Australia recorded the biggest winning margin in Rugby World Cup history on Saturday, belting Namibia 142-0 in a monumental mismatch.
Australia celebrated the first rugby test match at Adelaide Oval cricket ground with the first century of points in Wallaby history as the records tumbled all day.
On a famous cricket ground where the biggest stand is named after the game's greatest batsman, Sir Donald Bradman, the Wallabies posted the second-highest score in RWC rugby, after New Zealand's 145-17 win over Japan at the 1995 World Cup.
PHOTO: AFP
It took just 53 minutes, 50 seconds to bring up the 100 with the 16th of 22 tries, an Australian record by nine.
Fullback Chris Latham, who has been despondent about his failure to make the Wallabies first choice 15, became the first Australian to score five tries in a test.
"I think as a team it was a pleasing effort that in the second half we didn't let our standards drop," Latham said. "That was the most important thing. The guys last week really laid a good platform and we really did go on with it from there."
PHOTO: EPA
His hat-trick, in just 25 minutes, tied the record for the fastest World Cup triple by New Zealand's Craig Green against Fiji in 1987. Green is the only other player to get four in a half in the tournament.
Mat Rogers, playing on the wing, had a record 42 points from two tries and -- another record -- 16 conversions.
The carnage began early Saturday with Latham's first try on three minutes and did not ease up.
Lote Tuqiri, another who has been on the bench for the previous two World Cup games, got a start on the right wing and touched down for two tries of his own in the first period, adding his third four minutes into the second half.
Australia's forwards and backs did put on an exhilarating display of passing, running in the fourth try bonus point inside 12 minutes, but Namibia's defense was non-existant.
The Africans' best players were prop Kees Lensing and winger Deon Mouton, but not for any conventional reason. They both spent more than a minute laying on the ground injured, giving their teammates a breather and, temporarily at least, halting the scoring landslide.
Namibia did manage to get the ball near Australia's quarter once in the first half. A penalty set up a lineout on the Australian 22 but hooker Cor van Tonder's throw was so far off target it bypassed the forwards altogether and flew straight to his scrumhalf.
Any hopes Namibia had of putting up more resistance in the second half disappeared under a flood of five tries within 14 minutes of the restart, including three to flyhalf Matt Giteau.
Giteau, who spent the first half setting his teammates up for easy scores, put his foot down. His second gave Australia its record test score and his third brought up the century.
Wales 27, Italy 15
Wales produced the goods when it needed to Saturday to beat a depleted Italy and earn a place in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals.
Winger Mark Jones, center Sonny Parker and back row Dafydd Jones all crossed the Italian line to give Wales a convincing 27-15 win over Italy.
The Italians, who played their fourth match in 14 days, failed to score a try, earning their points via five penalty goal from new Zealand-born flyhalf Rima Wakarua.
Wales, with 13 points from three games, took an unassailable claim to second spot in Pool D and a place in the final eight, despite an expected loss to leaders and fellow quarterfinalist New Zealand next Sunday.
The Welsh win may be shallow, however, with finals favorite England their quarterfinal opponent.
Italy leaves the World Cup with a best-ever two wins and recognition as an emerging rugby power.
In one of the most evenly matched games in this World Cup, Wales took revenge for its Six Nations loss to Italy this year to produce its best performance of the tournament with a succession of backline attacks and some stoic defense.
The Italians fell foul of a grueling schedule and the loss of first-string center Manuel Dallan, fullback Mirco Bergamasco and lock Marco Bortolami through injuries sustained in a bruising win over Canada earlier in the week.
Wakarua opened the scoring for Italy in the seventh minute after Welsh captain Colin Charvis conceded a simple penalty opportunity.
Wales replied immediately with a with a sweeping backline movement that produced an overlap and allowed Jones to cross over in the corner, while rugby-league convert Iestyn Harris's converted to give Wales a 7-3 lead.
Italy conceded a professional foul in sight of its own tryline to allow Wales to pull ahead 10-3 in the 24th minute.
Wakarua reeled the margin back to 10-6 with a penalty goal of his own in the 26th minute, but Italy's lack of discipline gave Harris another goal in the 29th to make it 13-6.
A Wakarua penalty three minutes later narrowed the gap to 13-9, but fellow New Zealander Parker took Wales into halftime with a 20-9 lead after scoring under the posts in the 39th minute and handing Harris an easy conversion.
Italy applied the pressure immediately after the break, earning two penalty goals to trail 20-19 by the 50th minute.
Desperate attack was met with desperate defense in the final 20 minutes as each side turned up the pace in search of a try. But flanker Dafydd Jones put the game out of Italy's reach in the 63rd, barging over for a try that Harris converted to make 27-15.
The Welsh win came at a cost, with prop Duncan Jones being taken from the field by stretcher in the first half after sustaining knee and ankle injuries at the bottom of a Wales ruck.
Canberra Stadium was a sea of red and blue as 22,641 vocal Welsh and Italian fans flocked to cheer their respective teams.
France 51, scotland 9
Two-time runner up France romped into the quarterfinal of the Rugby World Cup on Saturday with 51-9 beating of Scotland at Sydney's Olympic Stadium.
Back rows Serge Betsen and Imanol Harinordoquy, halfbacks Frederic Michalak and Fabien Galthie and fullback Nicolas Brusque all crossed the Scottish line with Michalak ending with a person tally of 28 points and a tournament-high total of 78.
Despite failing to score a try, the Scots can still make to the quarterfinal having beaten Japan and the US. With 10 points from three games, they need to avoid a loss to Fiji, nine points from three, in their final match in a week's time at Aussie Stadium.
Forced to play in white shirts because of a color clash, the Scots conceded an early penalty but the normally accurate Michalak pulled his kick wide from 25 meters.
He was successful from 20 in 11th minute but Chris Paterson replied two minutes later for the Scots with another close range kick.
Michalak edged the French back in front with a 40-meter drop goal in the 18th minute and, at first, the French were relying on his boot.
Scottish fullback Glenn Metcalfe was punished and warned for a high tackle which flattened Galthie and Michalak landed his second penalty for a 9-3 lead in the 32nd minute. Then the French back row teamed up to score the first try.
Olivier Magne burst through a gap in the middle and lured the defense towards him. He lobbed a pass to Harinordoquy and he paved the way for Betsen to run unchallenged to the posts for the score. Michalak converted and the French had been rewarded for an inspired spell of running rugby with a 13 point lead.
Paterson replied with a penalty but the Scots were called for handling in a ruck and Michalak's third penalty made it 19-3 at half time.
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