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WORLD CUP ITALY
Picture Sonny Parker makes a break (Getty Images).

WALES REACH LAST EIGHT

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When it really mattered Wales turned in their finest performance of the World Cup to beat Italy 27-15 and cement a place in the quarter-finals.

With New Zealand awaiting the Welsh in Sydney next week, this was effectively a Pool D play-off to join the All Blacks in the last eight of the World Cup.

And Wales went in front as early as the eighth minute when Mark Jones finished off a sweeping move to touch down in the corner - and once they held the advantage there was nothing Italy could do to wrench it back.

Sonny Parker scored just before the interval after a break from Ceri Sweeney, and flanker Dafydd Jones peeled off the back of a maul for the hammer blow 20 minutes from time.

After two penalties from Italy fly-half Rima Wakarua - who finished with all 15 points - had reduced the deficit to just five, it was Jones' score that finally sapped the Italians' will.




Team Sections
Pool D Standings
New Zealand 20
Wales 14
Italy 8
Canada 5
Tonga 1
Italy Fixtures
7-70 v New Zealand
36-12 v Tonga
19-14 v Canada
15-27 v Wales
Player Profiles
Matteo Barbini
Andrea Benatti
Mauro Bergamasco
Mirco Bergamasco
Cristian Bezzi
Marco Bortolami
Gonzalo Canale
Martin Castrogiovanni
Denis Dallan
Manuel Dallan
Santiago Dellape
Andrea De Rossi
Carlo Festuccia
Andrea Lo Cicero
Ramiro Martinez
Andrea Masi
Matteo Mazzantini
Francesco Mazzariol
Nicola Mazzucato
Fabio Ongaro
Scott Palmer
Sergio Parisse
Gert Peens
Aaron Persico
Salvatore Perugini
Matt Phillips
Alessandro Stoica
Alessandro Troncon (c)
Rima Wakarua
Vincenzo Zullo
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