Wales equal win record but put in a poor display
RECORD-EQUALLERS here, but Wales will not be recordbreakers back home if they play like this again.
An 11th-consecutive win to match the 1907-10 vintage was splutteringly achieved over Italy – it will be a year unbeaten when England come to Cardiff and Wales must fill the cracks by then.
Josh Adams got their belated try just before an hour to answer Braam Steyn’s first-half score, Owen Watkin took a late one to make sure and Dan Biggar kicked 14 points but this was by no means the swashbuckling slicing required before England’s visit.
‘I am very satisfied with the win,’ said Warren Gatland. ‘Sometimes you have to win ugly, we did not play that well but we will move on and think about England. We never looked like we were going to lose. There is no regret in making the changes, as we are two wins from two. A lot of people will be writing us off, which is a good position to be in, flying under the radar.’
‘We all need to improve in lots of areas to beat England, they are a pretty good side at the moment. If we play like that against England it could be embarrassing.’
Wales’ last two first-halves have looked like last year’s England side, who started to win uncomfortably and then saw a run of victories became a run of defeats.
For Wales, who made 10 changes, two incredibly average starts to games is not encouraging. At least this week they scored some points and led after at the break. But they could not find a try. They have not gone over in the first half since Liam Williams scored against South Africa in the autumn.
Italy took one. Biggar had put Wales 12-0 up with four of the simplest penalties – most right in front of the posts – before the Italians stirred.
The second penalty they kicked to touch brought reward. Dean Budd claimed the lineout, the Azzurri bashed through and when Steyn piled over they had the try. Tommaso Allan hit the conversion and Italy were five points back.
When Allan then struck a post with a penalty to end the half it felt as if that was as good as it might turn out for Conor O’Shea’s men – especially as they had not won here in the Six Nations for six years and lost 32 of their last 33 Tests against top opposition.
Wales started nicely, with Thomas Young combining with Elliot Dee to win a penalty in the first minute, but otherwise they were profligate and sloppy.
Adam Beard spilled a ball when they had momentum in the Italian 22 and captain Jonathan Davies butchered a clear try-scoring opportunity when he had Liam Williams and Jonah Holmes queueing up outside.
Biggar was typically raging when the try was conceded. He started well by collecting kicks, barked orders and found men in space, desperate to regain the outhalf role permanently.
But Wales’ lineout spluttered. Two in the second half led to turnovers. This was not going to plan at all.
Allan hit a penalty when Young was offside and Italy were only two back. Most thought Wales would be sipping limoncellos in Rome having gunned Italy down in the first half, but this was leaving a bad taste.
Soon Gatland had enough and took Jake Ball off for Alun Wyn Jones, playing his 50th Six Nations game.
Biggar, though, lost his mojo. A missed touch from a penalty and then a kick going straight out on the full, and Gareth Anscombe was summoned to warm up. He only replaced Biggar after Wales had found their try, though. At last the blue wall crumbled. Aled Davies made an initial surge up the right wing, then left went Wales: Biggar to Jonathan Davies to Williams.
The full-back powered past Edoardo Padovani and Jayden Hayward then popped to Adams who ran round from the left to score under the posts. Biggar converted, then departed.
Captain Davies then had a try disallowed when he knocked on before touching down, referee Mathieu Raynal having to use the fourth official’s headphones to confirm with the TMO as his communications were not working.
But Wales did score a second, Anscombe’s chip over the defence touched down by Watkin charging through. The replacement No10 converted.
Padovani strolled in for a late Italy try but their run stretched to 19 consecutive Six Nations defeats. Another record broken.
‘We are really disappointed,’ said O’Shea. ‘Any time we do anything remotely good it’s the other team’s fault.’