Italy edge Canada

The sides scored a try each, with the kicking of Italy flyhalf Rima Wakarua again proving the difference following his 21-point haul against Tonga last week.

But the Canadians did not give up without a fight, attacking repeatedly in a bid to peg back Italy's lead over a desperate closing 15 minutes.

Canada flung the ball right and left in search of the decisive breakthrough against an impressive Italian defence.

Exhausted Italian players fell into each other's arms at the final whistle as the dejected Canadians collapsed to the pitch.

"We're not happy with the way we played but we won and that shows a certain mental resolve," said Italy coach John Kirwan, whose battered players now have only four days to prepare for a crucial match against Wales.

"It was ugly but courageous," he told reporters.

The Italians looked to have worn down Canada's resistance when number eight Sergio Parisse scored the first try in the 56th minute after a strong Italian scrum drive forced Canada scrumhalf Morgan Williams to spill the ball near his own line.

The converted try gave Italy a 19-9 lead and came not long after Canada centre Marco di Girolamo was sent to the sin bin for killing the ball after a general warning.

Di Girolamo's offence amounted to a 10-point penalty against the Canadians, with Wakarua kicking the last of his four penalties when the Canadian was sin-binned. But Canada struck back 10 minutes later when Italy fullback Gonzalo Canale also spilled the ball from a long kick.

Canada's forwards pounced on the mistake and their backs flung the ball to the left wing for Australian-born fullback Quentin Fyffe to cross in the corner.

Canada flyhalf Jared Barker missed a difficult conversion. Barker also failed with two difficult penalties after the interval, the second bouncing back off the posts.

Italy's cause was made all the harder in the last two minutes when hooker Fabio Ongaro was yellow carded for pulling down a maul, forcing his team to defend desperately with 14 players.

The final frantic minutes were in stark contrast to a dour opening half, with Italy leading 9-6 at the interval.

Neither side appeared to notice a violent storm just before kick-off, both trying to throw the ball around in defiance of the greasy conditions.

Canada, quarter-finalists in 1991, have now lost the first three of their four pool matches and will be unable to win enough points from their last game against Tonga next week to qualify for the knockout phase.

"The stark reality is that we're now in a position where we can't qualify," Canada coach David Clark said.

Italy's win was even more significant as no other Italian side has won two games at a World Cup.

The Italians now play Wales to determine who qualifies for the quarter-finals as runners-up behind tournament favourites New Zealand.