Finished Stadio Olimpico
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Six Nations - Wales overcome Italy in scrappy affair
Wales secured only their second victory in 10 games by beating Italy 26-9 in a scrappy Six Nations encounter in Rome. More
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Live Commentary
Time:80'- Italy
- Wales
- Thanks for joining us, and come back later at 5pm for England v France at Twickenham. See you then!
- Italy, despite starting the championship with a fantastic win over France, showed their weaknesses today. Far too many mistakes, making for a scrappy game.
FULL TIME: ITALY 9-26 WALES - Wales get the win, and it's a comfortable one too. Remember, they don't often run riot in Rome, but their form is back on track.
80'+1 In the 11th phase, George North kicks the ball out and it's a Wales win.- 80' In control and in possession in the Italian half, can Wales get another try to put the icing on the cake?
- 78' Despite the match slowing down, the mistakes are still happening. Replacement Paul Derbyshire, who believe it or not is Italian, knocks the ball on and Wales have one more chance going into the final two minutes...
- 76' Jonathan Davies turns it over and George North looks to penetrate. He is stopped and James Hook goes for the kick. Despite the victory, Wales might be slightly disappointed not to get a few more points. The game is very much grinding to a hault here in Rome.
- 75' Cuthbert nearly intercepts Andrea Masi's poor pass to go through, but the referee gives a deliberate knock on. The Welsh winger is disappointed with himself.
- 73' Italy have the chance for an overlap with Alessandro Zanni - the opportunity is there but he makes a hash of it. A real shame for Italy, who have been riddled by mistakes today.
- 72' Italy going through the motions to get up the pitch, but a couple of good drives get them to half-way. They're chasing the game but they don't look natural out there. A kick gives Halfpenny and North a run at Italy.
71' Jamie Roberts is off for Wales, and Scott Williams replaces him.- 71' Italy's Canale is replaced by his namesake Gonzalo Garcia, while Philips goes off for Lloyd Williams.
- 70' Wales have it after the line-out but a knock-on on the attack gives Italy the scrum. A shame for Howley's Wales, who will surely want a few more points to add.
- 70' Castrogiovanni is back on after the yellow. And Sam Warburton is also on for captain Ryan Jones.
- 69' Wales have the penalty, and they must weigh up whether they want the kick or to go for the corner, and not long before Italy return to 15 men. Wales go for the corner, and they have a line-out five yards from the line.
- 68' Wales are forcing the ascendency for another try. They're keeping the ball well and for the first time today there is some neat link play on the attack. They have the penalty but are continuing...
- 66' Arguably, it will be the Welsh scrum that is responsible for the win. It has been fantastic today.
- 65' Italy have the ball inside Wales' 22, but they're huffing and puffing with little width and the visitors are taking the pressure well.
- 64' Back to the try - It was Dan Biggar who put Cuthbert through, and Howley will be delighted with the number of options Biggar had at that point, with our without the yellow card for Italy.
- 63' Wales now have just under 20 minutes to build on the confidence they gained this week and last. They'll want as many tries as possible here, especially with Italy down to 14.
62' CONVERSION: ITALY 9-26 WALES - Wales are clear going into the last quarter. Arguably Halfpenny's best kick of the game gives them the extra two.
61' TRY FOR WALES! ITALY 9-24 WALES - And there's the biggest punishment. Gonzalo Canale takes dummy-runner Jonathan Davies, but Alex Cuthbert receives the ball and breaks through to go over in the corner. Wales' game now, surely.
59' Martin Castrogiovanni, who just picked up the captains armband, is off for ten minutes. He looks bemused, and it'll be a long ten minutes for Italy. The Italian was penalised for popping up at the scrum following numerous warnings from referee Poite.- 58' A break in proceedings and Wales have a scrum. They look for the penalty and get it.
- 56' A poor Welsh line-out after some Italian pressure gives Italy the ball. They use the phases and move central from the left flank. They're within the Welsh 25.
