[EOYT] Italy vs. Fiji 16/11/13

[LittleGuy]

Italy vs. Fiji 16/11/13, 15:00 CET, Stadio Giovanni Zini, Cremona, Italy.

Referee: Leighton Hodges (Wales)

Italy and Fiji meet up in Cremona in what promises to be an intruiging clash of styles as well the two teams are positioned right beside each other in the IRB world rankings(11th and 12th), Italy will need a strong rebound after a dour performance against OZ, while Fiji will look to build on a workmanlike victory over Portugal.

Lineups...see Muzzy's post below....

 

[Muzzy]

Apparently its gonna be freezing, last time Fiji played there they were playing in snow

 

[Big Ewis]

I was going to joke about that ! That nobody would even think of making the thread for this match !! Nobody on this forum cares too much for any of these teams, and seeing how Italy played like on Saturday, they've lost even more respect surely world wide. This could definitely turn into a snoozefest pretty quickly. But it's a chance for Italy to show some attack, break some people in the scrum, and improve their defense (...dramatically, please !).

 

[Big Ewis]

[h=1]100s for Parisse and Castrogiovanni[/h]
http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_9025788,00.html

 

[Muzzy]

Interesting call by Fiji having Nadolo at 12 and Tikoirotuma at 13. Guess they wanted both Nagusa and Talebula in the starting lineup. They've also started Kenatale ahead of Matawalu. No Goneva in the team.

From Teivovo:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teivovo/169088377718


Fiji:

15 Metuisela Talebula (Bordeaux Begles)
14 Jim Nagusa (Montpellier)
13 Asaeli Tikoirotuma (Chiefs)
12 Nemani Nadolo (NEC Green Rockets)
11 Napolioni Nalaga (Clermont)
10 Seremaia Bai (Castres)
9 Nemia Kenatale (Southland)
8 Masi Matadigo (Racing Metro)
7 Akapusi Qera (capt) (Gloucester)
6 Dominiko Waqaniburotu (Brive)
5 Wame Lewaravu (Mont de Marsan)
4 Api Naikatini (Wellington)
3 Setefano Somoca (Nadroga)
2 Viliame Veikoso (Suva)
1 Jerry Yanuyanutawa (Glasgow)

Replacements:
16 Jerry Naureure (Nadroga)
17 Campese Ma'afu (Nottingham)
18 Manasa Saulo (Suva)
19 Sisa Koyamaibole (Brive)
20 Malakai Ravulo (North Harbour)
21 Nikola Matawalu (Glasgow)
22 Waisea Luveniyali (Newcastle)
23 Adriu Delai (Tarbes)

Italy:

15 Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso)
14 Giovambattista Venditti (Zebre)
13 Gonzalo Canale (Stade Rochelais)
12 Luca Morisi (Benetton Treviso)
11 Tommaso Iannone (Zebre)
10 Luciano Orquera (Zebre)
9 Edoardo Gori (Benetton Treviso)
8 Sergio Parisse (capt) (Stade Francais)
7 Mauro Bergamasco (Zebre)
6 Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Treviso)
5 Valerio Bernabo (Benetton Treviso)
4 Quintin Geldenhuys (Zebre)
3 Martin Castrogiovanni (Toulon)
2 Leonardo Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso)
1 Michele Rizzo (Benetton Treviso)

Replacements:
16 Davide Giazzon (Zebre)
17 Matias Aguero (Zebre)
18 Lorenzo Cittadini (Benetton Treviso)
19 Joshua Furno (Biarritz Olympique)
20 Manoa Vosawai (Benetton Treviso)
21 Tobias Botes (Benetton Treviso)
22 Tommaso Allan (Perpignan)
23 Michele Campagnaro (Benetton Treviso)​

 

[Joony-k]

Interesting call by Fiji having Nadolo at 12 and Tikoirotuma at 13. Guess they wanted both Nagusa and Talebula in the starting lineup. They've also started Kenatale ahead of Matawalu. No Goneva in the team.

