Wales limp to second win in Rome but miss out on bonus point
Four points gained or a bonus point lost? Italy versus Wales was not a tournament highlight, but Gatland’s men got the job done and Italy once again showed promise that failed to turn into a result they so desperately need. It’ll be four years since their last championship win next month, and this was the one game where I have felt they could genuinely bag a precious win, as there was a point when Italy were in control of the game and only three points shy of a lead which was there for the taking. Josh Adams was able to swing the game in the favour of the Welsh, but it still looked massively uncomfortable for the men in red, and it felt like that their attempt of having a B team on the field trying to get the result wasn’t quite going to plan. The same can be said for Ireland’s second best team, you watch them and feel like they can get the result but it won’t be an easy watch for anyone supporting them.
Inevitably, Wales punctured the holes in Italy’s defence and got through, but given that they’re chasing England for the title, it’s become clear as day that the bonus point they left behind in Rome was so crucial to their bid to win a first trophy since 2012. More often than not, we’ve come to accept this fixture as a squash for Wales given their talent at full strength, but their understudies struggled to handle the likes of Braam Steyn who was outstanding on Saturday. Dan Biggar looked far from his best and made me question whether Gareth Anscombe or Biggar were the solutions for Wales at 10. How badly is Gatland missing Rhys Patchell?
Other than that there isn’t much else to say for this fixture as for the vast majority it felt rather dull compared to the other two this weekend, but as the tournament goes, Italy will have to keep searching for a first win, and Wales will be praying on a big result in Cardiff in two weeks. How big would a win versus England be? Well put it this way, their record winning run goes up to 12, and their chances to win the title, or even the Grand Slam would go up massively, and imagine that level of hype before a World Cup. Wales have never won the Championship in World Cup year, I think it might be time to start questioning that possibility.
Team Rating
Italy 2.5/5
Wales 3.5/5