- 55' And some changes for Italy too - Davide Giazzon, Alberto de Marchi and Quintin Geldenhuys are on for Lo Cicero, Leonardo Ghiraldini and Francesco Minto.
- 54' Some changes for Wales, with Ken Owens, Paul James and Alun-Wyn Jones replacing Gethin Jenkins, Richard Hibbard and Andrew Coombs.
- 53' PENALTY: ITALY 9-19 WALES - It's his hardest kick of the day, but he takes it beautifully. What a kick.
- 52' Wales have the scrum, and they dominate again. They earn a penalty after a collapse, and Halfpenny has the chance to give them another ten-point lead from 35 metres.
- 50' PENALTY: ITALY 9-16 WALES - Burton takes the chance. They've dominated possession in this half, have Italy, and are back in it again.
- 49' Italy have a line-out 10 metres from the Welsh line, and after a great take they've earned a penalty five metres out. Burton has the chance to reduce the deficit...
- 48' Davies was persistent to earn the try, but it was more a case of luck than anything. Nevertheless, he won't be complaining.
- 46' CONVERSION: ITALY 6-16 - Halfpenny converts, and despite Italy's impressive start to the half, it's Wales who have the ten-point lead.
- 45' TRY TO WALES! ITALY 6-14 WALES - It's come from relatively nothing, but the game is alive, particularly for Wales. Jonathan Davies picks up a bobbling ball which fools two Italians, and he runs over to give Wales some comfort.
- 44' Plenty of possession now for Italy, Burton looks for a gap but Faletau tackles well. Italy resort to the kick again, but Cuthbert's huge receiving kick releases the pressure for Wales.
- 43' Italy are playing the phases, and hardly a kick in sight. Oh wait, Burton tries a drop-goal from 35 metres, but he misses by a few yards.
- 42' A good scrum from Wales and Phillips eases the pressure. Here come Italy again though, they have some vigour in them at last...
41' A warning sign for Wales very early in the half. Mike Phillips is bumped off the ball and Tommaso Benvenuti is nearly through after a soft kick. All he needs to to is collect the ball from the ground, but he fumbles it 8 metres out and Wales have the scrum.
41' We're off, and Wales will be looking to build on a slender lead. Italy will no doubt be happy to still be in the contest.- HT For those who can't watch the game - which I'm sure is the majority of you - you're not missing too much. Wales dominant in a sense, but the flurry of errors have made this anything but a spectical. Let's hope it picks up in the second half.
- HT Italy, the top carriers in the tournament, are ahead 33-27 on that front, but trail by three points in a scrappy game at the Stadio Olimpico. Halfpenny's boot gives them a slender lead.
- 40'+1 Italy have the scrum and have the ball. Edoardo Gori kicks it into touch and it's half-time.
- 40' It's a scrum to Wales, and another impressive one, they keep possession and they should take the lead into half time.
- 39' Another great take from Halfpenny from Luke McLean's kick, and another from Biggar. His clearing kick hits touch and Italy have an attacking line out on the half way. Their last chance of the half, perhaps.
- 37' Both sides exchange a few kicks between them, and it just seems that it's all about territory at this stage. Neither side, and the Italians in particular, do not fancy a counter attack. One for the purists, I think.
- 36' Italy's defence, to their credit, has been magnificent in places. Alessandro Zanni and Castrogiovanni bring down Cuthbert in true double team fashion on the halfway line.
- 35' Halfpenny slices it slightly to the right, and it misses the post by two yards. Italy restart with a deep kick and Wales have it in a good position.
- 35' Wales force the turn over and gain a penalty. It all came from a fantastic block from Gethin Jenkins, who bravely threw himself in front of an Italian kick. Halfpenny with the chance to make four from four...
- 34' Great drive from Ian Evans right through the middle of the Italian defence. But they turn it over again, and Castrogiovanni tries to come away with it but gets mauled down by the Welsh defence.
