And here is our match report.
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Try time.
TRY!
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) March 13, 2021
Louis Rees-Rapid ⚡⚡⚡
Bye-bye
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Josh Navidi: “We got the job. We knew it was going to be tough. It showed with Italy coming back at us towards the end.
“We spoke about keeping it simple all week and we delivered today.
“At the end of the day we are taking it game by game and we look forward to next week.”
I’ll leave you in the hands of my colleague Will Unwin, while I head over to England vs France. Thanks for your company.
FULL TIME! Italy 7 - 48 Wales
80 mins. Canna is working Italy left and right, but the Wales defence is up to it and they force another handling error that allows Lloyd Williams to send the ball out and end the match
78 mins. Another possession for Italy has them up near the Wales line and Mori is very close to breaking through before they send a penalty against Wales to the corner for an attacking lineout.
Updated
77 mins. Italy have a last chance to build an attack from a lineout in the Wales 22. It’s won cleanly, but the usual pattern of ponderous passing to far away from the tackle line allows the Welsh defence to apply pressure simply by walking forward. It comes to an end after a frustrated Canna tries a hail mary cross kick that drifts harmlessly into touch.
Updated
73 mins. Jonathan Davies attempts a chip and chase that Mbanda grabs as it goes over his head. The backrow puts his head down to run to the line but he doesn’t have the pace to outrun Liam Williams from forty metres out, before his offload is spilled forward.
Maladroit stuff all round and this game chugs towards its conclusion
71 mins. Wales are trying allsorts here and Sheedy gets hammered by Brex as he attempts some runaround tiki-taka action with all the zip of a Fiat Panda. Can understand why this is the time to give stuff a lash, but it’ll have to be much better than that
68 mins. Wales with a couple of sloppy handling errors in the latest attack, likely because they are relaxing to such an extent in the face of this flaccid Italy challenge that they might as well be having a lie down.
TRY! Italy 7 - 48 Wales (Louis Rees-Zammit)
65 mins. Italy are having another go in the Wales 22 and Canna attempts a flabby, looping pass over the top that Rees-Zammit grabs before spinnin and running 80 metres to score with the Italian cover defence not bothering with the fools errand of trying to catch him.
Updated
TRY! Italy 7 - 41 Wales (Callum Sheedy)
61 mins. Wales are back within metres of the Italy line and Sheedy switches around the ruck for Navidi to find him with a fast pop-pass to extend the Wales lead. He converts his own score.
Updated
YELLOW CARD! Marco Riccioni (Italy)
57 mins. TMO and ref are looking at foul play by Marco Riccioni, who had led with his elbow into Halaholo. Ref concludes that it was foul play but not directly at the neck, as his hand was on the shoulder first so it’s yellow rather than red.
That’s an incorrect decision for me, as it looked both direct and reckless to my eyes.
57 mins. Italy are in the Wales 22 via a big carry from Mori sets them up. There’s some decent carries before it’s Fischetti’s turn to force the ball and lose it forward allowing Wales to clear again.
54 mins. Josh Adams in over the line, diving for the corner, but his foot is in touch with the ball still and inch off the ground. The odd thing is that it was his own arm under the ball that prevented the grounding.
Jake Ball is on for Alun Wyn Jones
Federico Moris replaces Paolo Garbisi
More subs for Wales.
Callum Sheedy for Boggar
Elliott Dee for Ken Owens
Lloyd Williams for Gareth Davies
TRY! Italy 7 - 34 Wales (Monty Ioane)
51 mins. A piece of pure opportunism on the left touchline sees Ioane receive the ball in very little space, chip the ball over Rees-Zammit’s head, chase and gather it to score in the corner.
Garbisi slots an blinder of a kick from way out on wide.
Updated
50 mins. Subs for Wales:
Leon Brown on for Tomas Francis
Willis Halaholo for George North
49 mins. Itlay win a lineout on the Wales 10m line which sees the typical pattern of some competent phases that don’t make much ground before the ball is forced and spilled.
46 mins. Edoardo Padovani, on for Trulla, puts in a great covering tackle on Josh Adams who is in space on the left touchline after another promising Wales attack.
TRY! Italy 0 - 34 Wales (George North)
43 mins. On first phase from a scrum on halfway, Jonathan Davies straigtens up to take a tackle from two Italian defenders before offloading short to North on a lovely out to in angle. The centre races in around fullback Trulla and Biggar adds the extra two points.
