Concern for Italy flyhalf after Japan win

Match report: Italy beat Japan 42-14 at the Sapporo Dome Stadium in Japan on Sunday.

The result was a bittersweet one as Italy flyhalf Paolo Garbisi was stretchered off in the second stanza following a head collision with Japan centre Dylan Riley.

Garbisi was apparently knocked unconscious after the incident had occurred.

Italy had a solid start to the match – scoring three tries in the first half, but centre Riley kept Japan in the game with a brace – dotting down in the first and second half respectively.

Italy ensured to keep the scoreboard ticking over in their favour with the boot before two late tries sealed victory for the visitors.

This result leaves head coach Eddie Jones winless in his second stint with Japan – following losses to England and Georgia.

Japan will take the field again in the new-look Pacific Nations Cup which will kick-off in August.

“Credit to the Italy team, they came out and put us under some real pressure early,” said Riley.

“We’ve got to look forward, review this, have two weeks to refresh and then come back stronger.”

Star outside back Ange Capuozzo opened the try scoring for Italy in the eighth minute after breaking open the Japan defence and running it in to dot down.

Scrumhalf Martin Page-Relo also crossed the line in the 13th minute after Ross Vintcent pounced on a loose ball to set Vintcent up near the line.

Vincent was then yellow carded in the 31st minute, but this didn’t do any damage as soon after Capuozzo stepped through the Japanese defence before getting his pass away to Andrea Zambonin to score.

Japan struck back with a try through Riley when he broke away to score just before halftime.

Riley got himself a brace when the centre intercepted a pass and raced away to the line to dot down.

Italy received a second yellow card when Jacopo Trulla was sent to the sinbin.

A scary moment occurred when flyhalf Paulo Garbisi was laying out cold on the pitch – with the medical staff rushing to attend to him after the head clash with Riley.

The flyhalf’s brother – Alessandro Garbisi who came on as a substitute crossed the line in the 73rd minute before Vintcent sealed the deal after the final hooter.

The match concluded Italy’s Pacific tour – which consisted of a loss to Samoa and a win over Tonga.

The scorers:

For Japan:
Tries: Riley 2
Cons: Matsuda 2

For Italy:
Tries: Capuozzo, Page-Relo, Zambonin, Garbisi, Vintcent
Cons: Garbisi 3, Marin
Pens: Page-Relo 3

Yellow card: Trulla Vintcent (Italy)

Teams:

Japan: 15 Yoshitaka Yazaki, 14 Jone Naikabula, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Samisoni Tua, 11 Tomoki Osada, 10 Rikiya Matsuda, 9 Taiki Koyama, 8 Lua Makisi, 7 Micheal Lietch, 6 Amanaki Saumaki, 5 Warner Dearns, 4 Eishin Kuwano, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi, 2 Mamoru Harada, 1 Takayoshi Mohara.
Replacements: 16 Atsushi Sakate, 17 Takato Okabe, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Sanaila Waqa, 20 Tevita Tatafu, 21 Shinobu Fujiwara, 22 Seungin Lee, 23 Takuya Yamasawa

Italy: 15 Ange Capuozzo, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Ignacio Brex, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Jacopo Trulla, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Martin Page-Relo, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Michele Lamaro, 6 Ross Vintcent, 5 Andrea Zambonin, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Danilo Fischetti
Replacements: 16 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Simone Ferrari, 19 Federico Ruzza, 20 Manuel Zuliani, 21 Alessandro Garbisi, 22 Leonardo Marin, 23 Marco Zanon.

Referee: Luc Ramos (France)
Assistant Referees: Eoghan Cross (Ireland), Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)