- 33' Another fumble, this time from Toby Faletau, and it's extremely stop-start here in Rome. Wales have another line out.
- 31' Alex Cuthbert is so close to getting away but Gonzalo Canale makes a fantastic tackle as he stretches low. He just about catches Cuthbert's heel, and Wales have the line out.
- 30' PENALTY: ITALY 6-9 WALES - Burton converts after a poor reaction by Wales to a strong Italy scrum. The score does not reflect the game, but Italy are still in it.
- 29' This game is littered with errors, more so from Italy but Wales have been culprits too. The rain has started again - the pitch is holding up but nobody seems to be able to keep the ball for a sustained period. Scrum to Italy.
- 28' The ball falls to Burton, but he makes a hash of the drop-kick and it goes a few yards wide of the post. Burton was caught after the kick, accidentally, by Biggar. The Welsh fly-half is heavily involved at the moment.
- 27' Good scrum from Italy, and a good run from Vosawai is threatening to break through. They're going through the phases are Italy, but they've been pushed back to the 22.
- 26' Italy have a penalty on the half way, but go for the corner. Burton's kick is poor but Adam Jones makes a hash of the catch, and Italy have a scrum five yards outside the Welsh line.
- 24' A fantastic take from Halfpenny after a testing Italian kick, and the ball goes to and fro in the air for a few moments.
- 23' The only criticism of the Welsh so far is their failure in stop Martin Castrogiovanni coming around the outside in the ruck to stop the kick. Biggar's poor kick allows Italy some possession.
- 22' The first attempt collapses, but another good Wales scrum sees them with the ball in their 22, with Biggar hoofing the ball deep inside the Italian half. A big gain for the Welsh.
- 21' Italy look to be out of ideas even at this early stage. Wales have the scrum 15 yards inside their half. This is an important one...
- 21' Italy turn it over after a crazed Andrea Masi run. Wales have a chance to take a breath and come again.
- 20' PENALTY: ITALY 3-9 WALES - Halfpenny converts again. Attritional stuff here from Wales.
- 19' Another huge scrum from Wales, this is a big psychological advantage for them this afternoon. This one results in another penalty to Wales around 10 yards inside Italy's half. Halfpenny to step up again, relatively central...
- 18' Italy are really struggling to get into the game, and Wales have another chance to make some ground with a scrum after a free kick from the line-out.
- 17' A great restart from Wales, Mike Phillips makes 40 to 50 yards and Wales have the line out just inside Italy's half.
- 16' PENALTY: ITALY 3-6 WALES - Mr Reliable does it again. Another great kick, and Delilah rings out in Rome. An odd scene to say the least.
- 15' Another fantastic Wales scrum in Italy's half. and it collapses to give Wales a penalty in shooting range. Halfpenny again to give Wales the lead...
- 14' The scrum is reset, referee Poite tells the players to keep it up. A fantsastic Welsh scrum sees them earn a few metres, but Dan Biggar's poor kick is made up for by an Italian knock on. Wales have the scrum inside the Italy half.
- 11' Wales are playing dangerously inside their own 22, the ball flying around in the corner of the pitch. And Giovanbattista Venditti, the catchiest name in Rugby, gets his way through the Welsh defence before Halfpenny brings him down. Scrum to Wales deep in their half.
- 10' PENALTY: ITALY 3-3 WALES - No possession, no territory, but Italy are level. A very tidy finish from Burton.
- 10' The rain has stopped, and Wales are ahead in Rome. Penalty to Italy after Gethin Jenkins is penalised for bringing down the scrum. Three-point opportunity for Italy. around 30 metres out. Kris Burton steps up...
- 8' PENALTY: ITALY 0-3 WALES - No mistake by Halfpenny as he slots the ball through.
- 8' No release in the tackle by the Italians, and Wales have a penalty. Halfpenny is going for the posts - he's missed just once for Wales in their last 22 tests.
