WALES were given great heart for their vital Pool D clash with Italy on Saturday after watching the Azzurri struggle to a 19-14 victory today over a Canadian side demolished by Steve Hansen's team in their opening World Cup match.

Welsh flags were flying at Canberra Stadium in the hope that the Canadians could cause an upset after two heavy losses - the second to New Zealand - and turn Italy over.

If that had happened, then it would have given Wales an easy route to the runner-up spot and a quarter-final because it is already taken for granted that the All Blacks will win the pool.

Canada, including Newport Gwent Dragons loose-head prop Rod Snow, troubled Italy badly throughout the match.

They took first blood with a penalty from outside-half Jared Barker in an error-strewn first 40 minutes which saw Italy go into the break 9-6 up.

Barker, though, was to become the villan for his country. He kicked three penalties but missed another four crucial shots which would have given Canada an extra 11 points.

By contrast, Rima Wakarua, the 27-year-old Auckland-born outside-half who had played just one game for Italy prior to the World Cup, was cool under the strain.

He landed long-range shots during the first-half, another penalty in the second-half when Canadian centre Marco di Girolamo was sin-binned for killing the ball and converted Italy's only try of the match.

That came from a defensive error on their own line by the Canadians as scrum-half Morgan Williams spilled the ball from a set-scrum for centre manuel Dallan to pick-up and give number eight Sergo Parisse the try.

But any thoughts that Italy would run away to a comfortable victory were soon blown away as Canada scored a superb try.

A flowing move down the back line inside the Italian 22 reached winger Dave Loughheed and he sent full-back Quentin Fyffe flying past opposite number Gonzalo Canale into the corner.

Canada piled on the pressure from there but their poor handling let them down to leave Italy very relieved winners.