Italy well worth their win over Wallabies - with a little help from the man upstairs

2 hours ago 3

Opinion

November 9, 2025 — 9.03am

Back in the day, Italy could expect to win a Test match against front-line international rugby sides, only ad ogni morte di papa, every time the pope died.

Not any more.

The Six Nations is no longer the Five Nations + One Also Ran. For in the last decade and a bitty, Italy has proved itself more than capable of regularly beating the likes of Wales and Scotland, and have beaten both France and Ireland – not to mention Australia, just three years ago.

On their day, and most particularly in recent times, they can play in a manner to make one think that the one Pope who played rugby, Pope John Paul II, must now be pulling a few strings as a heaven local, on the very game they play in heaven. In sum, this was never a “gimme” game, and an automatic lifting of the Wallaby stats for the year. It was always going to be a testing Test and Italy showed from the first they were here to play, more than holding their own in the forwards and often unleashing human Ferraris in the backs.

After two early penalties for Italy to take them to a handy 6-0 lead, there was some fear that the hosts would run away with it, as Australia was so regularly penalised and marched backwards the Italians were always threatening our line.

At least, though, the newly re-installed Carter Gordon at five-eighth was giving slicker service than the Wallabies have had in recent times and in the final twenty minutes of the first half, the Australians started to look more like the team that had so shaken the Lions.

In fact, though, it was the Wallaby forwards who were able to restore order on the scoreboard courtesy of tries by hooker Matt Faessler and prop Angus Bell – the latter a wonderful “Inspector Gadget” whereby, despite being tackled well out from the line, he was able to extend his left paw a good ten metres and plop it down.

With one more Italian penalty to close the gap, the Australians were able to go to the break 12-9 ahead.

The match was set, and all the more so when another Italian penalty made it 12-12 with thirty minutes to go.

But now, the drama.

For watch now, as Wallaby skipper Harry Wilson charges the ball forward near the Italian line only to appear to knock the ball on. On the off-chance he hasn’t, Carter Gordon scoops the ball up and goes over for an easy try. Two minutes of replays and the referee seemed to be the only one at the ground who concluded it wasn’t a knock-on – insisting the ball had been stripped first - and the try was good.

The try stands and the Wallabies are ahead, 19-12!

The Italian coach was so unimpressed the cameras captured him kicking the Bejesus out of the wall in the coach’s box. No matter. At this point it seemed likely the Wallabies would run away with it. This was a side which, after all, had put 38 points on the Springboks in the second-half at Ellis Park just two months ago. Surely they couldn’t lose from here, with a seven point advantage, against Italy, with just 25 minutes to go?

But now Pope John Paul II made his move.

Out of nowhere Italy scored two quick converted tries – one of them by Louis Lynagh, the son of famed Wallaby five-eighth Michael, going over in the corner under extreme pressure. It all meant that in the blink of an eye, our blokes were behind 26-19. Making matters more grim was that Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was serving ten minutes in the bin for a high tackle.

Was a singularly upsetting upset on the cards?

Say it isn’t so!

Alas, alas, nothing could be done. It was not simply that the Australians looked tired, and off their game, bobbling balls and being late to the breakdown. It was that the Italians are a strong team, playing at home, playing for their lives, before a delirious and sold-out crowd. When the final whistle blew, Italy were worthy victors, and congratulations to them.

But curse you, anyway, Jean Paul II!

On to Ireland.