Updated
SECOND HALF!
40 mins. Dan Biggar resumes proceedings
Half-time musings
Not a clue what Franco Smith is meant to say to his side now to turn this around. Wales are scoring at will without having to go much higher than third gear against a team that are utterly outclassed. There were some more promising signs late in the half for the home side, but as usual everything decent came to a frustrating end and it’s very hard to see how this doesn’t become a fifty-point score for Wales on this evidence, especially as Sheedy will make an appearance at some point with his box of tricks.
For Wayne Pivac, so far this is exactly what he and his squad needed ahead of France next week.
Updated
HALF TIME! Italy 0 - 27 Wales
40 mins. Italy open up Wales on the right but the final pass from Garbisi goes loose, Wales tidy it up and put the ball out to end the half.
38 mins. Wales are cantering through some phases in the Italy 22, looking very comfortable before Meyer - back on after his treatment - clamps on the ball and wins a penalty. That was probably the best defensive set the Azzuri have shown.
35 mins. Louis Rees-Zammit thinks he’s scored after Wales work the turnover possession to him to run in. However, Biggar’s pass is ruled forward by the TMO after the winger overruns his position slightly.
Updated
34 mins. Italy win a lineout on the Wales 22 and try to put themselves into position to score late in the half. Negri has a typically strong run and they are within 10 metres and putting the Welsh defence under its first real test that they pass with aplomb as Jonathan Davies rips the ball in the tackle.
TRY! Italy 0 - 27 Wales (Ken Owens)
31 mins. Different touchline but same routine from Wales: Middle jumper, maul, Ken Owens, Try.
Biggar’s conversion comes back off the left upright.
This is turning into an insurance job for Italy.
Updated
29 mins. Wales have strong maul that eats up 15 metres into the Italian 22. Some intricate passing gets the ball to Cory Hill on the left touchline who is stopped just short before a forward pass ends the attack. But advantage was being played, Biggar puts it back in touch for another Wales lineout.
Curiously, Barnes has not issued a card, despite his warning for a few minutes ago.
26 mins. Maxime Mbanda is on for Meyer, who is being assessed after he came off worst in a Biggar tackle. Wales have another penalty and Ref Barnes has warned them that next time, it’s another card.
25 mins. Italy have managed to string ten-plus phases of patient possession together and they are in the Wales half. It’s better, but still not great and Wales eventually shepherd the attack out into touch again. They really need to get some big carries on the angle going in midfield to stop the red defence drifting as without that Wales can defend this all day.
Updated
TRY! Italy 0 - 22 Wales (Ken Owens)
22 mins. Simple stuff from Wales; middle lineout jumper takes the throw, sets up the maul that walks over the line for Owens to fall over with the ball to score.
Biggar converts the score and Franco Smith looks to be rage-crying in the Italy coaching box. Who can blame him?
Updated
20 mins. Lovely move from Wales sees Adams back in the ball off his wing, taking an inside pass that gets him and his team over the gainline and into the Italian 22. A few phases pass in which the Azzuri defence infringe twice at the breakdown and Wales take a lineout 10 metres out from the line.
17 mins. Wales are attacking and cutting through Italy at will. This time it’s through North and Adams following a turnover and it’s only the Wales winger’s lack of ability to hold the ball in the tackle that brings it to an end. Italy clear the lines from the scrum.
Bigi is back on, his sin-bin has cost the team 12 points.
TRY! Italy 0 - 15 Wales (Taulupe Faletau)
15 mins. Wales bring the ball all the way left to Adams who is stopped just short. A couple of short carries near the line before Biggar demands it and sends it all the way right to Faletau lurking on the right touchline for a simple grounding in the corner.
Biggar can’t add the two.
Updated
13 mins. After a penalty of their own Italy are on the Wales 22. A probing grubber in behind from Canna for Bellini to chase is scooped up by Liam Williams and the visiting team run it. The ball makes its way to Rees-Zammit who leave Negri for dead, chips the ball on to chase which Garbisi covers well but all he can do is run into touch for a Welsh lineout 10 metres from the Italian line.
TRY! Italy 0 - 10 Wales (Josh Adams)
9 mins. Wales take a scrum from the penalty, 8 metres out. On first phase Biggar throws a long miss-pass out to Adams on the wing who dabs it down in the left corner. Biggar converts from wide out.
Italy look utterly defeated in defence already, and there’s still 85% of the match to go.
