Australia once again proved too strong for Italy, winning 34-12 to sweep their two-match Test series yesterday.
The revamped Wallabies, fielding eight changes from last week’s lineup, followed up their 31-8 victory in Canberra last week with another five tries. Australia have now won all their 12 internationals against the Italians, including six at home, while the Six-Nations wooden-spooners continue a losing streak that now stretches to 10 internationals.
Led by flyhalf Berrick Barnes and winger Lachlan Turner, the Wallabies reached halftime with a 20-6 lead, but needed another 30 minutes before rounding off the victory with two late converted tries.
Replacement Adam Ashley-Cooper, who was on the field three times, twice as a blood bin replacement for winger Peter Hynes, scored two tries, with hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau, center Ryan Cross and Turner also crossing the line.
Teenage fullback James O’Connor, who scored a hat-trick of tries on his full international debut last week, had a quieter match and finished with two conversions and a penalty goal, with Barnes landing another conversion.
Wallabies’ coach Robbie Deans said it was a good learning experience for his second-string group.
“They had to work hard to create shape and we left them out there toiling away at it, and they’ll be much better for the experience,” Deans said.
All of Italy’s points came from four penalty goals from Australian-born fullback Luke McLean.
Italy, who were more competitive with former Australian rugby league international Craig Gower calling the shots at flyhalf, failed to score a try and have now only scored three tries in internationals this year.
Italy coach Nick Mallett said he was proud of his team’s performance on a dry pitch.
“It was a very tough game for us to play because it was a dry ball on a dry pitch, and Australia have great athletes and great continuity and areas of our game could have been badly exposed today,” Mallett said. “We were never going to win the game, but to stay in touch with 10 minutes to go, I was really proud of the guys.”
O’Connor had a subdued match after his spellbinding performance last week and began with a fumble of his first possession in the opening seconds.
Despite fielding eight personnel and three positional changes from the previous week, the Wallabies played with some continuity, right-winger Turner giving the final pass for two of the first-half tries.
It took Australia another 30 minutes before they added to their halftime score after McLean kicked two more penalties to edge Italy to within eight points. Quade Cooper put Turner over under the uprights in the 70th minute and then Ashley-Cooper finished off.
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