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Italy 47 Namibia 22
Italy 47 - Allan, Tebaldi, Padovanni, Canna, Polledri, Minozzi tries; penalty try; Allan three conversions, Canna two conversions
Namibia 22 - Stevens, Greyling & Plato tries; Loubser two conversions & penalty
80th minute: As the fulltime gong sounds, Namibia wins a penalty and kick long for a lineout.
But they lose the lineout and the ball is hacked to touch by Italy to end the game.
That result means - for now - Italy sit atop Pool B, ahead of the All Blacks on points difference.
Not sure that will last long, although New Zealand don't play again for nine days. Italy will have a chance to build their lead, when they meet Canada on Thursday.
79th minute: TRY to Plato.
Namibia win a lineout and when the ball goes to the backs, Plato runs an inside angle and pierces the Italian defence with just enough pace to reach the line. Loubser converts.
76th minute: TRY to Minozzi. Italy win the lineout and spread the ball right, where Minozzi goes alone with a man outside him.
Canna converts.
74th minute: Italy have the ball and Canna's pass goes astray, but they're playing under advantage again. Canna kicks to touch for another attacking lineout.
72nd minute: Namibia lose the ball in centrefield and Italy kick ahead to the goal-line. Kisting clears.
70th minute: TRY to Polledri
Italy win the lineout and begin to maul, but Polledri pops out and down the narrowside to score in the corner. Canna slices his conversion.
69th minute: Italy spill the ball, but are playing under advantage. They find touch for an attacking lineout.
67th minute: Namibia win their scrum but their passing is wayward and Italy have possession in centrefield on the 22.
66th minute: Italy monster the Namibian scrum and gain possession, but Benvenuti spills the ball with the field opening up.
65th minute: Italy win a lineout and the forwards rumble around in midfield. Some big hits from Namibia, who eventually snaffle the loose ball and knock on.
Another stoppage in play.
61st minute: Namibia trying to build phases, but going backwards. Eventually, Kisting kicks to touch.
60th minute: Italy throw to a lineout and it's not straight. They seem to have fallen away since that outburst early in the half.
57th minute: TRY to Greyling
Namibian scrum in centrefield, about 10 metres out, and a slick backline move puts the wing over near the corner. Loubser hooks the conversion from wide out.
56th minute: Namibian players start to leave the field, but no-one comes on the replace them, so they troop back to the lineout.
From the lineout, Namibian forwards swarm towards the posts and eventually win a scrum for knock-on. Those substitutes are coming on.
55th minute: Italy have possession, but a smashing tackle from Conradie sees the ball toed upfield and Namibia win a penalty at the breakdown. Loubser finds touch for an attacking lineout.
53rd minute: Conradie makes a huge break up the middle, but when he offloads Namibia lose the ball.
52nd minute: Tebaldi puts a kick over the top, but Tromp catches the wet ball over his shoulder and marks.
51st minute: Italy made six changes, but veteran Parisse is still there.
50th minute: Loubser lines up a kick at goal from in front and slots it.
49th minute: Namibia kick off and the ball is knocked on by Italy. Namibia eventually win a penalty.
47th minute: TRY to Canna. He's barely arrived on the field, but is on hand to take a close pass and fall over the tryline.
TMO reviews the grounding, but there's no doubt about that. He converts his own try.
46th minute: Italy building some phases on the left and up the middle. Rain is pelting down.
45th minute: Italy have made a heap of changes after that try. One of them is Kiwi lock Dean Budd.
43rd minute: TRY to Padovani.
Italy win the lineout and maul to the line. When it's release to the backs, Morisi kicks to the corner, where his wing is on hand to score.
Allan converts from the sideline.
42nd minute: Defensive lineout for Namibia, but Italy win it and a penalty. They kick to touch and have an attacking lineout.
41st minute: We're back on field and things look very wet. Also the wind has changed, Italy have that for both halves.
Halftime
Italy 21 - Allan & Tebaldi tries; penalty try; Allan two conversions
Namibia 7 - Stevens try; Loubser conversion
The weather looks to have packed up, with heavy rain falling now in Osaka. What affect will this have on the game?
40th minute: Namibia win the scrum, Tromp is prominent again, but they're penalised and Italy will clear - huge kick for touch.
TRY to Tebaldi. Halftime gong has gone, but Italy win the lineout and peel off upfield. Ruzza throws a no-look pass behind his back to the halfback, who dives over.
