Sorts to accept -- if Italy is representative (8)

I believe the answer is:

typifies

'is representative' is the definition.
(to typify something is to be representative of it)

'sorts to accept if italy' is the wordplay.
'sorts' becomes 'types' (type is a kind of sort).
'to accept' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'italy' becomes 'i'.
'if'+'i'='ifi'
'types' going around 'ifi' is 'TYPIFIES'.

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.

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