Non-playing Italian prop sent off in chaotic scenes
Updated . First published at
Key Updates
- Australia thrash Italy for first Nations Championship win
- ‘Not supposed to happen’: Canham makes history with unlikely hat-trick
- Non-playing Italian prop sent off in chaotic scenes
- Wallabies send Schmidt out in grand style
- Slipper goes past Whitelock on all-time list
- Ikitau completes ‘unbelievable’ first half performance
- Fortress Eden Park remains intact
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Wallabies give Schmidt perfect send-off as lock makes history
Josh Canham made history with a hat-trick of tries, a non-playing Italy prop was sent off in chaotic sideline scenes and the Wallabies saved some of their best rugby for the last game of Joe Schmidt’s coaching tenure.
Tonight’s 57-10 rout of Italy in Perth got Australia off the mark in the new Nations Championship after second-half fadeouts in losses to heavyweights Ireland and France.
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Australia thrash Italy for first Nations Championship win
Australia lock Josh Canham scored a hat-trick of tries in a rampant 57-10 victory over Italy on Saturday for their first Nations Championship success and a fitting farewell to coach Joe Schmidt.
Australia ended a run of six successive defeats, including their first two matches in the new competition at home to Ireland and France over the last fortnight, with Tom Wright, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Angus Bell, Len Ikitau, Billy Pollard and Ben Donaldson also scoring in a feast of nine tries.
Ryan Lonergan added five conversions and Donaldson one more while captain Michele Lamaro and Australia-born Monty Ioane scored tries for the Italians.
Australia raced to a convincing 38-5 halftime lead as they laid the platform for their first Test win since beating Japan in Tokyo last October.
Miles Amatosero of the Wallabies celebrates victory. Getty Images
Schmidt avoids Rennie’s unwanted record
Victory tonight means Joe Schmidt avoids Dave Rennie’s unwanted record.
Schmidt will finish with a winning strike rate of 38.7 per cent (12 wins, 19 losses).
It means he avoids owning the worst winning percentage of a Wallabies coach in the professional era, with now All Blacks coach Rennie sitting at 38.2 per cent.
Joe Schmidt of the Wallabies looks on. Getty Images
Wallabies send Schmidt out in grand style
The Wallabies send Joe Schmidt out in grand style as Western Force star Ben Donaldson scores the final try and Australia complete a 57-10 win in Perth.
It was one-way traffic throughout as the Wallabies post their first-ever Nations Championship victory.
Tonight was the most points scored by the Wallabies in a match under Schmidt, and it snaps an ugly six-game losing streak.
It was much more emphatic than most had expected given Italy had beaten Australia in their two previous meetings.
Over to you, Les Kiss.
Non-playing Italian prop sent off in chaotic scenes
We have just witnessed chaotic scenes at HBF Park that resulted in a red card to Italy prop Marco Riccioni.
The kicker? Riccioni is not part of the match-day 23 and got involved in the fracas while wearing a tracksuit.
Wallabies rookie Miles Amatosero was in the thick of thing as usual and Riccioni wanted a piece of him too.
“There’s no way someone on the bench should be involved in that,” Michael Hooper says.
Riccioni has to leave the playing field as Harry Wilson unsuccessfully lobbies to try and get one of the actual players sent off.
Australia still holds that 50-10 lead after 76 minutes.
Chaotic scenes on the HBF Park sidelines. Stan
Chaotic scenes on the HBF Park sidelines. Stan
Wallabies raise the bat for a half century
The Wallabies pack has been the story of this match and outgoing forwards’ guru Laurie Fisher will be delighted.
Reserve hooker Billy Pollard is the man to finish a dominant rolling maul this time as Tom Wright and Len Ikitau join in on the fun.
Australia 50, Italy 10 after 65 minutes as both coaches empty their benches.
Slipper goes past Whitelock on all-time list
The venerable James Slipper has taken the field for his 154th Test match.
In doing so, he has become the second most capped player in men’s rugby history, going past All Blacks great Sam Whitelock’s 153.
The only man in Slipper’s sights is Wales and Lions legend Alun Wyn Jones, who played 170 Tests.
Meanwhile, Wallabies lock Miles Amatosero has just taken the field for his Test debut.
‘Not supposed to happen’: Canham makes history with unlikely hat-trick
Have a day out, Josh Canham!
The Wallabies lock drives over to complete an unlikely hat-trick of tries and his teammates are loving it.
Australia now lead 45-10 after 52 minutes.
“Oh, Josh Canham! That is not supposed to happen,” Tim Horan says.
He is the first Wallabies lock to achieve the feat!
Melbourne-born winger powers over for Italy
It seems like an Australian export scores against the Wallabies in every Test they play.
Tonight it is Melbourne-born winger Monty Ioane who powers over for Italy.
The TMO has another long look, but the try stands and Ioane is pumped up.
Australia’s lead has been cut to 38-10 after 43 minutes.
Monty Ioane of Italy celebrates after scoring a try. Getty
Ikitau completes ‘unbelievable’ first half performance
Len Ikitau completes a dominant first half performance with another close range try for the Wallabies.
Referee Christophe Ridley of England overruled South African TMO Marius van der Westhuizen, who believed Josh Canham had knocked on.
Australia lead 38-5 at halftime against a team they had lost their last two Tests against!
“Unbelievable,” Andrew Swain says.
Len Ikitau of the Wallabies runs the ball. Getty Images
