Lote revels in easy Italian job

Australia 69 Italy 21

The Wallabies answered coach Eddie Jones' demand for a new ruthless streak by tearing apart a jetlagged Italy 69-21 in a one-off test at the Telstra Dome yesterday.

Australia showed no mercy in the lopsided test, taking a 43-7 halftime advantage and twisting the knife in front of 26,520 Melbourne fans.

The 11-try rampage was a record score in tests against the Azzurri, eclipsing the 55-6 mark set in Rome in 1988.

Winger Lote Tuqiri, in his return from suspension, bagged four tries, a record for matches between the two sides, while man-of-the-match Matt Giteau scored 17 points.

Jones' side has romped over the line 23 times in two tests after putting Samoa to the sword 74-7 a fortnight ago.

It was a sparkling return for pivotal inside back pairing George Gregan and Stephen Larkham after lengthy stints sidelined with injury.

The pair, both rested midway through the second half, converted the Australian pack's domination of the breakdown into space for their sharp backline, which clicked against the outclassed Azzurri backs.

But second five-eighth Giteau was the star of the show as he helped lay on more than half the tries.

It appeared Giteau, nicknamed Kid Dynamite, didn't bring his kicking boots early but his twinkle toes ensured it didn't matter.

The flashy 22-year-old had a hand in three of the first four tries which saw the Wallabies post 24 points in as many minutes.

A bumping run by Giteau paved the way for Gregan, returning from a broken leg, to skirt over for the first try in the seventh minute of his 107th test.

Giteau bagged his own immediately after as Larkham delivered a perfect spiral pass for him to slice through the tourists' thin defence.

The writing was on the wall for an embarrassing cakewalk as Italy appeared to struggle with the after-effects of last weekend's bruising 30-29 win over Argentina and a long journey to Melbourne.

But they bounced back well from 0-38 down after 33 minutes, scoring three tries in 12 minutes either side of halftime to close the gap to 21-43.

Jones, who wants his team to make a habit of killing off rivals, played it safe by resting Larkham after 52 minutes, moving Giteau into first five-eighths.

It was from there he magically sent Jeremy Paul over under the crossbar after confounding five defenders on a semi-circular run before slipping a one-armed offload.

Only Tuqiri's first five-pointer, involving good work by Giteau and Larkham and Wendell Sailor, could rival it for try of the match.

The Italian lineout stood tall and the Azzurri looked most dangerous when they were able to use their world-class driving maul.

Their first try, to prop Andrea Lo Cicero, came courtesy of the ploy late in the first half, one play after Rocky Elsom had been sin-binned for cutting down Cristian Bezzi in the lineout.

- AAP/NZP