Italy’s players, who had been tremendous, courageous and rampageous, laid strewn, spent on the Lille turf, while France’s players offered each other pats on the back out of relief more than congratulation. Italy did admit their frustrations at the match’s thrilling denouement, but even if Ridley is adjudged to have erred at the last, the Englishman refereed marvellously otherwise.
“If you look back at it now then definitely the kick should have been given again,” Marius Goosen, Italy defence coach, told Telegraph Sport. “But we all know in that pressure-cooker situation, as a referee, it’s not that easy to always make the right call. In hindsight, it should have been given again, but there are no complaints.”
Gonzalo Quesada, Italy’s head coach, added: “I was coming down the stairs, waiting for the noise. I only saw that [Paolo] went down and put it back. Then I heard my staff complaining they were charging, it was a penalty and [they] cannot charge. The first reaction is to be frustrated if that’s the case.
“I have no complaints, but it’s a bit frustrating to know that last penalty that we won, we couldn’t take advantage in normal conditions. But we’ll still open a bottle of champagne.”
Italy should have won before the 80th minute and when Capuozzo crossed the feeling was that they would. That try was one of the most majestic that the Azzurri have ever concocted, beginning from a scrum in their 22 and ending with Capuozzo, the hero in Cardiff two years ago, dotting down in the corner.
The poise and timing of Juan Ignacio Brex should be savoured for years; so, too, the bulldozing brutality of Tommaso Menoncello. Ross Vintcent was not involved in the try but the Exeter No 8, in his second cap, had a game for the ages, too.
