Rugby Union

Italy stave off Chile fightback to avoid rugby upset

By AAP Newswire

Nov 23, 2025

monty — Australian-born winger Monty Ioane scores one of his two tries for Italy against Chile. -AP

Italy have finished off their autumn rugby Tests with a 34-19 win over Chile in Genoa but the hosts were made to battle in the second half of the first-ever meeting between the sides.

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The Italians lost 32-14 to South Africa last Saturday, having beaten Australia 26-19 the previous week, and two wins from three is a satisfactory outcome from their November series, despite risking a Chile comeback in a far from convincing performance.

Italy made some early pressure pay when Ange Capuozzo spotted a gap and raced in for a try after 11 minutes which Giacomo Da Re converted.

Da Re put over a penalty but hit another attempt off the upright before an Italian maul ended with Tommaso Di Bartolomeo's first international try to put the hosts 15-0 up six minutes before the break.

The conversion was missed by Da Re and a rare drive into the Italian 22-metre area by Chile ended with a pick-and-go try from Salvador Lues. Tomas Salas converted to make it 15-7 at halftime.

Salas pulled a penalty wide early in the second half but some excellent play by Matias Garafulic led to Nicolas Saab touching down for a try which Salas converted to make it a one-point match.

A rolling maul ended with another Di Bartolomeo try converted by Da Re and Italy shifted the ball from right to left for the unmarked Monty Ioane to go over in the corner. Ioane was in again nine minutes from time to put some gloss on the scoreline.

Chile's Clemente Saavedra picked up the ball from the base of a ruck to snatch a late try for the visitors and the South Americans, who have qualified for their second successive World Cup, will perhaps gain more confidence from this Test than the winners.