Allan converts and that will give the Italians a little more comfort during the break.
39th minute: Tromp makes ground on the middle and Namibia win an attacking scrum in the shadow of halftime. Another injury to Italian prop Pasquali stops play and he's being stretchered off.
37th minute: Another attack down the left for Italy, but Namibia have answers - they drive back Mbanda, turn the ball over and kick long.
35th minute: Italy win the scrum and hare upfield. Hayward's pass right goes behind his wing Bellini and Namibia re able to clear.
33rd minute: Italy steal the ball, but can't take advantage. They really need another try before the break, when they'll turn into the wind.
31st minute: Comedy of errots, after Italy win a lineout, but their pass is batted down a tackle. Namibia scrum.
30th minute: Another shocking lineout from Italy, but them somehow retain the ball and put in a box kick that is tided up by Namibia.
28th minute: Namibia try to spread the ball left, but Padovani steals the ball.
26th minute: TRY to Allan.
Morisi makes ground down the left and is ankle-tapped metres short of the line. As he goes to ground, he finds Allan in support and he bounces off the uprights to score.
25th minute: Another shocking lineout from Italy and Namibia have possession.
24th minute: Stevens clears from the scrum - great defence to keep Italy out, after a series of scrums and intervention from the ref.
23rd minute: It's taking ages to set up this next scrum. Italy feed, but can't make any ground against Namibia - great scrum.
Stevens rushes Parisse and forces the No.8 into error. A defensive scrum now for Namibia.
21st minute: Italy are over the line, but ref Nic Berry has blown the whistle for a penalty - Namibia turned the scrum 90 degrees.
From the second scrum, Parisse charges off the back, but is brought down by the ref. Italy are again over the line, but are called back for the ref interference.
20th minute: The scrum collapses.
19th minute: Namibia have a defensive feed to the scrum and try to run it upfield. They earn a penalty at the breakdown and will have a chance to clear.
The kick doesn't find touch and Italy storm up the left again, with Hayward again going close. At the breakdown, Namibia are penalised for offside and Italy take an attacking scrum.
17th minute: Italy clear from the scrum and make ground down the left. Benvenuti is dragged down metres from the line and his offload to Hayward goes to ground.
16th minute: Tromp kicks long over Haywards' head, but it bounces up in the goal area and forced for an Italian dropout.
15th minute: Italy are shaky at the lineout again and the ball is hacked through by Namibia.
14th minute: Here's another try scrum close to the Namibian line - what will happen here?
Namibia are solid and clear the ball, after a dash off the back from Venter.
12th minute: Stevens puts in a box kick, Parisse gathers and Italy make ground down the left.
Parisse looms out to the right, but spills the ball in a tackle with the line beckoning.
11th minute: Penalty try to Italy
Namibia have no answer to the Italian scrum and are forced to concede the penalty try. That's not a good Omen.
Ninth minute: Italy swarm to the goal-line, with the forwards pounding away. They're playing under advantage for offside and when Benvenuti drops the ball, they come back for a penalty.
They take a scrum.
Eighth minute: Namibia barely retain possession just metres from their own line, but clear low into the wind.
Fifth minute: Italy are playing a kicking game, barely creating any phases before hoofing it back to Namibia. The Italians do have assistance from the wind.
TRY to Stevens.
Untidy lineout from Italy and they turn over the ball. Namibian forwards recycle the ball and spread it right, where wing Plato makes ground and finds support from the halfback.
Loubser slots the conversion and Namibia have struck first.
Third minute: Very solid scrum from Namibia. They try to take the ball up midfield among the forwards. High box kick is caught by Kiwi Hayward.
Second minute: Namibia win the first lineout and almost turn the ball over in the breakdown - Italy knock on though.
First minute: Namibia kick off, but Italy immediately kick it back. Namibia win the first penalty, but are playing into a strong wind.
Notable today that TV coverage does not include the players singing national anthems - maybe there have been complaints.
That's a shame, because you can imagine the Italians giving it 110 percent.
