Wales 33 - 10 Italy
Saturday, 20, Mar 2010 04:19
By Chris Cousens.
Wales sugar-coated a decidedly sour Six Nations campaign with an emphatic victory over Italy at the Millennium Stadium.
After a pragmatic opening, the Welsh ran riot in the second half, scoring three tries including two from James Hook to win the game by 33-10. The result means Wales will finish the Six Nations in fourth place, the ninth time in 11 years they have ended up outside the championship's top three.
Wales showed the balance of cohesion and creativity so off-kilter thus far in the competition, helped in no small part by the returning Lions Gethin Jenkins, Matthew Rees and Mike Phillips, all of whom had big games. Wales won 14 lineouts and three scrums, and lost none of either.
Welsh coach Warren Gatland thought the display gave a glimpse of the potential of what Wales can achieve. The reality for many in the principality is that it has come too late and against seriously under-par opposition.
The Italian effort, meanwhile, was blighted by mistakes, poor decision-making and ill-discipline and forced to feed off Welsh scraps from start to finish.
The normal carefree vibe in Cardiff which accompanies the Azzurri rolling into town had gone missing prior to the game. Warren Gatland faced stiff questioning during the week on Wales' strategies, rebutting claims that for all their flair, his side lacked the ruthless streak needed to reach the summit.
Gatland had been wary of making wholesale changes to his team this campaign, but Wales' performance at Croke Park last weekend forced his hand. Most noteworthy of Gatland's five changes was Leigh Halfpenny's replacement on the right wing, Tom Prydie. At 18 years and 27 days the Neath-Swansea Osprey, who has only ever played three times for his region, made history by becoming both Wales' youngest ever player and the youngest ever Five/Six Nations starter.
Gethin Jenkins and Matthew Rees returned to rejoin Adam Jones in a Welsh front row which had not packed down together since doing so for the British Lions in the second test in South Africa. Fellow Lion Mike Phillips returned at scrum-half with Richie Rees dropping out of the 22, while Sam Warburton came in for Martyn Williams at flanker.
Italy suffered a late injury blow when centre Andrea Masi announced he had lost his race to overcome his back injury. He was replaced by experienced Clermont Auvergne centre Gonzalo Canale. Lock Carlo Del Fava and flanker Paul Derbyshire were ruled out earlier in the week and replaced by Marco Bortelami and Josh Sole. Wing Kaine Robertson and scrum-half Pablo Canavoiso also came into the side.
Italy coach Nick Mallet insisted on the roof staying open for the game despite the persistent rain but Welsh Rugby Union kept it closed until the last possible moment. The pitch was therefore perfect for running rugby.
A mauling at the hands of the fantastic French aside, Italy have had a morale-boosting campaign, beating the Scots and running England close. And it was they who started the stronger, breaking twice down the left, testing Prydie's steel. The young man passed the test and Italian fly-half Craig Gower missed an ensuing drop-goal attempt.
Prydie was making an impact early on. Some neat hands from Warburton released him down the right and there was a glimpse of his pace before a neat chip was fielded by Italian full-back Luke McLean.
Wales' lacklustre lineout had epitomised their faltering campaign to date, but crucially, the first two throw-ins from returner Matthew Rees hit the jumpers. From the second Wales crabbed sideways before winning a penalty under the Italian posts which Stephen Jones converted. Italy came close to equalising soon after, but Micro Bergamasco's penalty hit the upright.
Solid lineout was allowing Wales to build a platform but their other Six Nations Achilles heel, being turned over, was still hampering them. Aggressive Italian rucking inside their own 22 twice scuppered Welsh attacks in the first half-an-hour.
It was as though Gatland was answering the critics of the Welsh style by emphasising the simple and the effective. The sixth successive Welsh lineout went to hand - one pass to Jamie Roberts who crashed through, Italy hit the ruck off their feet and Jones extended the lead to 6-0.
