Match 8 -- Italy v. Uruguay

Wednesday, 20 September 2023

My eighth match (and the seventeenth of the tournament) was Italy v. Uruguay in Nice. It was my second time seeing Italy, second time seeing Uruguay, and my third match in Nice. I had an aisle seat, which was pretty nice.

Italy was favored solidly, although not excessively. But Uruguay started out very well. They were up 14-7 as the first half neared the end, and then their fullback, Felipe Etcheverry, kicked a drop-goal with no time left on the clock to put them up 17-7. 

Sadly for Uruguay, the second half didn't treat them so well. Either the Uruguayan players spent all of their energy in the first half or Italy had a heck of a halftime adjustment. Italy outscored Uruguay 28-0 in the second half to win 38-17.

One unusual event came in the second half. Italian substitute Alessandro Fusco was warming up in and behind the try zone (end zone in American football terms) with the other Italian substitutes and he got distracted looking at the big screen. While watching himself on the big screen, he got in the way of a ball kicked by a teammate, very possibly preventing his own team from scoring. I've noticed that the substitutes warm up this way at these matches, and there's not much room beyond the dead-ball line, so the warming up is often in the try zone and occasionally even on the first five or ten meters of the field. It's not the first time I've seen a substitute come close to getting in the way, but it's the first time I've seen it affect the play on the field. 

After the match it only took about 25 minutes to get on the tram. I talked to a Canadian and a couple of Scotsmen on the tram ride. 

Outside the Stade de Nice (aka Allianz Riviera Stadium)

The view from my seat. (Well, not exactly -- the view from my seat doesn't have my head in it.)

A lineout near my corner

A scrum near my corner

The crazy uneven steps at Stade de Nice. I saw a lot of people stumble on them. I guess building codes don't apply to stadium steps.

...doug