Just as we expected, that was a bit of a panning for Italy. Succour for Wales though, who were slightly inaccurate at times but the likes of Webb, Moriarty and Roberts were excellent while George North was at his destructive best. The result is, by my reckoning, Wales biggest ever Six Nations win. It’s their 10th straight win over Italy, too.
Wales finish second then this year, with Italy coming in last for the 11th time in 17 championships. It’s nil points again for the beleaguered Azzuri. They tried gamely but barely put up a fight, which leads me to tenuously link to this lovely little look back at The Battle of Cardiff, which Barry Glendenning wrote more than a year ago.
The match report from Cardiff will be here soon enough. I’m off for a break now, but in the meantime do join Will Macpherson for Ireland v Scotland in around five minutes’ time. Bye!
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Full-time Wales 67-14 Italy
Poor Italy. That final try just felt cruel.
Try! (G Davies 80 + Priestland con) Wales 67-14 Italy
After fielding the kick in the 22 Wales go left, then right along the line. North surges clear again and cuts inside before passing inside to Charteris. Parisse gets across and wins the turnover though – important as Wales had numbers on the left. Haimona chips straight into the hands of Anscombe who runs back. Right, through the hands of Lydiate and Priestland, who pops it to Gareth Davies to go under the posts.
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Conversion (Priestland 80) Wales 60-14 Italy
Priestland knocks it over and there will be one more play.
Try! (Moriarty 79) Wales 58-14 Italy
Before Odiete and a bunch of his team mates can even get back, Gareth Davies takes a quick tap, passes to Moriarty and he just waltzes over.
78 min Priestland kicks into the left-hand corner as North is named man of the match. Charteris takes and G Davies looks to sneak over off the back of the maul. Italy are wise to that one though so Wales come knocking via the forwards again. Nothing happening there so they go wide and Odiete intercepts, streaking clear and sprinting 100 metres at great pace to go under the posts. It was advantage Wales though. Poor guy.
77 min Somehow that’s been turned into a Welsh lineout on the 22. They get a penalty for side entry to the maul.
75 min Roberts crashes up over the gainline, Wales are 15 metres out now, driving through the centre and making ground with every carry now it seems. Right then left and Anscombe tries to send a long pass out to North on the left, but it’s nearly intercepted by Garcia, who knocks on. Poite, to his credit, does not penalise him for a deliberate one.
74 min It seems odd to say about a side that’s conceded 53 but Italy have tackled well. Priestland chips over the top and Odiete takes but North rips the ball back for Wales. A penalty follows at the breakdown and Priestland kicks to the corner.
73 min Wales go left and Jonathan Davies crashes up over halfway.
72 min Italy lineout on the Welsh 10 metre line and they go left with Steyn making ground. Geldenhuys spills the pass back inside though.
That one was difficult to keep up with. As a passage of play that was the equivalent of Buster Bluth on juice.
71 min Jonathan Davies picks up the ball at the back of the ruck when Lucchese leaves it. They go right and North goes steaming down the touchline but his pass is intercepted by Parisse. McLean kicks ahead and Wales run it from their 22 again. They get a penalty at the breakdown and G Davies goes quickly but then it’s knocked on. Parisse is down hurting.
70 min Italy go quick off the lineout and bash away in midfield, but no dice so far.
69 min Fabiani carries hard up over halfway and they get advantage as Moriarty doesn’t roll away. Right wide then back inside but they’re unable to find gaps. After a long advantage we go back for that penalty. Haimona kicks to touch on the left, 10 metres or so inside the Welsh 22.
68 min Moriarty takes the short kick ahead of Parisse. The great No8 looks understandably shattered today, as well you might if you’d carried this team for as long as he has. Priestland clears and McLean is smothered by the chasing North. Italy keep hold of the ball though, just inside their own half.
Conversion (Priestland 67) Wales 53-14 Italy
From a couple of metres in from the left-hand touchline, Priestland brings the conversion around very nicely.
Try! (Moriarty 65) Wales 51-14 Italy
From the lineout 10 metres out, Moriarty bursts from a splintering rolling maul and dives over on the left.
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65 min Lucchese is on for Palazzani, Zanusso for Lovotti. That’s all the replacements used now on both sides.
64 min Allan clears well after the restart, finding touch on halfway on the left. Wales go left from it and Davies stabs through down the left into space in the 22. McLean comes across to field and Williams tackles him into touch.
Conversion (Haimona 63) Wales 46-14 Italy
Out wide on the right it’s a tough kick but this is a different Kelly Haimona to the one we saw in previous Six Nations, it seems. Webb off, G Davies on.
