Italy centre Andrea Masi has scored two tries in his side's 31-5 win over Portugal in their World Cup Pool C match in Paris.

Italy looked set for a high-scoring win when their repeated thrusts from the Portuguese kickoff gave them an early try, flyhalf Roland de Marigny sending Masi over in the middle from a maul on the left.

Portugal, however, proved strong in defence and the Italians looked unsettled by captain Marco Bortolami's yellow card for punching in the eighth minute.

Italy were stunned just past the half hour, the Portuguese maintaining a record of touching down once in each of their matches.

An attack out to the left from a scrum was thwarted by the Italian defence, but from the maul Portugal quickly ran the ball out to the right.

Replacement centre Diogo Gama, on for the injured Diogo Mateus, made an overhead pass out to lock David Penalva, one of only two professionals in the Portuguese starting line-up, who ran through to touch down.

Italy, who have taken eight points from three matches, meet Scotland on Sept. 29 in their last Pool C match when only a win could secure a place in the last eight.

Italy's scrumhalf Allesandro Troncon, keen to mark his achievement at becoming the eighth player to win 100 caps, had a huge amount of possession to put out to his backs.

Although the tiring Portuguese only conceded two more tries in the last eight minutes, they denied the Italians the bonus point they would have got for a fourth.

With eight minutes to go, flanker Mauro Bergamasco touched down when an Italian maul pushed over the line after a concerted push in the left corner.

Five minutes later, De Marigny again combined with Masi, his deft chip from close quarters over the defence being touched down by the centre.

Despite enjoying far more possession and territorial advantage, Italy struggled to crack the Portuguese side and led only 16-3 at the interval.

Flyhalf Duarte Cardoso Pinto and fullback Rui Cordero were both good with their tactical kicking, the latter sending up several good up-and-unders as Portugal kept the Italians at bay for long spells.

Italy took another 23 minutes to add to their score in the second half when fullback David Bortolussi converted his fourth penalty. He finished with a tally of 16 points.   AAP

In Italian: Italia-Portogallo 31-5, Ora la Scozia per la storia

Nella terza sfida della Coppa del Mondo, gli azzurri partono col piede giusto (7-0) prima del solito rallentamento. Le mete della sicurezza arrivano quando gli avversari crollano fisicamente. La testa è già al 29 settembre, sfida da dentro o fuori.

A parte la vittoria (31-5), non si riesce a trovare un solo buon motivo - agonistico, perché umanamente è sempre un piacere - per giustificare la serata passata al Parco dei principi (45.476 spettatori). Almeno dalla parte italiana. Perché è stata una Nazionale imbarazzante. La meta di Andrea Masi, giunta dopo 4', aveva regalato l'illusione di una partita divertente, rinfrancante, perfino allegra. Invece l'Italia si è chiusa nei suoi dubbi, si è avvinghiata alle sue incertezze e, a questo punto si può dire, si è arresa alle sue debolezze.

ITALIA: Bortolussi; Canavosio, G. Canale, Masi, Pratichetti; De Marigny, Troncon; Ma. Bergamasco, Vosawai, Parisse; Del Fava, Bortolami; Castrogiovanni, Ghiraldini, Lo Cicero. PORTOGALLO: Da. Mateus, Sousa, Cabral, Di. Mateus, Aguilar; Cardoso, Pinto; V. Uva, J. Uva, Girao; Penalva, G. Uva; Spachuck, Correia, Cordero. ARBITRO: Jonker (Sud Africa)

GAZZETTA