*****
Line-ups
Italy: 1-Nicola Quaglio, 2-Luca Bigi, 3-Tiziano Pasquali, 4-Alessandro Zanni, 5-Federico Ruzza, 6-Braam Steyn, 7-Maxime Mbanda, 8-Sergio Parisse, 9-Tito Tebaldi, 10-Tommaso Allan, 11-Edoardo Padovani, 12-Luca Morisi, 13-Tommaso Benvenuti, 14-Matia Bellini, 15-Jayden Hayward
Namibia: 1-Andre Rademeyer, 2-Torsten Van Jaarsveld, 3-Johan Coetzee, 4-PJ Van Lill, 5-Tjiuee Uanivi, 6-Rohan Kitshoff, 7-Wian Conradie, 8-Janco Venter, 9-Damian Stevens, 10-Cliven Loubser, 11-JC Greyling, 12-Darryl de la Harpe, 13-Justin Newman, 14-Chad Plato, 15-Johan Tromp
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
TAB: Italy $1.001, Namibia $20
*****
Kia ora, konichiwa and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the clash between New Zealand's World Cup Pool B rivals, Italy and Namibia, in Osaka.
While both these teams face a stiff challenge progressing any further than pool play - they would have to upset the All Blacks or South Africa to do so - this is an opportunity for them to add another international scalp to their collections, which would be a huge achievement for the minnows from Africa.
With a world ranking of 23rd, Namibia are the lowest-ranked team at this tournament, while Italy, ranked 14th, haven't really kicked on into the top echelon, since joining the Six Nations in 2000. Their last win over a tier-one nation was nearly three years ago, when they edged the Springboks in Florence.
Somewhat surprisingly, Namibia hold a 2-1 head-to-head record over Italy at test level, but they have yet to win a World Cup game in five previous appearances.
Join us at 5:15pm for live updates, but in the meantime, take a listen to Newshub's latest The Cup 19 podcast.
Pre-match: Five Rugby World Cup games you must watch in Week One
If you don't have a real life, Rugby World Cup 2019 will certainly give you something to fill in your time over the next six weeks.
With 40 pool games and eight playoffs - and a relatively friendly time difference between NZ and Japan - you'll have very few nights off from your marathon rugby viewing.
But if you DO have a life and can't watch every game, here are the ones you should target during the tournament's opening week.
New Zealand v South Africa
9:45pm, Saturday, September 21
TAB: NZ $1.43, South Africa $2.65
If you were picking a game to showcase early in a World Cup tournament, this would be it - a clash between two rugby heavyweights.
Ali v Foreman, Rumble in the Jungle.
Last time they met in July, these two archrivals battled out a 16-16 in Wellington and New Zealand lost Brodie Retallick to a shoulder injury he's still recovering from.
Defeat wouldn't necessarily deal a deathblow to the losers' title hopes, but it would probably make the quarter-finals far more challenging.
Ireland v Scotland
7:45pm, Sunday, September 22
TAB: Ireland $1.32, Scotland $3.15
By the end of this game, two quarter-final crossovers may already be decided, barring upsets along the way.
While Japan may still have a trick or two up their sleeves, these northern rivals are odds-on to progress to knockout stages, where they'll likely meet the All Blacks or Springboks - pick your poison.
Ireland won their last meeting 22-13 during the 2019 Six Nations, but historically, Scotland have a 67-63 edge, with five draws.
France v Argentina
7:15pm, Saturday, September 21
TAB: France $1.75, Argentina $2
The most evenly poised match of the week will pit world No.8 against world No.11, with the losers facing an uphill battle to make the knockout stages.
These two teams probably can't count on England capitulating like they did four years ago and will likely be scrapping for the second spot out of Pool C.
Somewhat surprisingly, they haven't met since June 2016, when they shared a two-game mid-year series in South America. France hold a 35-14 historical advantage, with one draw.
Australia v Fiji
4:45pm, Saturday, September 21
TAB: Australia $1.12, Fiji $5.75
Kiwi fans would love nothing more than watching our trans-Tasman neighbours stumble out of the blocks in Japan - and Fiji could be just the team for the occasion.
If the Wallabies rock up, thinking they will cruise through this one, they could be in for a rude awakening, at least for the first 40 minutes.
The Fijians have only beaten Australia twice ever and the last occasion was 1954, so don't hold your breath... but this still looms as potentially the biggest upset on opening weekend.
Japan v Russia
10:45pm, Friday, September 20
TAB: Japan $1.01, Russia $26
Face it, any other time, we couldn't care less about this match between these political and geographical rivals. Certainly, Russia have yet to challenge anyone of note in international rugby.
But hopes are high that the 'Brave Blossoms' can use this home tournament to finally crack the top echelon and while victory here wouldn't necessarily achieve that, it would give local fans something to cheer about, before their team take on Ireland and Scotland later in the schedule.
More to come
