What a difference a day makes. After the glorious weather and footy of the first two days of the Rugby World Cup, we are served up with a reminder that it is a winter code after all.
We're back at the North Half a Stadium, which yesterday played host to the best game of the tournament so far. The Japanese gave the French the scare of their lives in a game memorable for an impassioned, generous and uncharacteristically enthusiastic crowd. It was certainly better than any North Harbour crowd. And proof that there is something special about this event.
When the 2nd best team in the world plays the 11th you'd expect a rout, but I don't think that is what we'll see. The distance between the worst and best teams in this tournament has diminished year on year in this professional era. Nowadays most teams are able to field 15 men who play rugby for a living.
This weather is also a blessing for the Italians as it should slightly blunt the edge off of the razor sharp Wallaby back line. Also in the mix is that the majority of the crowd will always want to back any team playing New Zealand's nemesis.
Speaking of our nemesis, how about Quade Cooper? If he had stayed in the country of his birth, he would now be a lovely humble maori boy, instead he's been left in the hot Brisbane sun for too long and has morphed into a nasty, irritating little cockroach. The boy can play however, and 20 minutes into the game, he is the only reason the Aussies are up 3-0.
The Italians are fronting up all across the park, and the only real mistake they've made thus far is not resisting the urge to tackle Cooper late - can you blame them?
The other threatening looking Wallaby is the much more pleasant Kurtly Beale. He has handled the ball a few times in the first 25 minutes and always poses a threat. He is such an exciting player he is hard to dislike, also he is the doppelganger of Kid Creole from the Coconuts fame. I urge you to witness this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-NGlOB4hJA
Half an hour in, and the score is 6-0 to the Wallabies thanks to two Cooper penalties. The Italians have shown real purpose with the ball in hand, and they are by no means out of the match yet, but they will want to score before half time.
Life is imitating art, because as I type the sentence above, the Italians win a penalty and it is slotted by Bergamasco... 6-3, then in short time Cooper concedes another penalty in front of the sticks and they head to the break with the honours shared. 6 apiece.
In most New Zealanders wildest dreams, Italy will go on to upset the Wallabies, but I won't be popping down to the TAB to bet on it. Robbie is bound to come up with something in his team talk to give the convicts an edge in the second half.
The second half begins and the Australians emerge from their changing rooms with genuine purpose, and threaten the Italian line, then monster them at scrum time. The Italians only hope appears to be to hold them out for long enough to make them panic. I'd say if the Wallabies can score next, the game will be over before we know it.
As expected at 48 minutes the Wallabies put together an end to end try which features every player the All Blacks fear most. Kurtly Beale, Digby Ioane, Quade Cooper, the Captain Holwell, Will Genia and Radike Samo provide the impetus and Ben Alexander collects the 5 pointer.
If the Italians can get back into the match from here I'll be astounded. Fortunately for them the Justin Beiber-like James O'Connor misses an easy conversion. 11-6. And in theory the Italians can get back into the game if they score next.
Well it's not going to happen, with 56 minutes gone Adam Ashley-Cooper scores a fabulous try to put the game out of reach. 18-6 And then Bieber himself caps a 19 point ten minute spree to take the game to 25-6 with a quarter to go.
James O'Connor has made a big difference since coming on, and the Wallaby back line look slick, smooth and threatening. Robbie Deans is a canny one alright He has managed to discipline his youngest prodigy over the last month, and in doing so given him a hunger to redeem himself.
If the Italians were hoping that with the game locked up the Aussies would take their foot off the gas, then they are confounded by the best try of the lot to Ioane at the 68 minute mark. It is turning into a bath at 32-6.
That's how it ended. This is a great tournament. 6 games 34 tries. But every game having moments of genuine competition and tension.
My player of the match is Radike Samo who looks a shoe-in to make a best of tournament XV, so imposing is his presence on the game.
Final Score 32-6
6 games 34 tries.
Tweet of the match- "Australia are here everyone! They apologise for being 40 minutes late." @Dukevfr
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