Wales roll on but true test comes next
WARREN GATLAND always prefers when his Wales team stay under the radar.
Yet while he hopes a stuttering effort like this can help keep expectations in check during the nervejangling build-up to England’s arrival in Cardiff, he knows he must find at least one more gear to keep the Welsh engine purring.
The teams will clash a week on Saturday with both still on for a Grand Slam. For Wales, there is also the chance to become statistically the best team in the country’s history.
A defeat of England would make it 12 straight wins, beating the previous record of 11 which dates back to between 1907 and 1910.
Wales equalled that mark in Rome, even if Gatland’s 10 changes meant they lacked cohesion. The big guns will no doubt return for England and Gatland said: “We have
probably helped ourselves a bit by not playing as well as we could have against Italy. As a result everyone will start talking England up and sometimes it’s easier to help motivate yourself if that does happen.
“The performance against Ireland was the best I have seen from an England team in the last five years. Tactically they were outstanding.
“Before the start of the tournament everyone thought the decider might come down to our last game with Ireland, but now there are just two of us still in with the chance of a Grand Slam.
“Once you are on a run like this, you don’t want it to go. The nice thing is we have two weeks together in the build-up to the England match and we are excited about it. It will be good for this group of players, but we have a few things to work on.”
Wales never really looked like losing to Italy, but their display was disappointing despite the back row of Aaron Wainwright, Thomas Young and Josh Navidi excelling. The bonus point was never in range as Wales relied on second-half tries from Josh Adams and Owen Watkin.
But Wales played a second string in the Stadio Olimpico and not much of what happened would have an impact on their plans for England.
They will definitely improve and their winning streak remains impressive – but they
have lost their last four matches to England.
One thing that must be amended is the lineout, which wobbled alarmingly as the Azzurri stole plenty of ball. But the positive was a man-of-thematch display from Navidi at No8.
“England is always going to be built up as the big match of the Six Nations,” said Navidi, who will likely return to the flank.
“This is a new competition and we have to look forward and focus on that rather than the past.
“It wasn’t a good performance against Italy, but a win is a win and we have to take confidence from the fact we see games out.”
Defeat to Wales means Italy have now lost their last 19 Six Nations games.