Try! (Garcia 62) Wales 46-12 Italy
This is excellent from Allan. He gets it in midfield, dummies, steps inside then offloads out the tackle for Garcia to crash over on the right.
61 min Italy tap it down from the lineout and drive low but they’re stopped five metres short. Slow ball now.
60 min North, who has been outstanding today, makes a rare mistake in spilling the restart. Priestland, Jarvis and Ball are on for Biggar, Lee and Bradley Davies. Jenkins is penalised for not rolling away and Allan pops it into the left-hand corner.
Conversion (Biggar 59) Wales 46-7 Italy
Biggar pushes it through from wide on the left. Minto, I think, is being replaced by Steyn.
Try! (Williams 58) Wales 44-7 Italy
Lovely offloading from Wales as they plunder up towards the 22. North uses his strength to burrow through Palazzani and take his side to within 15. They go left through the hands at speed and Davies palms it out to Williams, who steps inside Sarto and dives into the corner.
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56 min So Italy avoid the ignominy of being nilled. Allan fires back down the left from the restart finding touch on his own 10 metre line. Faletau takes the lineout and drive a maul eight metres forwards before getting it left to Williams, who is tackled out wide.
Conversion (Haimona 55) Wales 39-7 Italy
From off to the right, Haimona slots the kick.
Try! (Palazzani 54) Wales 39-5 Italy
Now Italy get some forward movement. Over goes the maul and the No9 ends up at the bottom of it!
53 min Haimona kicks to the corner. Italy should have scored there as Geldenhuys was up in support and would surely have scored has Sarto passed to him five out. Parisse takes the lineout and Italy form the maul, which crabs sideways.
52 min Jacopo’s offload is loose but Italy retain it and they get a penalty for offside.
51 min Up high again from Biggar as Owens replaces Baldwin and Jenkins comes on for Evans. This time the ball does come into Italian hands and Leonardo Sarto cuts through down the right before giving it to his older brother, but he’s tackled short!
Try! (North + Biggar con 49) Wales 39-0 Italy
Biggar finds touch on the right just inside the Welsh half. Anscombe comes on for Amos. Charteris taps it down and Webb goes inside, where North has come off his wing. He cuts back right and wrongfoots the entire Italian defence before outpacing Haimona and going under the posts from 60 metres! That’s four matches in a row in which North has scored, equalling Shane Williams’ Welsh record.
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48 min Italy are penalised for crossing in the 22. Jacopo Sarto, older brother of Leonardo, replaces Bernarbo.
47 min Changes for Italy as Chistolini replaces Castrogiovanni and Fabiani replaces Giazzon. Biggar goes high and again North beats Parisse to it. The ball goes loose though and Odiete shows wonderful feet to step past three tackles before being caught on the 22!
46 min From the right-hand touchline Biggar sends his kick across the face of goal.
Try! (Roberts 45) Wales 32-0 Italy
Still Italy slow it down albeit legally so. Biggar sends it out to North, who goes on the angle and offloads nicely outside the back of the hand to Roberts, who holds off McLean to score on the right. Lovely pass from North out the tackle there.
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44 min Wide right now from Wales, who go into a 15th phase. Two more then through the hands to Bradley Davies down the left. He can’t get there so Webb snipes without luck. Still five short.
43 min Roberts ploughs through Haimona to get his side over the gainline. They go left but Italy remain steadfast in defence. Slow ball now for Wales but Moriarty gets up to within five.
42 min Italy play the advantage and Haimona chips over the top, but Faletau regathers well and Wales go left on halfway. Webb throws a lovely pass to Moriarty who goes through a gap before it’s shipped right, then back inside to Williams.
Peeeeep!
41 min Biggar restarts. It’s going to be a case now of how many Italy can restrict Wales to. Taken in the 22 by McLean and Italy take it through one phases before Allan clears to touch on the left 12 metres inside his own half. Wales take it short and Lee crashes it up before knocking on.
The players are back out. We will begin again momentarily.
“Let’s talk music,” suggests John Rogers. “In particular let’s talk the mewling, cheesy mulch that was played out on the Millennium Stadium PA as Tipuric was seen to on the ground. His injury was potentially bad enough without adding insult with someone’s wet idea of a song. Who the hell are making these decisions? What marketing cretin thinks that a Six Nations match lacks the requisite atmosphere and his or her playlist is then needed when there’s a break in play? And if you must come to the conclusion that music is called for why play something so immensely limp? Enough to turn me off my lunch.”
I’ll be honest, I didn’t notice it. It can’t be any worse than what’s going to be dripping from the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury this year though, right?
