Italy 6 New Zealand 20:ITALY COACH Nick Mallett said he was proud his side had honoured the occasion in Saturdays brave 20-6 defeat by New Zealand in front of a capacity 80,000 crowd at the San Siro stadium in Milan.
The Azzurri, who play Six Nations matches in Rome, showed determination and resilience in defence and had the All Blacks on the back foot many times at the home of soccer clubs Inter and AC Milan.
Many in the biggest crowd ever to see a rugby match in Italy also thought his side should have been awarded a penalty try in the closing stages when the visitors collapsed and turned a series of scrums on their line.
“This was a fantastic occasion for Italian rugby. I am proud that this team is the first to play in front of 80,000 people here,” Mallett said.
“The crowd were brilliant, supportive and knowledgeable. They gave us a great boost.
“What was important was that when the players left the field the crowd had a team to be proud of and I think we did that today.”
Mallett said he was disappointed his side were not rewarded for their efforts with a try, but added that he respected the referee’s decision.
New Zealand coach Graham Henry was impressed by the reception for his side at a game that attracted soccer figures such as Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero, who was cheered by the crowd, and Milan boss Leonardo, who was booed.
“It’s mind-boggling that you can get 80,000 people into a stadium for rugby in this part of the world,” Henry said. “It’s a brilliant stadium and the guys really enjoyed being here.”
He was less happy about the way his second-string side equipped themselves.
Henry added that something must be done about the uncertainty over scrum rules after his forwards had a tough time.
“I think there needs to be total clarity over what is required in the scrum. There’s a grey area,” he said. “Its getting worse rather than better. It is spoiling the game as a spectacle.”
The All Blacks were heavily penalised for scrum offences and they were lucky not to concede a penalty try in the closing stages when they collapsed and turned a long series of scrums in front of their line.
“The last five minutes were a farce. For the good of the game we need clarity. At the moment I dont think there is. It’s causing frustration for the guys who play the game and the people watching.”
However, Mallett disagreed. “Maybe the southern hemisphere countries have to look at the scrum,” he said. “In the northern hemisphere there is more respect and attention for the set scrum.”
ITALY: McLean, Robertson, Canale, Garcia, M. Bergamasco, Gower, Tebaldi, Perugini, Ghiraldini, Castrogiovanni, Del Fava, Geldenhuys, Zanni, M. Bergamasco, Parisse. Replacements: Picone for Tebaldi (60), Rouyet for Perugini (60), Ongaro for Castrogiovanni (64), Pavanello for Del Fava (58), Favaro for Zanni (67). Not Used: Burton, Sgarbi. Sin Bin: Garcia (44).
NEW ZEALAND: Jane, B. Smith, Ellison, McAlister, Sivivatu, Delany, Ellis, Crockett, Flynn, Tialata, Donnelly, Boric, Messam, Latimer, Sooialo. Replacements: Donald for Delany (67), Cowan for Ellis (60), Afoa for Crockett (60). Not Used: Hore, Eaton, McCaw, Muliaina. Sin Bin: Tialata (78).
Referee: S Dickinson (Australia)
