Italy 52-8 Namibia: Capuozzo stars in bonus-point win to open Rugby World Cup
Speed service provider Capuozzo has developed a status as one of many world’s finest finishers since his worldwide debut final yr and delighted the Saint-Etienne crowd together with his Fifty fifth-minute effort.
Capuozzo, who plys his commerce in France with Toulouse, exchanged passes with Monty Ioane earlier than he dived over the road in a uncommon alternative to stretch his legs in a bonus-point win for Italy.
Namibia opened the scoring at Stade Geoffroy Guichard when fly-half Tiaan Swanepoel despatched over an early penalty however it was not the start of a shock win for the African nation.
It had been an analogous story of their World Cup conflict in 2019, the place Namibia obtained on the scoreboard first earlier than they succumbed to a 47-22 loss.
Kieran Crowley’s Italy rapidly responded with Tommaso Allan kicking his personal profitable penalty earlier than quantity eight Lorenzo Cannone crashed over after 12 minutes.
Namibia hooker Torsten van Jaarsveld had been sin-binned within the play earlier than after a collapsed maul and from the ensuing penalty Italy grabbed the primary of seven tries.
Allan added the extras and produced one other conversion after quarter of an hour when Paolo Garbisi waltzed by the Namibia defence after a poor line-out.
There was a second for Namibia, stripped in blue, to savour when Swanepoel’s wonderful move discovered wing Gerswin Mouton, who raced over within the nook for a unbelievable strive.
It remained 17-8 to Italy on the interval earlier than Crowley’s males improved after the restart with Dino Lamb capable of jot down after being carried over by his team-mates.
All eyes had been then on Capuozzo, who ran inside earlier than he traded passes with Ioane and confirmed his predatory ending abilities by wheeling over to attain his first World Cup strive.
With the bonus-point secured, Italy began to play with extra freedom within the last quarter and Epalahame Faiva, Manuel Zuliani and Paolo Odogwu grabbed tries throughout the latter phases of the conflict to make sure the tier one nation made a robust begin to their marketing campaign.