Before I get to the Rugby a wee digression. It's been about 48 hours between games and it seems the New Zealand media needed to keep the tournament in the forefront of our thoughts on Monday's supposed "day off".
The news on both New Zealand TV channels last night was about an off field drinking incident in the All Black camp. Now sportsmen and alcohol have a chequered history as we all know, and the All Blacks are normally very disciplined in this department, so I thought it had to be something big.
I was wrong, the story wasn't fresh news. The incident was 4 weeks old, dating back before the tournament began. And what happened? 23 year old winger Zac Guildford, following a poor performance against the Wallabies in Brisbane, hit the hotel bar hard and drank to excess. And then he went to bed. And that is it.
He didn't get in a fight, he didn't grope anybody, he didn't break any furniture, he didn't shoot a seal, he didn't do anything but drink enough alcohol to become intoxicated. Should this story have even been in the news? Possibly it is a sports news story... possibly. Most rugby aficionados are aware that Guildford has a history with the bottle, and that he has had these issues under control of late. So a wavering in his discipline is perhaps newsworthy. But the lead story in both channels? Give the guy a break.
What does this decision do for him? It puts him under further scrutiny. Footage of him in the Press Conference showed him looking flustered and ashamed. But what he did is entirely understandable to most of us - he had a shocker, he used alcohol inappropriately in a one-off circumstance, and that's it. We need to support him, not hang him out to dry.
To the Rugby! Trafalgar Park is chocker (12 500) and it is a beaut night. My Poker buddies and I are going to see Italy vs USA a week from now here, and it is a tantalising prospect. In the 17 minutes I've been writing this the Italians have already rattled in 3 tries, opting to try and gain a 4-try bonus point rather than kicking penalty attempts. Pool C also includes Ireland and Australia, so the Italians are aware they need to get every point they can if they are to have any hope of qualifying for the quarter finals.
The Italians edge the Russian Bears in most aspects of the game thus far - particularly in the backs where sharp handling has created the space to score the three opening tries, and on the 22 minute mark, they have their fourth! Speedy winger Giulio Toniolatti scores his second try, flying under the sticks in a pretty dive with his blonde locks flowing behind him. The score is already 24-0, and it is hard to imagine the Bears will be able to do anything but save face by scoring a point or two for themselves from here.
The two teams rank 10th vs 21st, and the gulf between them is vast at this early stage of the match.
The tournament's 100th try arrives on the 28th minute, and the honour of this goes to... nobody! It is a penalty try - the Bears deliberately collapsing the dominant Azzurri scrum in the left corner. The Russians are looking at an absolute bath here.
Oops talk about curse of the commentator - the Bears finally come to play, with a tidy spell of pressure on the Italian line, resulting in their inaugural try in a Rugby World Cup, scored by little replacement halfback Alexander Yangushkin. He subbed on just a few moments ago and his influence has been obvious, he is busting and organising around the rucks and mauls, and is a little shot of adrenaline in the Bears lineup. The try is greeted by the biggest cheer of the night!
The match continues in the same free flowing vein, with 11 tries scored altogether; 8 to the Azzurri and 3 to the Bears. The Italians look a very good rugby team, and on their night they might be able to foot it with the Irish. This matchup on October 2nd will be the final pool match and may end up being one of the most important in the tournament.
Final score: Italy 53- Russia 17
20 games 108 tries.
Tweet of the match- "Russia should stick to Ice Hockey and Pole Vaulting" @suitegallery
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