Italy's Martin Castrogiovanni shakes hands with Canada's Matt Evans, right, as Italy's Mauro Bergamasco shakes hands with Canada's Andrew Tiedemann after their Rugby World Cup Pool D match at Elland Road, Leeds, England, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015. Italy won the match 23-18. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Republished September 26, 2015 - 12:04 PM
Original Publication Date September 26, 2015 - 9:10 AM
LEEDS, England - Canada is 0-2 in pool play at the Rugby World Cup after dropping a 23-18 decision to Italy on Saturday.
The Canadians, who burst out to a 10-0 lead early, couldn't hold on to secure their first victory at the tournament. Instead, Italy made some history, completing the biggest comeback in a Cup match since the 2007 quarter-finals, where France beat New Zealand from 13-0 down.
"We came close," said Canadian winger DTH Van der Merwe. "The game was there for the taking but we made some key decisions that resulted in us not winning, making poor passes and not taking extra rucks."
Italy, which came into the match on a six-game losing streak, had won four straight against Canada since their first Cup match in 2003. The Canadians were just the tonic the European side needed for an overdue confidence boost.
"We're pretty disappointed, to be honest," Canada head coach Kieran Crowley said. "I thought our guys gave it everything they could. They played with some real emotion, some real energy but in the end it wasn't quite good enough."
Italy didn't get on top of Canada until right on halftime, when flyhalf Tommaso Allan kicked his second penalty.
Canada regained the lead three minutes into the new half and dominated the third quarter but couldn't finish chances. Canada closed to within two with nine minutes to go, but the Italians used their superior scrum to finish an enthralling match stronger.
The teams scored two tries each, and the excitement was heightened by shoddy tackling.
Van der Merwe brought the match to life when he started and finished a brilliant try from deep in his own 22. He beat his marker on the sideline, and tore into Italy's half. Center Ciaran Hearn was in support, and offloaded back to Van Der Merwe, who ran between two Italians who collided, and round behind the posts.
"It was maybe one of the most special ones, doing it here on the world stage," Van der Merwe said of the try. "I listen to the World in Union song before each game and it brings a tear to my eye."
Van der Merwe has scored in three successive games: Twice in the warm-up against Fiji, and one in the tournament-opening loss to Ireland.
Canada's celebrations were brief, however, because Italy hit straight back from the restart.
Scrumhalf Edoardo Gori broke from a ruck inside his half, and kept going until just short of the tryline, when he passed off the ground to loosehead prop Michele Rizzo who, with a Canadian round his ankles, stretched out to score.
That opened the eyes of the Italians, who surged on attack, and could have had two more tries.
But Allan was blocked by returning Canada captain Tyler Ardron, and while Allan was off temporarily, his replacement Carlo Canna was pushed out in the left corner by fullback Matt Evans. Allan came back to kick the Italians into a 13-10 lead at the break.
If the coaches' halftime message to their players was to tackle better, it went through one ear and out the other.
Canada retook the lead quickly, as Hearn drew in defenders and Evans scooted in.
Moments later, Canada seemed to roar in for another try, but right winger Phil Mackenzie's effort was disallowed because of a forward pass. The decision was fair, but disapproved by the Elland Road crowd.
Amid a swivel door of substitutions was Italy back-rower Mauro Bergamasco, age 36, who became only the second player to appear in five World Cups, after Samoa's Brian Lima.
Canada remained on top until near the hour, when Italy went back in front.
Captain and hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini broke from the front of a lineout to the tryline, and inside centre Gonzalo Garcia easily got in behind Hearn's premature rush to dive over. Allan converted for 20-15.
Canada flyhalf Nathan Hirayama cut the gap to two with nine minutes to go, but Italy's scrum finally paid off, sucking time off the clock and draining Canada's last reserves. A scrum penalty earned the Italians a penalty in injury time, and Allan nailed it.
To have a shot at making the quarterfinals, the Italians must beat Ireland next. But the Irish aren't one of their favourite opponents, not with only one win against them in 18 years.
News from © The Associated Press, 2015