Azzurri send warning to Boks with Namibia rout
MATCH REPORT: Fullback Jacopo Trullo scored three tries as Italy warmed up for a two-Test series in South Africa by crushing Namibia 73-6 in Windhoek on Friday.
The tourists were ahead within three minutes when awarded a penalty try that led to Namibia hooker Louis van der Westhuizen being sin binned.
Namibia flyhalf Tiaan Swanepoel kicked two penalties to reduce the arrears to a single point after 15 minutes at Hage Geingob Stadium, but the home team failed to score again.
As Italy took control, Trullo (twice), inside centre Leonardo Marin, wing Simone Gesi and outside centre Tommaso Menoncello crossed the tryline in the first half.
Flyhalf Giacomo Da Re succeeded with four of five conversion kicks to give Italy a 40-6 half-time advantage.
The second half followed a similar pattern with the dominant visitors adding tries through scrumhalf Alessandro Fusco, replacements Mirco Spagnolo and Stephen Varney and Trullo.
Italy completed the scoring when awarded another penalty try.
Da Ra kicked a further two conversions in the second half and Varney one.
The tourists now head to South Africa to face the world champion Springboks with the first Test on July 5 in Pretoria and the second on July 12 in Gqeberha.
The scorers:
For Namibia:
Pens: Swanepoel 2
For Italy:
Tries: Penalty tries 2, Trulla 3, Marin, Gesi, Menoncello, Fusco, Spagnolo, Varney
Cons: Da Re 6, Varney
Yellow card: Louis van der Westhuizen (Namibia, 3′)
Teams
Namibia: 15 Andre van der Berg, 14 Danie van der Merwe, 13 Alcino Izaacs, 12 Danco Burger, 11 Jurgen Meyer, 10 Tiaan Swanepoel, 9 Jacques Theron, 8 Adriaan Booysen, 7 Max Katjijeko, 6 Prince !Gaoseb, 5 Johan Retief, 4 Adriaan Ludick, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Louis van der Westhuizen, 1 Haitembi Shikufa.
Replacements: 16 Armand Combrinck, 17 Jason Benade, 18 Sidney Halupe, 19 Ruan Ludick, 20 Johan Luttig, 21 Peter Diergaardt, 22 Oela Blaauw, 23 Quirione Majiedt
Italy: 15 Jacopo Trulla, 14 Paolo Odogwu, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Leonardo Marin, 11 Simone Gesi, 10 Giacomo Da Re, 9 Alessandro Fusco, 8 Ross Vintcent, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Riccardo Favretto, 4 Niccolo Cannone, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Giacomo Nicotera (captain), 1 Danilo Fischetti
Replacements: 16 Tommasso Di Bartolomeo, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Muhamed Hasa, 19 Andrea Zambonin, 20 Lorenzo Cannone, 21 Stephen Varney, 22 Giulio Bertaccini, 23 Mirko Belloni
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Morne Ferreira (South Africa), Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa)