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Half-time Wales 27-0 Italy
Nowt comes from the lineout and that’s the end of a predictably one-sided half. It was played at a furious pace and was predictably error-strewn, but Wales have far too much power for this Italian side to cope with.
While I take a break, here’s Paul Rees on two sides who might fancy playing in this competition themselves sooner rather than later.
40 min Penalty Italy for not rolling away. Samson Lee, I think, was the guilty party there so Allan goes to touch again. The commentators mention that his uncle John played for both South Africa and Scotland, which reminds me I once had dinner with him at my uncle’s house as a kid.
39 min After a chat between Poite and captains, in which the referee instructs them to keep their packs stable, Webb clears and Garcia runs it back. Sarto is tackled in midfield.
38 min Zanni has a dart off the back of the lineout but gets held up and Wales get the scrum.
@DanLucas86 it's a shame there aren't assist records in rugby. Roberts doesn't score many, but is so unselfish.
— Ian Truman (@IanTruman22) March 19, 2016
37 min Both Bellini and Pratichetti looked to have turned their ankles. Haimona, the new man, looks thoroughly fed up as he trudges on. Italy get the penalty at the Wales scrum for collapsing. Allan goes to touch again on the right.
Pratichetti is injured now. Haimona on in his place.
36 min Palazzani goes quickly but Liam Williams wins a turnover and scrum after making the tackle.
35 min Italy probe away from around 30 metres out after Webb’s box kick is too short and taken by Parisse. Garcia carries up to the 22 and Bernarbo takes it on before they look to send it right, with Allan taking it on the loop but unable to create the overlap. They get a penalty when J Davies doesn’t roll away.
34 min Change for Italy as Bellini is carried off and replaced by Luke McLean. Italy’s defence is already looking stretched to breaking point.
Try! (J Davies 33 + Biggar con) Wales 27-0 Italy
Garcia prods through, Williams returns and Bellini comes running back only to be knocked down hard by Lee. Palazzani kicks over the top and Amos fumbles backwards, but Wales retain possession and have space on the right! Out it goes to North who goes down the right, pops it back inside and they work it through the hands to Davies, who arcs into space and under the posts from 40 metres!
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31 min Biggar clears the restart back to Odiete then Allan returns to Liam Williams. Wales go left but Evans drops it and Sarto snaffles the ball for Italy.
Try + con! (Biggar 29) Wales 20-0 Italy
Cleared to touch down the right, Palazzani returns and Italy have got away with 0-3 in the sin-bin period... and perhaps they should have stayed down to 14. From hte lineout Biggar slips past Giazzon into masses of space, exchanges passes with Roberts and dots down under the posts.
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28 min Now they go into midfield and Roberts sucks defenders in in midfield. Again they ignore the overlap on the left to go right. Finally they go left but Italy’s defence is across by now. Jon Davies flings it out wide with a big, looping pass that goes sadly into touch. He’s been very poor today.
27 min Moriarty takes and Lydiate goes low through a gap, deep into the 22. Wales go right when the overlap was left.
26 min Odiete steps in at scrum-half in Palazzani’s sin-bin-enforced absence. He doesn’t need to feed it in though as Rob Evans is immediately penalised for collapsing the scrum. Allan finds touch on the right near halfway but it’s stolen once again by Faletau. That’s three steals in a row. Wales get a penalty for interference in the air and Biggar kicks to touch on the 22 down the left.
25 min This is correct. Poite is probably the best referee of the scrum about.
Everyone raves about (the brilliant) Nigel Owens, but Poite is great. Shutting up Parisse is no mean feat @DanLucas86 This is a sparky game.
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) March 19, 2016
24 min Wales go left off the lineout as news comes through that Moriarty for Tipuric is now a permanent change. Wales hammer away around the fringes in the 22, but Biggar pops an overhead offload forward to Faletau.
23 min Lineout overthrown and Baldwin grabs it at the tail. Wales go quickly right through the hands and Liam Williams has a dart, but he offloads straight into touch out of the tackle from Odiete. Wales nab the lineout again though and Webb tries to shoot down the right. He offloads straight to Giazzon, who is tackled into touch.
22 min North takes the kick on his 22 and Faletau has another rumble to give his kicker the better angle. Webb goes high and North takes again ahead of Parisse. However the No8 comes back with an excellent scrag on Webb. Wales go left again but Davies, under pressure from Sarto and his outstanding line speed, flings a pass into touch.
Penalty (Biggar 21) Wales 13-0 Italy
After Poite ticks off Parisse for being too talkative, Biggar chips over from 10 metres.