Mike Phillips was making a difference for the Welsh, finding gaps around the fringes where the more diminutive Richie Rees had not. One break of his set Wales into the 22, where a sublime ball from Shane Williams put Lee Byrne over. The crowd rejoiced, only for the referee to bring it back for an earlier forward pass. Jones' boot extended the Welsh lead soon after, but for all their pressure, Wales had still not crossed the whitewash.
But by then the Italians were really hanging on. A horribly shanked up-and-under from Gower was seized upon by James Hook, who ran clear only for his chip to bounce unluckily to the retreating Luke McLean who slid the ball over his own line. Jones slotted another penalty from the resulting collapsed scrum under the posts.
Wales had been the wolf in sheep's clothing for the first 40 minutes; a disciplined display of won lineouts, dominated scrums and in-field kicking, with 15 men on the field at all times, had reduced the Italians to two scratchy drop-goal attempts. But you sensed Wales could only keep their true colours hidden for so long and it was a matter of time before they treated everyone to some of their unique brand of spontaneity.
That soon materialised when Shane Williams got the ball five minutes after the break. He scorched past two and sped into the 22, the crowd rose, but he slipped when eye-to-eye with the full back.
Soon after James Hook seared clear, only to be brilliantly tackled again by Luke McLean. Hook could have done better, and moments later he did. After a shambolic mistake inside Italy's own dead ball area, Wales spun it wide from the scrum five, and Hook found a gap to dive over in the corner. With Stephen Jones' conversion Wales were out of sight at 19-0 and with Mauro Bergamasco needlessly getting himself sin-binned minutes later the question now was how many.
Italy, down to 14, looked a spent force and it was all too easy for James Hook to ease outside his marker to cross for the second time in ten minutes to extend his team's lead to 26 - 0.
To their credit, Italy rallied with Bergamasco in the bin and were rewarded with a penalty to open their account 70 minutes into the game. Micro Bergamasco was resoundingly booed taking the kick after an earlier spat with Mike Phillips.
The crowd wanted a Welsh flourish and it came with a memorable running try which oozed Welsh flair. Lee Byrne broke the line, popping inside to replacement centre Tom Shanklin who drew three defenders before feeding the ever-present Mike Phillips who took the ball up to the line. Tackled under the left post Phillips set the ball for a big forward to crash the one yard to the line, only it was Shane Williams playing prop to dive over for his 51st Welsh try.
Thirty points behind, Italy mustered some late strength from nowhere and after building down the right Luke McLean took a perfect angle to crash through the Welsh defence. It was richly deserved for Mclean who had been Italy's stand out performer.
For Wales, the victory will lift the gloom temporarily, but will take little away from the disappointment of their Six Nations as a whole.
Wales: 15-Lee Byrne, 14-Tom Prydie, 13-James Hook, 12-Jamie Roberts, 11-Shane Williams, 10-Stephen Jones, 9-Mike Phillips; 1-Gethin Jenkins, 2-Matthew Rees, 3-Adam Jones, 4-Bradley Davies, 5-Luke Charteris, 6-Jonathan Thomas, 7-Sam Warburton, 8-Ryan Jones (captain).
Replacements: 16-Huw Bennett, 17-Paul James, 18-Ian Gough, 19-Gareth Delve, 20-Dwayne Peel, 21-Andrew Bishop, 22-Tom Shanklin.
Italy: 15-Luke McLean, 14-Kaine Robertson, 13-Gonzalo Canale, 12-Gonzalo Garcia, 11-Mirco Bergamasco, 10-Craig Gower, 9-Pablo Canavosio; 1-Salvatore Perugini, 2-Leonardo Ghiraldini (captain), 3-Martin Castrogiovanni, 4-Quintin Geldenhuys, 5-Marco Bortelolami, 6-Josh Sole, 7-Mauro Bergamasco, 8-Alessandro Zanni.
Replacements: 16-Fabio Ongaro, 17-Matias Aguero, 18-Valerio Bernabo, 19-Manoa Vosawai, 20-Tito Tebaldi, 21-Riccardo Bocchino, 22-Matteo Pratichetti.
Referee - Wayne Barnes (Eng)