Updated
YELLOW CARD! Luca Bigi (Italy)
7 mins. Wales are working the phases quickly and the Italy defence is struggling. A penalty is conceded which Gareth Davies taps quickly and Bigi stops him from within 10 metres. Another penalty against Bigi and Italy which leaves Ref Barnes with little choice but to issue a card to the captain for cynical play
5 mins. Some possession for Italy which Wales defend by putting no-one in the ruck and spreading the width of the field, forcing the home team to go lateral. The ball comes all the way right but in the face of the Wales cover a pass is flung into touch.
This could be a long afternoon for the Azzuri
Updated
PENALTY! Italy 0 - 3 Wales (Dan Biggar)
3 mins. Bigi is penalised for off-feet at the ruck. Biggar points at the post and makes no mistake from 35 metres out.
Hideous start for Italy all round.
2 mins. Terrible start for Garbisi as he sends the kick-off into the Wales in-goal, which Gareth Davies gratefully taps down to give his team a scrum back on halfway. Not exactly nerve settler for the Italy 10.
Kick Off!
1 min. Paolo Garbisi sends it high and handsome into the crisp Roman air and we’re underway.
The teams are on the field in the Italian spring sunshine, Wales leading the way followed by their hosts. Pre-match ceremonies to be done and then we’ll get to it.
Updated
Pre-match reading..
“Not wanting to tempt fate is one thing, but even a fool in a hurry would not mistake Italy for a good team, at home or anywhere else”
Our man Paul Rees doesn’t see much to trouble Wales here today. Read more in his piece below.
It’s good to talk, and the text-based substitutes for talking are not bad either so why not chat with me on by email or on the Twitter
Teams
Comforting news for Italy as the impressive Stephen Varney returns at scrum half to resume his burgeoning partnership with Paolo Garbisi who will shepherd a backline featuring one other change: Mattia Bellini for Luca Sperandio on the wing. There’s also some switches in the pack with props Giosué Zilocchi and Danilo Fischetti, and lock Niccolò Cannone all starting.
For Wales, second row Adam Beard is rested and makes way for Cory Hill with the only other change an enforced one as Keiran Hardy’s hamstring tweak sees Gareth Davies regain the nine shirt. This will bring Lloyd Williams onto the bench in yet another clear example of just how much Pivac no longer fancies Rhys Webb at this level. Otherwise the XV that achieved a record points total against England is told to crack on.
ITALY: Jacopo Trulla; Mattia Bellini, Ignacio Brex, Carlo Canna, Montanna Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Stephen Varney; Danilo Fischetti, Luca Bigi (capt), Giosué Zilocchi, Niccolò Cannone, David Sisi, Sebastian Negri, Johan Meyer, Michele Lamaro.
Replacements: 16 Oliviero Fabiani, 17 Andrea Lovotti, 18 Marco Riccioni, 19 Marco Lazzaroni, 20 Maxime Mbandà, 21 Marcello Violi, 22 Federico Mori, 23 Edoardo Padovani.
WALES: Liam Williams; Louis Rees-Zammit, George North, Jonathan Davies, Josh Adams; Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies; Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Tomas Francis, Cory Hill, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Josh Navidi, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: 16 Elliot Dee, 17 Rhys Carre, 18 Leon Brown, 19 Jake Ball, 20 Aaron Wainwright, 21 Lloyd Williams, 22 Callum Sheedy, 23 Uilisi Halaholo.
Preamble
Welcome to Rome, one and all, for this opening match of the fourth round of the Six Nations between Italy and Wales.
Wales arrive in the Eternal City with three wins, growing confidence and a fully loaded starting XV to continue the runaway milk float of unexpected achievement that is their 2021. Attempting to put up the latest roadblock are an Italy team that can look good to build a bit of hope but ultimately end up battered and defeated, like they are the latest British boxing sensation having to face their first decent American every week.
The Azzuri must show more composure in attack, as crumbling into baffling and terrible decisions after some good early phases in possession is becoming something of a trademark. In defence, they simply have to try harder as some of the lack of effort, particularly when scrambling, is unforgivable.
Many point to Wales’s luck so far in an attempt to denigrate their progress and results, but this both overplays the impact of any good fortune and enormously underplays the resilience and ability Wayne Pivac’s squad have shown. One thing we can all agree on is that the visitors are unlikely to need any flukes to come away with a convincing win this afternoon and for the potential #JamSlam to remain fully operational.