From Teivovo:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teivovo/169088377718


Fiji:

15 Metuisela Talebula (Bordeaux Begles)
14 Jim Nagusa (Montpellier)
13 Asaeli Tikoirotuma (Chiefs)
12 Nemani Nadolo (NEC Green Rockets)
11 Napolioni Nalaga (Clermont)
10 Seremaia Bai (Castres)
9 Nemia Kenatale (Southland)
8 Masi Matadigo (Racing Metro)
7 Akapusi Qera (capt) (Gloucester)
6 Dominiko Waqaniburotu (Brive)
5 Wame Lewaravu (Mont de Marsan)
4 Api Naikatini (Wellington)
3 Setefano Somoca (Nadroga)
2 Viliame Veikoso (Suva)
1 Jerry Yanuyanutawa (Glasgow)

Replacements:
16 Jerry Naureure (Nadroga)
17 Campese Ma'afu (Nottingham)
18 Manasa Saulo (Suva)
19 Sisa Koyamaibole (Brive)
20 Malakai Ravulo (North Harbour)
21 Nikola Matawalu (Glasgow)
22 Waisea Luveniyali (Newcastle)
23 Adriu Delai (Tarbes)

Italy:

15 Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso)
14 Giovambattista Venditti (Zebre)
13 Gonzalo Canale (Stade Rochelais)
12 Luca Morisi (Benetton Treviso)
11 Tommaso Iannone (Zebre)
10 Luciano Orquera (Zebre)
9 Edoardo Gori (Benetton Treviso)
8 Sergio Parisse (capt) (Stade Francais)
7 Mauro Bergamasco (Zebre)
6 Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Treviso)
5 Valerio Bernabo (Benetton Treviso)
4 Quintin Geldenhuys (Zebre)
3 Martin Castrogiovanni (Toulon)
2 Leonardo Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso)
1 Michele Rizzo (Benetton Treviso)

Replacements:
16 Davide Giazzon (Zebre)
17 Matias Aguero (Zebre)
18 Lorenzo Cittadini (Benetton Treviso)
19 Joshua Furno (Biarritz Olympique)
20 Manoa Vosawai (Benetton Treviso)
21 Tobias Botes (Benetton Treviso)
22 Tommaso Allan (Perpignan)
23 Michele Campagnaro (Benetton Treviso)​

I think Goneva is injured atm. Wouldn't mind watching this game. I think Fiji could get an upset

 

[Big Ewis]

TRF OLYY !! Quick !! "Martinio Castriani" is playing !!

 

[Croket66]

4 yellow cards in 7 or 8 minutes for Fiji
They played 2 minutes at 11 vs 15...


min 38 Italy 20-5 Fiji

 

[LittleGuy]

4 yellow cards in 7 or 8 minutes for Fiji
They played 2 minutes at 11 vs 15...


min 38 Italy 20-5 Fiji

BAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Has that EVER happened before? I know Tonga were breifly at 12 vs. 15 against Canada in June but 11 vs. 15!!! Did they send out their soccer team by accident?

 

[Croket66]

half time 20-5

 

[LittleGuy]

Another yellow card for Fiji LOL, five for the game so far. Italy up 30-17.

 

[LittleGuy]

Now Parisse is off with a yellow, Fiji are about to get their sin binned guy back and they just got a try to take them within 6. Grandstand finish on the way 37-31 for Italy.

 

[Muzzy]

Man those cards for Qera and Tikoirotuma were bull****, that was a good hit from Tikoirotuma, if that happened in the PNC there would be no question about it. Even the one on Nadolo was harsh. If it wasn't for those cards Fiji would have won this game easily, Fiji were down to 11 men and still nearly won the game. Qera had lifted the Italian player but he didn't get a chance to put him down safely because Castrogiovanni came at Qera with a swinging arm, and yet he got nothing?


Great tries from Fiji though lol, really great tries, Matawalu was brilliant

 

[Blackdevil]

lol i missed that part, i just watched the last 10 minutes when fijians try to come back and scores 2 tries, maybe with more disciplinary they can beat Italy today, always the same problem....

 

[psychic duck]

Fiji were sin binned down to 11 men. Whilst Italy didn't concede a penalty until the 71st minute. This match falls under the suspicions of a particularly home bias referee according the reports.

