AT LAST AN Italian win. That’s the good news. The more sobering aspect of the news was that it came against Uruguay.
They were made to work for it, too, but in the end they were too strong, holding out by seven points to beat the South Americans, 17-10.
Key to their victory was the contribution of their debutants, Pierre Bruno and Epalahame Faiva, who each scored a try.
It was the first win Italy have notched up since the 2019 World Cup when they defeated Canada. The 16 games since have ended one way – in defeat.
Today was different. Bruno delivered early on, beating two defenders to get the game’s opening try, however Federico Favaro’s penalty reduced the gap to 7-3. Next to score was Paolo Garbisi. His penalty made it 10-3 to Italy at half-time.
Soon it was 17-3, Faiva scoring on his debut, but Uruguay refused to lie down. Not only did they keep Italy scoreless for the remainder of the game but they also cut the gap to seven points when Santiago Civetta scored from close range.
With 20 minutes remaining, an upset was possible and Danilo Fischetti’s yellow card made things nervy. Uruguay finished on top, inching closer and closer to the Italian line. The Azzuri held out.