- 7' Richard Hibbard's line out is decent, and Wales have it. They're around 12 metres out, but the Italian defence is holding firm.
- 6' Andrea Masi makes a decent break 10 metres inside the Welsh half, and after some tough Welsh tackling they have a penalty. A chance to clear their lines, and a fantastic kick from Halfpenny deep in the Italian half.
- 4' Good scrum from Italy, Vosawai tries to force his way through and it's kicked up to Leigh Halfpenny around the Welsh 40 metre line. A scrappy start in Rome.
- 3' Scrum down to Wales after a poor line out. Early engage by Italy, and Wales are off and running. A poor pass to Roberts results in a knock on, and Italy now have the scrum.
- 2' Italy hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini is down injured, receiving plenty of spray from the physios. He was caught by Jamie Roberts, but he's up looks okay.
14:31 We're underway, Dan Biggar gets us started and, after collecting, Kris Burton kicks for touch. It lands at around the 40 metre line, a great kick.- 14:30 Today’s match referee is Frenchman Romain Poite, who took charge of Wales’ 22-30 defeat to Ireland in Cardiff three weeks ago. And here we go…
- 14:28 Anthems out of the way, the Italian tune is enough to get anyone out of bed. Brilliant.
- 14:25 Remember, Wales have not lost to Italy since their 20-23 defeat in Rome in March 2007, and they have lost only twice to the Azzurri in their history. But saying that, the majority of their Six Nations matches in Rome have been a dog fight, will it be the same today?
- 14:20 Wales won 31-22 on their only previous visit to the Stadio Olimpico in October 1996. Coach Rob Howley started at scrum-half in that game.
- 14:20 As expected, the bookies fancy the visitors. You can get 2/7 on with Wales, while Italy are 10/3 with some bookies.
- 14:18 Despite torrential rain here in Rome – the brooms were out sweeping up the water earlier today - the pitch looks okay. No wind whatsoever, but plenty of empty seats at the Stadio Olimpico.
- 14:15 Sam Warburton, who started the championship as captain but has been replaced by Ryan Jones, will be among those waiting to come on at the Stadio Olimpico, while Alun Wyn Jones returns to the matchday 23 for the first time since November.
- 14:12 Wales interim coach Rob Howley has named the same starting line-up from that impressive 16-6 victory over France, although he has overhauled a replacements bench that now oozes experience.
- 14:12 Wales team: 15-Leigh Halfpenny, 14-Alex Cuthbert, 13-Jonathan Davies, 12-Jamie Roberts, 11-George North, 10-Dan Biggar, 9-Mike Phillips, 8-Toby Faletau, 7-Justin Tipuric, 6-Ryan Jones (captain), 5-Ian Evans, 4-Andrew Coombs, 3-Adam Jones, 2-Richard Hibbard, 1-Gethin Jenkins.
- 14:10 The main talk is of Sergio Parisse’s absence after a 30-day suspension for verbally abusing a referee. He is, or was, one of Italy’s main threats, and they will be looking for others to step up to the plate today.
- 14:10 Italy team: 15-Andrea Masi, 14-Giovanbattista Venditti, 13-Tommaso Benvenuti, 12-Gonzalo Canale, 11-Luke McLean, 10-Kristopher Burton, 9-Edoardo Gori, 8-Ratu Manoa Vosawai, 7-Simone Favaro, 6-Alessandro Zanni, 5-Francesco Minto, 4-Antonio Pavanello, 3-Martin Castrogiovanni, 2-Leonardo Ghiraldini (captain), 1-Andrea Lo Cicero.
- 14:08 Since winning the Grand Slam last year, Wales have been consistently poor, but with the win in Paris, a further confidence boost could be in order here. Watch out Italy.
- 14:05 Both have shown so far they are capable of producing quality, with Italy shocking France in this very stadium nearly three weeks ago, while Wales returned to form after a shocking eight-match losing streak by beating France in their own backyard two weeks ago.
