Kieran Crowley Paolo Garbisi Star Tommaso Allan France Italy Namibia South Africa New Zealand diving show stage cup Kieran Crowley Paolo Garbisi Star Tommaso Allan France Italy Namibia South Africa New Zealand

Seven-try Italy thrash Allister Coetzee's Namibia in World Cup opener

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Star wing Ange Capuozzo was amongst the try scorers, with Lorenzo Cannone, Paolo Garbisi, Dino Lamb, Epalahame Faiva, Manuel Zuliani and Paolo Odogwu also dotting down, while Gerswin Mouton replied for Namibia.FT | Italy 52-8 NamibiaFull-back Tommaso Allan contributed 17 points with the boot in a faultless display.It was a 23rd straight defeat in as many World Cup matches for the African side.Coming away with a maximum five-point haul was crucial for Italy, with clashes against pool heavyweights France and New Zealand to come.Kieran Crowley's team is looking to make the knock-out stages for the first time.Namibia's South African coach Allister Coetzee spoke before the match about his belief that the African nation could finally end its wait for a first World Cup victory.And they started on the front foot with fly-half Tiaan Swanepoel kicking the first points of the game.But those hopes quickly unravelled as Italy hit straight back with a penalty of their own from Allan.And after Namibian hooker Torsten van Jaarsveld was sin-binned for cynically dragging down a rolling maul, Italy cut loose.The Europeans' No.8 Cannone barged over from a short-range catch-and-drive and then fly-half Garbisi ghosted through a gaping hole in the Namibian defence to dot down under the posts after a wretched line-out throw by the Africans' No.8 Richard Hardwick -- deputising for the binned Van Jaarsveld -- put his side in trouble.The 14 men soon hit back, though, as Mouton was released in space out wide to dive over in the corner.After that frenetic start in searing heat at the sun-drenched Stade Geoffroy Guichard, the pace of the game slowed markedly and neither side could add to their score before the break, with Italy turning around 17-8

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