Win over Italy ends Pacific Islanders' European Tour on a high note [1]
Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 18:21. Updated on Friday, June 13, 2014 - 19:07.
The Pacific Islanders ended their 2008 European Tour on a high note with a convincing win over Italy 25-17 at the northern Italian city of Reggio Emilio on Saturday, November 22.
Italy and the Pacific Islanders went into the test match after they both lost two games: the PIs to England and France, and the Italians to Argentina and the Wallabies.
The win over Italy was historical for the PIs who have never ever won a test match since the first combined Fiji, Samoa and Tonga team was formed in 2004. The major obstacle for putting together a winning PIs team has been that professional island players never have enough time together before they walk onto field to play test rugby.
On the PIs third outing, the 2008 European tour, the players assembled in London at the end of October, about a week before they played England at Twickenham on November 8, then France on November 15.
Last Saturday's win showed that the PIs have finally settled down and got their act together.
Try scorers
For Italy a try each for Leonardo Ghiraldini and Mauro Bergamasco, both converted by Andrea Marcato, who also slotted a penalty conversion.

For the Pacific Islanders, Filimoni Delasau scored two tries, and one by Kameli Ratuvou. Seremaia Bai converted all the tries and two penalties.
Italy: 15 Andrea Masi, 14 Kaine Robertson, 13 Mirco Bergamasco, 12 Gonzalo Garcia, 11 Matteo Pratichetti, 10 Andrea Marcato, 9 Pietro Travagli, 8 Sergio Parisse (c), 7 Mauro Bergamasco, 6 Josh Sole, 5 Marco Bortolami, 4 Tommaso Reato, 3 Carlos Nieto, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1 Matias Aguero. 

Replacements: 16 Fabio Ongaro, 17 Andrea Lo Cicero, 18 Salvatore Perugini, 19 Alessandro Zanni, 20 Pablo Canavosio/Giulio Toniolatti, 21 Luke McLean, 22 Riccardo Pavan.
Pacific Islanders: 15: Kameli Ratuvou, 14 Sailosi Tagicakibau, 13 Seilala Mapusua, 12 Epi Taione, 11 Vilimoni Delasau, 10 Seremaia Bai, 9 Sililo Martens, 8 Sisa Koyamaibole, 7 Nili Latu (Tonga, captain), 6 Viliami Vaki, 5 Paino Hehe, 4 Filipo Levi, 3 Kisi Pulu, 2 Tanielu Fuga, 1 Justin Va'a.

Replacements: 16 Sunia Koto, 17 Tonga Lea'aetoa, 18 Semisi Naevo, 19 Hale T-Pole, 20 Mosese Rauluni, 21 Seru Rabeni, 22 Gavin Williams.