- 14.00 Welcome to our live coverage of this Six Nations clash in Rome between Italy and Wales, with both sides looking for their second victory of the championship after indifferent starts.
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Summary
Italy versus Wales Tries Davies 45’, Cuthbert 61’ Conversions Halfpenny 46’, 62’ Burton 10’, 30’, 50’ Penalties Halfpenny 8’, 16’, 20’, 53’ Drops
Live Team Line-Up
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ItalyManager: Jacques Brunel
On the Field
- Lo Cicero
- Ghiraldini
- Castrogiovanni
- Pavanello
- Minto
- Zanni
- Favaro
- Vosawai
- Gori
- Burton
- McLean
- Canale
- Benvenuti
- Venditti
- Masi
Subs
- Orquera
- Cittadini
- Geldenhuys
- Garcia
- Botes
- Derbyshire
- De Marchi
- Giazzon
Injured
None
Suspended
None
- Lo Cicero
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WalesManager: Rob Howley
On the Field
- Jenkins
- Hibbard
- Jones
- Coombs
- Evans
- Jones
- Tipuric
- Faletau
- Phillips
- Biggar
- North
- Roberts
- Davies
- Cuthbert
- Halfpenny
Subs
- James
- Williams
- Hook
- Jones
- Owens
- Warburton
- Mitchell
- Williams
Injured
None
Suspended
None
- Jenkins
I was quite amused by the comments of mainly Welsh supporters after England's unspectacular victory in Dublin about the way England won.Having just watched Italy v Wales, with 3 BBC biased Welsh commentators and Jonathon Davies complaining early on that Italy's scrum half had not put the ball in straight at a scrum ( I then watched more than closely the remaining scrums ) & surprise , surprise , the Welsh scrum half managed to find his back row with no comment from Davies!!! I now look forward to hearing from the very neutral " Eddie Butler" holding forth in the main game of the day!!!! No wonder Sky sports coverage does so well!!!
So many negative and nasty comments from the uneducated on this site. This was a strong performance from Wales. The Italians are never easy to beat on their home turf. The Welsh defence was outstanding today, with many admirable performances. This team is improving with every game. Job done - that's all that was required in the beautiful city of Rome!
Just to clear things up. In my opinion the best team won. However, it was a terrible game in which both teams played well below the standard you would expect for such a high profile game. I hope the rest of the tournament shows better results for whatever team.
Can someone please let Clive know how to spell and wake him up bless him !!!!!!!!!
Very scrappy match Wales v Italy, but can someone please tell me why Lee Halfpenny takes his scrumcap off to take a kick? Thank you. Roll on le Crunch!!! Nibbles in oven and beers in fridge
viva la france and england can sove theyr chariots shove theyr chariots shove theyr chariots up theyr #$%$ up theyr #$%$
I'm becoming a Dan Biggar fan.
Dream on Clive and come into the real world. Wales have won the game but it was a terrible one. England France is always a challenge but when England face Wales next my money is on England because scrappy or not, they outclass Wales at the moment.
well england wont get a win today scrappy or not and we have the #$%$ in cardiff next yahooooo
There must be a look into the betting of the ref,the only thing he has not done is put on a red shirt.
Mike Phillips don't get the praise he deserves. WELL DONE MIKE.
Wales should win this they have an extra man, (he`s playing in white}
Even though it pains me to say it, that was a good try for wales
Another terrible game involving Wales. But I suppose you have to do whatever you can to win when you've lost 8 out of thelast 9 tests.
Wales got the try not so much by good play but by bad play from Italy and a lot of good luck. The game is terrible.
In my understanding of the rules/laws, I always thought that the ball had to be into the scrums straight, ie down the middle of the tunnel, not into the 2nd row as a lot of scrum halves do, especially the Italian today. What are the referees doing about it? - nothing it would seem! Bring back the skill of striking for the ball, and allow the #$%$ to practice their skill.
trrrrryyyyy good play by wales
SPECTICAL....you must be joking
