Wales will not be distracted by the prospect of a try bonus point against Italy in Rome on Sunday when they aim to get off to a winning start against a side they have passed 60 points against in their last two encounters.
The Welsh team, notoriously slow starters to a Six Nations campaign, will focus on going into the following weekend’s home match against England armed with a victory in Rome.
While the Wales interim head coach, Robert Howley, picked seven uncapped players in his squad for the Six Nations, not one made it into the 23 who will feature on Sunday. Ten of the starting lineup played in the final match of last year’s autumn series against South Africa, with the flanker Sam Warburton and the scrum-half Rhys Webb absent then with injuries.
Ross Moriarty plays at No8 with Taulupe Faletau, who has not played since Christmas Eve after aggravating a knee problem, held back for England. Warburton is at blindside flanker with Justin Tipuric on the openside, Nicky Smith is preferred to Rob Evans at loosehead prop, Scott Williams continues to keep Jamie Roberts out of the midfield and Dan Biggar has held off the challenge of the more attacking Sam Davies at outside-half.
“It took a long time to select the team,” said Howley. “We have gone with a lot of experience away from home against what will be a very competitive Italy side, players who have a success record in the Six Nations of more than 70%. It is important that we start well, hence the selection. There were discussions about the uncapped players, but I remember when we went to Italy in 2009 with a much-changed side [and were hanging on at the end].
“We believe the Six Nations is going to be about momentum and we wanted to pick a rather experienced team to start the tournament.” Asked whether the Wales supporters could expect the try sprees of the last two years against Italy, he replied: “Have you seen the weather in Rome this week? It has been raining and there’s more of the same forecast on Sunday.
“The goal is winning and we have players who know what that smells like in the Six Nations. While we have gone for experience, the players know they have to go out there and perform because of the pressure being put on them by those who have been left out. It is about getting our mindset right and making sure we look after what we need to look after in preparation for the game.”
Howley said that he had not considered playing Biggar at inside-centre and starting Davies at outside-half and emulating the successful partnership George Ford and Owen Farrell have forged with England because Biggar had never played in the midfield for his region, Ospreys. The selection indicates that Wales intend to keep it tight initially against a side who are invariably at their most threatening on the opening weekend of the season and bring on Davies in the second half when the game should open out.
Howley cited last month’s European Challenge Cup match between Zebre and Wasps which the Premiership leaders needed to win with a bonus point but found themselves trailing by double figures in the opening quarter. “We have a very experienced 10 in Dan who delivered for us in the autumn,” he said.
“It is a hugely competitive position with Owen Williams in the squad and we all understand the great outside-half debate in Wales, but it is about picking a matchday 23. We have a ball-playing 12 in Scott Williams who has the ability to get the ball into wide channels. I am not saying Dan, or Sam, cannot do that, but Dan has never started at 12 for Ospreys while Owen Farrell has for Saracens for a long period of time.
“I think you need to experience a new position for your club before playing there in an international. Sam will play a huge part for us this championship and he already has in training in the two 15 against 15 matches we have had in training. I watched Zebre’s game against Wasps when they played very well early on and many of that side will feature on Sunday.”
Injuries to Faletau and the second row Luke Charteris meant Howley did not consider holding some players back for England given the turnaround of six days. Wales are not fancied to repeat their title-winning success of 2013, when Howley was also in charge, and asked to sum up his team in one word he answered: “exciting.”
Wales team to play Italy on Sunday 5 February
L Halfpenny (Toulon); G North (Northampton), J Davies (Scarlets), S Williams (Scarlets), L Williams (Scarlets); D Biggar (Ospreys), R Webb (Ospreys); N Smith (Ospreys), K Owens (Scarlets), S Lee (Scarlets), J Ball (Scarlets), AW Jones (Ospreys, capt), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues), J Tipuric (Ospreys), R Moriarty (Gloucester).
Replacements: S Baldwin (Ospreys), R Evans (Scarlets), T Francis (Exeter), C Hill (Newport Gwent Dragons), J King (Ospreys), G Davies (Scarlets), S Davies (Ospreys), J Roberts (Harlequins).