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20 min Webb fires a long pass out to Liam Williams, who is tackled into touch but Italy were offside so it was a play to nothing. Still, great tackling again from Sarto out wide. Boos ring out as Wales opt to kick at goal from under the sticks. That does seem a poor decision against 14 men.
19 min Penalty Wales as Lovotti loses his bind. Webb wants to go quickly but it’s stopped by Palazzani, who didn’t retreat and is sent to the sin-bin for his trouble. Wales go for the scrum again. Into midfield and Biggar gets flattened by a combination of Garcia and Roberts coming in behind him.
Five-metre scrum to Wales.
18 min Wales demolish the Italian scrum and Biggar puts a lovely kick in behind Odiete in the Italian left-hand corner. The full-back makes the mistake of fielding it and is driven back over his line by the giant North.
Tipuric is going off for an HIA. Ross “Professor”* Moriarty comes on.
*Nickname I just made up.
Also credit to Bernabo for immediately drawing the referee’s attention to Tipuric.
17 min Allan is tackled by Biggar from the lineout and knocks on. Justin Tipuric is down though after falling awkwardly while challenging Zanni at the lineout. This could be the end of his match.
16 min North is fine now, by the way. Faletau takes the long restart and Wales try to crash it up. Eventually Jon Davies clears to Odiete on the bounce and the Italian No15 jinks back to the Welsh 10 metre line. They go right and Sarto stabs the ball through the middle but it’s a nothing kick and Biggar returns to touch on halfway, on the Welsh left.
Penalty (Biggar 15) Wales 10-0 Italy
From 37 metres or so, a touch to the right, Biggar sends it sailing through.
14 min Allam returns and Allan collects – keep up – but then Odiete throws a loose pass out the back of the ruck and Parisse, cleaning up, holds on and concedes the penalty. Looking at the replay North was sold out with a long hospital pass but the hit by Minto was absolutely perfect. Anyway, Biggar is going to kick at goal here.
13 min Biggar returns and collects his own garryowen. Wales attack at pace, moving it through the hands but North is smashed in midfield. They keep possession and head towards the 22 but the Northampton man is still down hurt. Faletau is stripped and Allan clears down the middle again.
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12 min Another early engagement by Castro and Webb goes quickly through the middle. They go left but knock on and Allan clears down the middle.
Ah no, Romain Poite has reversed his decision. The first knock-on was by Palazzani. Wales scrum a couple of metres inside their own half.
10 min Castrogiovanni engages early and Wales get the free-kick, which Biggar smacks into touch down the left on halfway. That’s an excellent effort from the Welsh No10. Garcia crashes up the middle off the lineout but the ball is knocked on by Wales at the breakdown.
9 min Short throw to the front and Italy form the maul but can’t make any ground. They go short and look to batter away through the forwards but the ball shoots out the side of a ruck and Geldenhuys fumbles it forwards on the floor.
8 min Parisse rises and drops the lineout, but Italy are given the penalty as Bradley Davies impedes him in the air. Allan prods the penalty into the corner on the right.
7 min Wales swing it left and Jonathan Davies drops a poor pass backwards. Sarto picks up 25 metres out and looks to go round the outside, but he’s taken into touch 10 metres out. From the lineout Roberts spills it backwards but his centre partnership is there to pick up and boot clear on the 22 on the left. This is very loose from Wales.
6 min Biggar claims the restart just outside his 22 in the centre and Lee sends it high for North to tap back to Roberts on his own 10 metre line...
Try! (Webb 5 + Biggar con) Wales 7-0 Italy
From the lineout Webb peels off the back of the maul and uses his strength to bundle over through two tackles! Biggar converts but Italy will rightly feel hard done by.
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4 min Carlo Del Fava is on commentary and is excellent. Wales go left off the scrum and Roberts goes ploughing through Palazzani into the 22! Biggar chips through when he should perhaps keep it in hand and, after a scare when Parisse drops it, Italy bundle it into touch. Wales were offside but got away with it.
2 min Wales are stretching Italy, moving it back left now but Amos is driven back by a huge tackle from Sarto. Liam Williams stabs through but Parisse covers and Italy run it back up to their own 10 metre line. They cross it in a maul but it’s held up and Wales get the scrum.
Kick-off!
1 min Romain Poite gives the signal and Tomasso Allan gets the final weekend of the Six Nations 2016 under way with a short kick that Liam Williams takes. Wales go left and Jon Davies stabs through with Odiete returning. Biggar takes inside his own half and Wales go through the hands again, with North wriggling away from Parisse down the Wales right.
Anthems time. Italy’s effort is gamely; Wales big, booming and muscular. I think this may be a portent.
