Scotland 18 Italy 16
KEY POINTS:
ST-ETIENNE - Scotland reached the World Cup quarter-finals here on Sunday defeating Italy 18-16 in a tense and bad-tempered winner-takes-all clash.
The Scots maintained their proud record of never having failed to reach the World Cup last eight thanks to six penalties from the immaculate Chris Paterson.
Italy scored the only try of the game through skipper Alessandro Troncon with fullback David Bortolussi adding one conversion and three penalties.
Scotland went into the game as slight favourites following the injury to Italian skipper Marco Bortolami and having rested their top players in the 0-40 defeat to group winners the All Blacks in Edinburgh last weekend.
The Scots drove into attack from the kick-off and 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.
First five-eighths Dan Parks' boot put the Italians under more pressure and Marco Bergamasco was yellow-carded for deliberately blocking a try-scoring chance as the Scots threatened their line.
But although down to 14, the Italians stunned Scotland with the first try of the game five minutes later. First five-eighths Ramiro Pez put in a towering up-and-under that full-back Rory Lamont spilled under pressure in front of his posts.
Italy regained possession and skipper 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 head-first into the turf in making a tackle to be replaced bu Hugo Southwell.
It was Italy who were dominating through their powerful pack, but further bouts of ill-discipline allowed Paterson to kick two penalties in the space of four minutes and put Scotland back into the lead 12-10 at half-time.
Scotland moved 18-10 ahead seven minutes into the second half through two more penalties from the immaculate 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 it was Scotland who next transgressed. Lock Nathan Hines was sin-binned for a high-tackle and Bortolussi made no mistake with the ensuing penalty from 20 metres out.
With the rain pouring down again, the up-und-under was the preferred avenue of attack from both sides.
Hines' absence though 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 into the World Cup last eight for the first time, and they came with inches as Bortolussi's long-range penalty slipped wide with four minutes to go.
Scotland then kept the game tight as they advanced to the last eight and a likely meeting with Argentina in Paris next weekend.
- AFP
