A remodelled Australia comfortably accounted for Italy in a display that was more pragmatic than dynamic. Man-of-the-match Adam Ashley-Cooper, wh o started on the bench, finished with two tries, one in each half, after coming on initially when Peter Hynes was blood-binned, then as a replacement for James O'Connor.

Three first-half tries gave the Wallabies a 20-6 lead at the break and that was a fair reflection of the difference between the teams, but the hosts were held at bay for much of the second half before late tries to Lachie Turner and Ashley-Cooper. Australia-born full-back Luke McLean landed four penalties for Italy for whom fellow Aussie Craig Gower was effective.

"PJ [Peter Hynes] lost half an ear so I think I got 60 or so minutes so, very happy to be a part of it," added Ashley-Cooper.

Australia J O'Connor, L Turner, R Cross, Q Cooper, P Hynes, B Barnes, L Burgess, P Cowan, T Polota-Nau, B Alexander, J Horwill, D Mumm, P Kimlin, D Pocock, G Smith Subs A Ashley-Cooper for Hynes, 10-16 mins; Ashley Cooper for Hynes, 30-46 mins; P Waugh for Kimlin, 67 mins; Ashley-Cooper for O'Connor, 71 mins; J Valentine for Burgess, 72 mins

Italy L McLean, G Rubini, G Canale, G Garcia, A Sgarbi, C Gower, T Tebaldi, M Aguero, H Sbaraglini, F Staibano, T Reato, M Bortolami, J Montauriol, S Favaro, S Parisse Subs S Perugini for Staibano, 40 mins; Q Geldenhuys and A Zanni for Reato and Montauriol, both 51 mins; G Toniolatti for Tebaldi, 60 mins; L Ghiraldini for Sbaraglini, 61 mins; K Burton for Gower, 77 mins

Referee D Pearson (England)