-round display
for new French coach
(ANSA) - Prato, November 12 - Italy kicked off its autumn test
series in commanding style, thrashing Tonga 48-0 on Saturday
and giving new coach Pierre Berbizier reason to be hopeful for
coming games .
The Italians, playing on home turf in the northern city of Prato,
scored seven tries as the team showed its superiority over the
Pacific islanders, who are ranked 20th in the world .
Number 8 Josh Sole scored two tries, as did winger Mirko Bergomasco
and captain Marco Bortolami. Fly-half and kicker Ramiro Pez
converted five tries and a penalty .
Saturday's game was the only one of three fixtures in which
Italy takes on a side below it in the world rankings. On November
19 the Azzurri play host to Argentina - ranked eighth in the
International Rugby Board standings, three places higher - in
Genoa. The week after in Monza it meets Fiji, the side just
in front of it in the IRB table. Berbizier, 47, replaced New
Zealander John Kirwan in April after Italy collected the wooden
spoon in the 2005 Six Nations. The Frenchman's spell on the
Azzurri bench started reasonably well with the summer tour,
when Italy's notched up its first ever win on Argentine soil
.
The new boss has said he will use the three autumn test matches
to check out his personnel so that he can develop the best style
of play for the team in the future .
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