Six Nations: Convincing Wales see off Italy 33:7

Liam Williams scores for Wales

 ROME-- Italian indiscipline allowed Wales to win convincingly at the Stadio Olimpico despite tenacious play by Italy captain Sergio Parisse but the Dragons failed to register the tournament's first ever bonus point. 

 The weekend threw up its own set of upsets. Scotland beat many people’s favourites Ireland and France showed that this England team maybe, just maybe, may not be all fans in white might think.

 When we met Conor O’Shea at Italy’s Six Nations launch he underlined the need to fight for every one of the 80 minutes his team spend on the pitch. It now seems clear that his team have either failed to understand this relatively simple message or cannot put it into practice. In any case praise should go before criticism.

 It is true that Italy led at the break through a try of genuine quality, set up by the trickery of Sergio Parisse and scored by Edoardo Gori; it is true that they defended doggedly for 50 minutes; and it true that the result is an improvement on last tournaments' drubbing. A loss is a loss and what this Italy side proved today is that identifying weakness is only halfway to improvement.

 Wales toiled for an hour before pulling clear at the 60-minute mark and finishing with a scoreboard that did not reflect the tenacity of the Italian defence. But they missed out on a bonus point as Liam Williams came agonisingly close to a fourth try from the final move of the match, but lost control of the ball over the line as he tried to tried to touch down.

 In a game where Wales were peerless in the final 20 minutes this may have been a missed opportunity with the likelihood that many other of the title challengers will score bonus points tries later in the tournament.

 Rob Howley's team were criticised in the autumn for their unconvincing performances and the fact that a slippery Stadio Olimpico was enough to make them stumble will not silence any critics. Italy, inspired by peerless number eight and captain Sergio Parisse, will want to think that it was their quality, rather than the lack of Welsh polish, that kept the scores so tight.

 It was only when Italy cracked in the face of lopsided possession and penalty count, and prop Andrea Lovotti was sent to the sin-bin, that Wales could open up.

 Tries by Jonathan Davies and Liam Williams while Italy were a man short turned the tables, and an apparently injured George North delivered a killer blow as he ran in from 60 metres. Wales almost claimed the tournament's first every try bonus point when wing Williams just failed to touch down as the clock ticked past 80 minutes.

 Italy led at half-time, but just as Parisse had feared in his pre-match news conference, fell off the pace in the last 20 minutes and paid a heavy price. The boot of Leigh Halfpenny kicked three conversions and four penalties for his 18-point tally and kept the ill-disciplined Italy on the back foot throughout once he assumed the kicking duties from the tee.

 A key lesson from this game will be that possession does not equal points. Wales' ambition saw them turn down three kickable penalties in a dominant opening 20 minutes, but they failed to score a point despite 80% possession. With referee JP Doyle disinclined to issue warnings let alone a yellow card for repeat infringements, Italy weathered the storm and then showed a more ruthless cutting edge when their chance came. Parisse was alternately deft and a powerhouse as he set up the attack and then orchestrated the rolling maul that led to scrum-half Edoardo Gori touching down between the posts.

 All that followed in the half for Wales was Halfpenny, having missed an early chance, finally had Wales on the scoreboard in the 36th minute when he nailed a penalty as the hosts took a 7-3 lead into the changing rooms at the break.

 After the interval, Wales changed their game plan as Halfpenny punished continuing Italian indiscipline with three penalties before Lovotti pushed the referee’s patience beyond its limit.

 When replacement fly-half Sam Davies showed the quick hands that have earned him his Wales call, Scott Williams could send Davies over, and a Williams try followed quickly. Freed of the shackles of having to win the game, Wales showed ambition and skill where they had previously been patient in the face of tenacious defence on the part of the hosts. Once the Italian scrum had tired Wales dominated with their scrum bolstered by the arrival of Rob Evans and Tomas Francis from the bench, the visitors finished well on top.

 Whatever the case may be, Wales have a lot to think about and work on in the six-day turnaround before England arrive in Cardiff.

 More worrying still, it is unlikely they will be on the right end of a 16-5 penalty count on that day.

 jp-tl