Italy 23-18 Canada
Italy got the better of Canada in a scrappy Rugby World Cup Pool D affair to earn their first win of the tournament in Leeds this afternoon.
After a stop-start opening 10 minutes, the first rugby union match in 23 years and only second ever at Elland Road was lit up with two tries in as many minutes.
Not long after Nathan Hirayama had kicked the first points of the day for Canada, DTH van der Merwe went over for his second try in two matches after linking up with Ciaran Hearn following a surge down the left.
Hirayama added the extras to put the Maple Leafs 10-0 up, but their double-digit lead lasted just a few seconds as Michele Rizzo scored his first international try after Edoardo Gori had burst through the Canada line.
Tommaso Allan made no mistake with the conversion and then sent over a penalty after 24 minutes to bring the scores level at 10 apiece.
The fly-half had to go off for a few minutes after picking up a head injury, but returned just before the break to kick the Azzurri into a 13-10 interval lead.
Just three minutes after half time Canada were back in front and again it was a solo effort that delighted the 33,000 inside Elland Road. Full-back Matt Evans beat the first tackle and then had too much pace for the covering Leonardo Sarto to touch down in the corner.
The Canadians were in the ascendency and they thought that they had gone further ahead moments later when Phil MacKenzie touched down after quick handling down the right. Referee George Clancy went upstairs to the TMO and replays confirmed that Conor Trainor's pass to the winger had gone forward.
Italy, who have never progressed past the group stage at a World Cup, went over for their second try in the 58th minute through Gonzalo Garcia, who saw a gap after captain Leonardo Ghiraldini had got within touching distance of the try line.
Despite Italy leading, Canada were seeing more of the ball and having better territory as the clock wound down. A period of sustained pressure in the 70th minute failed to result in a try and Hirayama opted to kick for goal to bring the Maple Leafs within two going into the closing stages.
Canada ran out of gas in the final 10 minutes as Italy saw out the win, giving themselves a five-point victory thanks to Allan's last-minute penalty.
Italy grab third place in the group, with Canada winless and bottom alongside Romania.
South Africa 46-6 Samoa
JP Pietersen scored a hat-trick of tried to lead South Africa to an emphatic 46-6 victory over Samoa at Villa Park in their Rugby World Cup Pool B fixture this evening.
The Springboks opened the scoring just moments after kickoff, settling any lingering nerves from their defeat to Japan in their opening fixture, with Handrie Pollard splitting the uprights.
Despite the two-time champions' bright start, Samoa soon took the lead as they started to dominate possession, allowing Michael Stanley to add a pair of penalties, but they could not get the try on the board.
Samoa had a lineout in a promising position as they continued to try to capitalise on their spell, but Pietersen intercepted the ball, sprinting back from inside South Africa territory to get the opening try of the match on the board.
Pollard could not add the conversion, but did split the posts with a further three penalties before the interval, while Samoa continued to be frustrated in South Africa territory.
There was an eye-catching moment in the final seconds of the opening 40 minutes as Stanley tried to kick the ball through for three more from inside his own half, but it fell just short.
It did not take the Springboks long to extend their lead after the break, as a series of quick passes resulted in Willie Le Roux finding Pietersen in the corner after a dominant spell.
Just as it looked like South Africa were starting to run away with it, Samoa pull off a spectacular move, with Tusi Pisi diving over after a stunning chip forward from Tim Nanai-Williams, but the TMO ruled that there was a forward pass in the build up.
Knowing that a fourth try would give them the bonus point, South Africa started to bear down on the Samoa try line again, with Le Roux coming up just short, while Bryan Habana looked sharp, but was unable to find the gap.
Schalk Brits came off the bench with 10 minutes remaining, and marked his World Cup debut with a try just moments later, grounding the ball following a maul, which also gives him his first international try.
Despite their comfortable lead, South Africa continued to pile forward in the closing stages of the match, shaking off the memories of last week's loss, eventually resulting in Pietersen sprinting over in the corner before grounding the ball for his third.
There was time for South Africa to increase their lead further as time elapsed, with the lively Habana sprinting down the left to finally get his try.
England 25-28 Wales
Wales launched a late comeback to clinch a famous 28-25 victory over England in their crucial Pool A clash at the Rugby World Cup this evening.
Both sides earned bonus-point victories in their opening match of the tournament last week, and it was Wales who made the brighter start at Twickenham when Dan Biggar knocked over an early penalty.
England responded with a kick of their own from Owen Farrell, chosen ahead of George Ford, but ill-discipline from Stuart Lancaster's men gave Biggar the chance to send his side ahead once again.
The battle of the boot would become a feature of the match, and Farrell got one over on his Welsh counterpart when he converted a drop goal to restore parity having seen Biggar miss one of his own earlier in the contest.
Another kick from the Saracens man put England into the lead for the first time on the night, and they would soon gain control of the match with the opening try.
Jonny May was the man to go over from close range in the corner, while Farrell's conversion extended the lead to 10 points and edged the hosts closer to a third consecutive win over their old rivals.
Biggar cut that deficit to seven before half time, and after the interval it was a case of both kickers keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
Farrell and Biggar traded two penalties apiece in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, before the latter added another to make it a five-point game on the hour mark.
The injury-hit Welsh side were dealt another blow when Scott Williams was forced off on the stretcher, joining fellow centres Jonathan Davies and Cory Allen on the treatment table.
The decimated and makeshift backline were tested by some heavy pressure from England, but Lancaster's side were forced to settle for just three points once again as Farrell knocked over his fifth penalty of the match.
Despite their mounting injury problems, Wales set up a grandstand finish with their first try of the match as Gareth Davies collected a kick inside to cross over right underneath the posts.
Biggar's conversion tied the scores at 25-25, and the fly-half put his side ahead for the first time since the 18th minute with a penalty from the halfway line shortly afterwards.
England had a chance to level things up with a penalty of their own in the dying stages, but they opted to go for the lineout and were shoved into touch from the resulting maul.
It proved to be a pivotal moment in the match as Wales kept possession before kicking it out to touch as the clock went red.
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