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So did any of you get Radiohead tickets? No, me neither. Personally I feel I should get priority for having a copy of the Drill EP and knowing the words to Lift.
We still have 25 minutes until kick-off so I’m off to get a cup of tea and peruse the Guardian vending machines. In the meantime, why not have a read of Paul Rees’s chat with Rhys Webb, whose return to the starting lineup is a great big bit of good news for Wales.
Permutations, for what it’s worth
If (yeah yeah) Wales win today they are guaranteed to finish second, no higher, no lower. If Italy somehow beat them then the winner of Scotland v Ireland will take the runner’s up spot, unless France thrash England tonight. A draw would mean Scotland can overtake them by beating Ireland as can France, who would again have to win by a landslide. Italy finish bottom no matter what.
Any way Italy can upset the odds here? Wales are 1-100 to win this one with the bookies and surely, after serving up 70 minutes of dross at Twickenham last Saturday, anything but an absolute pasting today will be a disappointment for their fans and, privately at least, for Warren Gatland?
@DanLucas86 Wales are going to put 50+ on Italy. Can't see it going any other way. Once they get going they're going to tear Italy a new 1
— John McEnerney (@MackerOnTheMed) March 19, 2016
Yeah I’d go along with that. Wales by at least 40 I reckon.
Preamble
Afternoon, folks. Back in the 1970s, my dad’s friend saw Queen supporting Mott the Hoople. Shortly before and around the release of The Bends, Radiohead supported future Guardian advice columnist Alanis Morissette, Tears for Fears and James. In Paris, in 1999, Roddy Frame supported Sheryl Crow. I could go on for ages about opening acts that have been bigger and/or better than the main event.
This is not one of those occasions. Italy have nothing but pride to play for, guaranteed as they are to finish bottom of the pile for the 11th time in Six Nations history. Wales, with home advantage, will be far, far too powerful for the spirited but – let’s face it – not all that good Italians and will surely win to confirm their second-place finish in the table. The only question, really, is how Wales will play and how many they’ll win by.
Warren Gatland has made four changes from the side that lost to England last Saturday, three of them injury-enforced. Cap’n Sam Warburton misses out after picking up a knock to the head and his place goes to the very exciting Justin Tipuric, who wasn’t at his best when partnering Warburton at the start of the championship but will find the Spring weather and the firmer grounds that come with it more to his liking. Luke Charteris replaces Alun Wyn Jones and Hallam Amos – one for the future – is in for Alex Cuthbert, who injured his foot but is pretty dreadful and would surely have been dropped anyway. Rhys Webb is also in at No9 for Gareth Davies, who hasn’t been at his World Cup best.
Jacques Brunel, in his final game as Italy coach, has gone one further. Five changes to his injury-hit squad, including yet another change at fly-half where Tommaso Allan becomes the fourth No10 to start in five championship games. Both locks were injured in the thrashing by Ireland so Quintin Geldenhuys and Valerio Bernabo come in – in truth, all four are much of a muchness – and the grizzled Martin Castrogiovanni is straight into the starting line-up after suspension. Andrea Pratichetti replaces perhaps their star of the tournament, Michele Campagnaro, who is also crocked.
Kick-off in Cardiff is at 2.30pm GMT, or 3.30pm Italian time. The teams look like this:
Wales
15-Liam Williams, 14-George North, 13-Jonathan Davies, 12-Jamie Roberts, 11-Hallam Amos; 10-Dan Biggar, 9-Rhys Webb; 1-Rob Evans, 2-Scott Baldwin, 3-Samson Lee, 4-Bradley Davies, 5-Luke Charteris, 6-Dan Lydiate (capt), 7-Justin Tipuric, 8-Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements 16-Ken Owens, 17-Gethin Jenkins, 18-Aaron Jarvis, 19-Jake Ball, 20-Ross Moriarty, 21-Gareth Davies, 22-Rhys Priestland, 23-Gareth Anscombe.
Italy
15-David Odiete, 14-Leonardo Sarto, 13-Andrea Pratichetti, 12-Gonzalo Garcia, 11-Mattia Bellini, 10-Tommaso Allan, 9-Guglielmo Palazzani; 1-Andrea Lovotti, 2-Davide Giazzon, 3-Martin Castrogiovanni, 4-Quintin Geldenhuys, 5-Valerio Bernabo, 6-Francesco Minto, 7-Alessandro Zanni, 8-Sergio Parisse (captain).
Replacements 16-Oliviero Fabiani, 17-Matteo Zanusso, 18-Dario Chistolini, 19-Jacopo Sarto, 20-Abraham Steyn, 21-Alberto Lucchese, 22-Kelly Haimona, 23-Luke McLean.
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