Italy 18 Australia 25: Ahead of their date with Ireland on Sunday next, Australia edged Italy 25-18 at the Stadio Flaminio on Saturday, but they were far from convincing.
They scored three tries - through Mat Rogers, Guy Shepherdson and Stirling Mortlock - but their efforts were marred by a lack of discipline that might have cost them the game.
Italy led 15-13 at the break, thanks to five penalties from outhalf Ramiro Pez, the same player adding another in the second half as the home side maintained pressure on their opponents.
Australia's ragged display began after three minutes, when hooker Brendan Cannon was sin-binned for lashing out at Gonzalo Canale.
Pez missed the penalty from a relatively easy position but three more Australian misdemeanours in the opening 15 minutes allowed the Argentine-born outhalf to build a 9-0 lead.
Australia, meanwhile, were struggling to find their rhythm, and several promising attacks in the Italian 22 broke down as a result of uncharacteristic handling errors.
It was Mortlock who got their first points, from a penalty, midway through the half.
Italy restored their nine-point cushion in the 27th minute, when Pez fired over another penalty, but Australia struck back almost immediately.
After a scrum on the edge of Italian 22, Stephen Larkham - again playing at centre rather than his customary number 10 position - dummied Martin Castrogiovanni and passed to outhalf Rogers, who cruised over.
Mortlock added the extras, closing the gap to 12-10, and another penalty - after the Italian centre Mirco Bergamasco snatched at the ball on the ground - put the Australians ahead for the first time.
If Australia expected Italy to collapse, however, they must have been disappointed.
The Azzurri continued to play with considerable skill and aggression and were rewarded just before half-time when Australia were penalised for collapsing a maul and Pez made it 15-13 at the break.
Australia came out with more purpose at the restart and soon won a lineout five metres from Italy's line.
Alessandro Zanni fumbled from the throw-in, and prop Shepherdson seized his chance, pouncing on the loose ball and diving over to re-establish the Wallabies' lead.
Another penalty by Pez kept Italy in contention but in the 72nd minute number eight Wycliff Palu came powering through from a deep position and smashed through a couple of tackles before setting up Mortlock to grab Australia's third try and seal the win.
ITALY: Peens; Robertson, Canale, Mirco Bergamasco, Canavosio; Pez, Griffen; Lo Cicero, Festuccia, Castrogiovanni; Dellape, Bortolami (capt); Zanni, Mauro Bergamasco, Parisse. Replacements: Nieto for Castrogiovanni, Sole for Zanni (both 54 minutes).
AUSTRALIA: Latham; Rathbone, Mortlock, Larkham (capt), Tuqiri; Rogers, Giteau; Baxter, Cannon, Shepherdson; Sharpe, Chisholm; Elsom, Smith, Palu. Replacements: Campbell for Chisholm (76 mins), Henderson for Shepherdson (77 mins).
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales).
