RUGBY UNION: SIX NATIONS
WARREN GATLAND says this lacklustre win will only help his Wales side beat England.
A much-changed team produced a scrappy performance and had to rely on second-half tries from Josh Adams and Owen Watkin to win in Rome.
Wales can make history by making it 12 successive wins by downing England on February 23.
And coach Gatland said: “We have probably helped ourselves a little bit by not playing as well as we could have against Italy.
“As a result everyone will start talking England up.
“Sometimes it’s easier to help motivate yourself if that does happen. I thought the England 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. There will be no lack of motivation and it will be electric in the Principality Stadium.
“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 the whipping boys but their failure to earn a bonus point could come back to haunt them.
Flanker Josh Navidi said:
“It wasn’t a good performance against Italy but a win is a win and we have to take confidence from the fact we can see games out.”