Slightly embarrassing for Italy that this game was so close considering Fiji were sin binned so much and the penalty count was 18-5, with most of Italy's penalties conceded in the final plays as Fiji attacked close to the line.

 

[Muzzy]

Fiji were sin binned down to 11 men. Whilst Italy didn't concede a penalty until the 71st minute. This match falls under the suspicions of a particularly home bias referee according the reports.

Slightly embarrassing for Italy that this game was so close considering Fiji were sin binned so much and the penalty count was 18-5, with most of Italy's penalties conceded in the final plays as Fiji attacked close to the line.

Yeah I was wondering if I was gonna see a team get 0 penalties for the first time ever. The ref went to the video ref way too much and the video ref took way too long.

For Fiji's first try, it was a straight forward run with a basic pass for a try but they went to the video ref for it. And then when Italy had that forward pass, the video ref took nearly 10 mins to finally say what everyone else could see straight away, that the pass was well forward. And Waqaniburotu's yellow card was strange, because when they went to the video ref for it, they weren't even watching the footage of the incident, the video ref couldn't even tell the ref where the mark was

In the first 5 mins, this was actually looking like a good game. Both teams were playing with flair, I thought wow the people who said this wasn't gonna be a good game were wrong. But then the referee's had other ideas

Well I hope Fiji keep their heads up, and play well next week.

 

[Jaguares]

What do u think? Could Italy beat the Pumas next week???

 

[Big Ewis]

What do u think? Could Italy beat the Pumas next week???

haven't seen this one whole, or any of the WAL ARG, but looking at the scores and what I've heard about this one, neither team can be considered Tier 1 right now.
Italy barely survive this one while Fiji receive 5 yellows. Italy concedes 5 tries to Fiji, AT HOME ?!...
I must say...a little scary for Italy. Since the 6N, they've been near catastrophic, not to say downright catastrophic. Their defense especially.

Italy's point-conceding record post-6N in 2013:
S.A. 44 - SAM 39 - SCO 30 - AUS 50 - FIJ 31 (with 5 yellows).
That's an average of 39points in 5 matches, and including 2 matches at home.

Meanwhile, the Pumas are decaying...I'm really not sure what the heck ITA ARG will look like this year. And it's a big, big shame. They're two of the few sides I support, and before the summer was looking forward to this one with a lot of enthusiasm. Since the woes, though...hhhmm.

 

[Blackdevil]

Fiji on Thursday announced plans to lodge a formal complaint about a referee who handed the Pacific Islanders a world record of five yellow cards in a Test against Italy last weekend.

Fiji were briefly reduced to 11 men in the first half of the 37-31 loss in Cremona when four players were sin-binned during eight minutes of mayhem.

Another yellow followed in the second half and Italy also had captain Sergio Parisse sent to the sin bin during his 100th appearance.

FRU acting chief executive Berlin Kafoa said the cards cost his team the match but argued they resulted more from overzealous officiating by Welsh referee Leighton Hodges than poor discipline.
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He said a complaint would be submitted to the International Rugby Board (IRB).

"We will take action against the Welsh referee," Kafoa told Fiji One television.

"We have viewed the footage of the Italy game and think we should won the game if the massive number of yellow cards were not given to us. We saw the tackles were fair and the five yellows was unfair on us."

"Our international referees in Fiji are now viewing the video footage and then we will write a complaint to IRB."

Fiji's five-card haul puts them top of the table for the amount of yellow cards by one team in an international game.

Previously, Italy had shared that record on four yellow cards with Georgia and England. The Italians had four players sin-binned in a 33-12 defeat to France at the Stade de France in February 2002.

Georgia had four men sin-binned in a 17-7 defeat to Uruguay in Montevideo in October 2004, while England temporarily lost four players in a 32-6 defeat to New Zealand at Twickenham in November 2008.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...w-card-haul-20131121-2xz4n.html#ixzz2m4OocM6V

 

[Tony Manx]

This from a Country who welcome visiting school boy teams of 17/18 years of age and then select senior players of 20 years plus against them in a supposed fixture against their schools team............I would reckon some of them could even have been teachers!!

Not sure they really understand the idea of fair play?