Paterson kicks Scotland into last eight
Chalk this one up as a "win is a win" category match!
Either team would have done whatever it took to get through to the final eight.
Paterson kicks Scotland into last eight
From Allan Kelly in St-Etienne, France
September 30, 2007
SCOTLAND defeated Italy 18-16 in a tense, bad-tempered winner-takes-all Rugby World Cup Pool C match in St-Etienne today to reached the quarter-finals.
The Scots maintained their proud record of never having failed to reach the last eight of the Rugby World Cup last eight thanks to six penalties from the immaculate Chris Paterson in tough, wet conditions.
Italy scored the only try of the game, through captain Alessandro Troncon, with full back David Bortolussi adding one conversion and three penalties.
"It was a gritty performance," Paterson said.
"We cut short holidays, some of the lads cut short honeymoons, to prepare for the World Cup, and it was all for tonight and we did it.
"It was close. The conditions played their part. There was a lot of pressure but we wanted to win for ourselves and the fans, but we are not finished yet."
Scotland coach Frank Hadden paid tribute to his forwards.
"It was touch and go," he said.
"When the rain came, we knew it would be tough up front.
"I'm really pleased with the progress of the pack. No longer can we be bullied by other teams. The Italians have a great pack but we matched them and held our nerve."
Italy coach Pierre Berbizier said the Azzurri had paid for a lack of discipline.
"The Italians were very strong, but the Scots were better," he said.
"We had a problem with our discipline and Paterson made us pay. The Scots were in charge."
Troncon, playing his last match for his country, said that Italy had not been sufficiently competitive.
"I thought we could win right up to the last minute, but it was not to be," he said.
"We are all very sad. Finally the end has come for me. There was the opportunity but we did not take advantage."
Scotland went into the game as a slight favourite following the injury to Italy captain Marco Bortolami and having rested their top players in the 40-0 defeat to pool winner New Zealand in Edinburgh last weekend.
The Scots drove into attack from the kick off and they were rewarded with a penalty after just two minutes, which Paterson converted for a 3-0 lead.
Italy launched a penetrating attack of their own only for Scotland to regain possession and kick the ball downfield. On the retreat, Italy offended again and Paterson kicked a beauty from near the right touchline to make it 6-0 after five minutes.
Scotland fly half Dan Parks put the Italians under more pressure with excellent tactical kicking, and Marco Bergamasco was yellow-carded for deliberately blocking a try-scoring chance as the Scots threatened the Italy line.
Down to 14 men, the Italians stunned Scotland with the only try of the game five minutes later
Fly half Ramiro Pez put in a towering up-and-under that Scotland full back Rory Lamont spilled under pressure in front of his posts.
Italy regained possession and Troncon scurried over for Bortolussi to convert.
The Italians went further ahead through a huge Bortolussi penalty from just inside the opposition half after a Scottish player entered a ruck from the side.
Scotland then lost Rory Lamont after he fell headfirst into the turf in making a tackle. He was replaced bu Hugo Southwell.
Italy was dominating through its pack, but further bouts of ill-discipline allowed Paterson to kick two penalties in the space of four minutes to give Scotland a 12-10 half-time lead.
Scotland moved 18-10 ahead seven minutes into the second half through two more penalties from Paterson, as the Italians' lack of discipline was punished by South African referee Jonathan Kaplan.
But in what was turning into an increasingly bad-tempered affair, Scotland next transgressed.
Second row Nathan Hines was sin-binned for a high-tackle and Bortolussi made no mistake with the ensuing penalty from 20 metres.
With the rain pouring down again, the up-und-under was the preferred avenue of attack from both sides.
Hines's absence gave new impetus to the Italian pack, and Bortolussi kicked his third penalty after prop Euan Murray was penalised for pulling down a maul.
Italy piled forward in search of a victory that would take them it to the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals for the first time, and the Azzurri went within centimetres as Bortolussi's long-range penalty slipped wide with four minutes to go.
Scotland 18
Goals: Chris Paterson (6pg)
Italy 16
Tries: Alessandro Troncon
Goals: David Bortolussi (3pg 1c)
Agence France-Presse
