All Blacks grind out Italy win

Milan - The All Blacks completed a fine day for New Zealand following the football team's qualification for the World Cup with a 20-6 victory over Italy in front of a record rugby crowd at the San Siro on Saturday.

Despite the defeat it will be Italy who are the happier of the two following a scrappy game with little flowing rugby.

In holding the mighty All Blacks to just one try and 20 points, Italy coach Nick Mallett will feel it was a job well done by a team that never had any realistic hopes of winning this match.

For All Blacks coach Graham Henry it was another unspectacular performance, even if by a largely second string side, following last week's 19-12 defeat of Wales in Cardiff.

With 80 000 fans roaring them on, Italy made a frantic start and were ahead on four minutes after New Zealand collapsed a scrum and former Australian rugby league international Craig Gower knocked over the three points from straight in front of the posts.

The lead lasted only three minutes, though, before Salvatore Perugini was given offside and Luke McAlister landed a similarly straight-forward kick.

Italy were suffering from ill discipline in the early stages and after McAlister put a penalty wide from just inside the hosts' half, he scored from straight in front of the posts on 13 minutes after Alessandro Zanni handled in a ruck.

Italy were enjoying great success in the scrum, though, and after the All Blacks suffered their third penalty for collapsing, Gower missed his penalty from wide on the right.

They would soon pay for that miss as Corey Flynn went over in the corner for the only try of the game on 25 minutes.

The All Blacks spread the ball right from the back of a scrum on Italy's 22 and then swung back to the left where prop Flynn was left one-on-one with diminutive winger Kaine Robertson, a Kiwi by birth, five yards out.

Robertson should have done better but he had neither the weight nor the strength necessary to bundle Flynn into touch.

Italy had one chance to score at the end of the first half but after they stole ball in the All Blacks' 22, Gower knocked on.

McAlister landed another penalty before halftime to send the tourists into the changing rooms with a 14-3 lead.

And three minutes after the break he kicked another after Gonzalo Garcia was penalised, and sin-binned for a spear tackle in midfield.

Despite their depleted numbers Italy came their closest yet to a try as Gower's reverse inside pass released Gonzalo Canale who was smother-tackled just a yard out.

Italy survived the sin bin period without taking another score and on 58min New Zealand collapsed another scrum and Gower brought the score back to 6-17 with his second penalty from wide on the right.

However McAlister soon landed another penalty after missing his second of the day when hitting the post from around the halfway line.

The game ended with a period of sustained Italy pressure on the New Zealand five-metre line.

But despite the All Blacks giving away a succession of penalties from scrums, Italy could not force their way over and referee Stuart Dickinson somewhat unfairly denied the hosts a clear penalty try which would have put the seal on this historic occasion.