Annihilate Italy then Grand Slam beckons
SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND
ROME will be an ideal hunting ground for Wales. The prowling lions in Wayne Pivac’s side like Louis Rees-Zammit and George North will be thirsty for blood and I fully expect them to stalk Italy like wildebeest on the savanna before going in for the kill.
It could be a bloodbath, the two sides couldn’t be in more different moods. Wales – and I didn’t think I would be writing this after three games – are flying high, full of confidence, and on for a Grand Slam with a Triple Crown already in the trophy room. Italy look absolutely clueless.
It does hurt me to be so critical, but the brutal truth is the Azzurri are just not good enough. They’ve lost 30 Championship games in a row which says it all. It is right there should be question marks placed over their place in the tournament after a run as shocking as that.
Italian rugby should be doing a lot better. They have talented players and the financial backing to develop a solid infrastructure, but for whatever reason it isn’t happening on the pitch. Conor O’Shea couldn’t improve matters and it has not got any better under Franco Smith.
I’ve seen a lot of Italy in this Six Nations so far. They have plenty of ability and they have looked dangerous in attack at times with Monty Ioane a stand-out figure. The problem they have – and it is a huge one – is that both sides of the ball, they are only able to go for five or six phases before the wheels come off and chaos ensues.
In attack they can move the ball, but they lack patience and things go to pot before an opposition defence is stressed enough. I think that’s a sign of inexperience. Italy’s problems are even worse in defence. I don’t think their tight five are fit enough and they have real system problems once their opponents keep the ball for long periods.
Their forwards have trouble folding round and getting up off the ground and into position for the next ruck, especially if there is quick ball. It has happened regularly in this Six Nations and the result of the above means Italy’s defence is all over the place.
In terms of organisation, they have everything you don’t want in an international defence; regular dog legs, some players blitzing while others hold back, and a real lack of communication. It is a recipe for total disaster.
Wales will be licking their lips and the likes of Louis, George, Josh Adams and Liam Williams could be the ones to benefit. I fully expect Wayne’s side to thrash Italy and they will then have only France standing between them and another Slam.
I don’t think even the most optimistic Wales fan could have predicted a clean sweep this year after such a poor 2020 when the team won only three from ten games.
Wayne deserves a lot of credit and I want to give it to him. In Wales we are all critical when the side isn’t winning and the head coach cops the blame. It has been quite the turnaround and Wayne should be praised for having the courage of his convictions. He has stuck to his guns on the style of play he wants and is reaping the rewards.
My problem in the Autumn Cup was not only that the team was losing, but that there wasn’t much of an identity to the side. I couldn’t see what Wayne was trying to do.
This Six Nations has been different. There is far more of a structure to the team both in terms of personnel and organisation. The defence and lineout has improved massively and defence coach Gethin Jenkins has done an excellent job. The return of key players like Ken Owens and Josh Navidi has helped, and Adam Beard’s consistent selection has benefited the lineout.
What’s exciting for Wales is that they were excellent against England and put 40 points on last year’s title winners, but they can still improve and add an extra layer to their attacking game. That’s a great place for a team to be in.
It will be buzzing in the Welsh camp right now. No one will be getting carried away and Alun Wyn Jones will be driving that mantra, but I know from being in previous successful Wales sides just how good the atmosphere in the team can be when the wins keep on coming.
When people talk about my career, they mention Grand Slams in 2005, 2008 and 2012 and the 2011 World Cup, but what’s never mentioned is the period where we were a poor side and unsuccessful.
Between making my debut in 2000 and 2005, Wales struggled and when that’s the case, sometimes you just don’t want to be there. You get sick of seeing the same old faces.
It’s totally different when you’re winning and the craic around the Vale Hotel is superb. That’s the place Wales will be in for Italy.
I’d like to see a couple of changes for the Azzurri. There is no way Wayne will make wholesale changes, but I think he could drop in a couple of new faces and the main one for me would be Callum Sheedy. He has been excellent.
Callum has taken to Test rugby like a duck to water and he guided the team home against England, showing plenty of character when the game went into the final quarter at 24-24. He kicked superbly, made a clean break, and his game management was good.
I’ve liked the way Dan Biggar has started the games so far with Callum coming on. In many ways it’s reminded me of the 2019 Grand Slam when Gareth Anscombe started and Dan had an influence from the bench. But I don’t see any problem with Callum starting in Rome and having a run. There is a case for resting Alun Wyn too, but I don’t think he will allow that to happen! The interesting one is centre.
Jonathan Davies came back in against England and did OK for 49 minutes. It’s clear he is still trying to find form and fitness and needs games, but I wonder if Wales are
rushing him back. We all know how good Jonathan is, but international rugby is an unforgiving environment and not the place to search for form. My hunch is he will continue in the side for Italy, but Willis Halaholo is pushing hard for a start. He’s been really impressive off the bench against Scotland and England.
People are still talking about some of the decisions in the England game. I’m not sure why. Wales were by far the better side and played excellent, coherent and organised rugby. They were deserving winners and as a team are showing real signs of improvement.
I expect that improvement to continue against Italy and for Wales to go to the next level in attack. If things click, they could easily score 40 or 50 points again. France were pretty ordinary against Italy and still scored 50. England and Ireland are nowhere near their best and also reached the 40-point mark.
Wales should do something similar and that will take them to within a game of yet another campaign to remember. It’s one game at a time, but Wales are definitely on a roll.
“Pivac should be praised for having the courage of his convictions”
THE Dragons claimed their first win of 2021 with a bonus point against a rudderless Ospreys side at the Brewery Field.
Ospreys fans would have been ecstatic before kickoff after head coach Toby Booth confirmed TRP’s exclusive that Scarlets and Wales U20s openside Jac Morgan will be joining the club next season.
But their smiles would have quickly been rubbed of their faces as their side were outfought by a Dragons side who defended as if their lives depended on it.
Nothing typified the Dragons’ resilience more than dynamic No.8 Aaron Wainwright who was outstanding in front of Wales coach Wayne Pivac. Wainwright might not have been at his best during Wales’ victory against Scotland three weeks ago, but this was a timely reminder of his class before next week’s Six Nations clash in Rome.
After conceding five penalties in a row referee Craig Evans was left with very little choice but to send Joe Davies to the sin bin, after the big second row was penalised for driving early in a defensive lineout.
But despite all their pressure the Ospreys were extremely wasteful in attack and the Dragons were in no mood to give the hosts easy points.
Ospreys failed to score a single point with Davies in the sin bin, which fed the Dragons’ confidence.
And it was the visitors, against the run of play, who scored the game’s first try. The ball was spun wide to Ashton Hewitt from a strong scrum, with a powerful surge from Wainwright breaching the Ospreys defence to allow the Wales international to score. Davies converted.
Hanno Dirksen regathered the kick-off but Dragons were penalised for not rolling away and Stephen Myler finally putting the Ospreys on the scoreboard with a penalty.
The Ospreys continued to lay siege to the Dragons try line and finally got their just rewards when Kieron Williams hit a terrific line to power over from short range with some assistance from Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler.
Myler converted and the Ospreys turned around with a slender 10-7 lead at the interval.
It was a scrappy start to the second-half but the Dragons retook the lead
with a well-worked try.
A powerful surge into the Ospreys’ 22 by the impressive Wainwright released Argentina scrumhalf Gonzalo Bertranou, who drew the last defender to send Jonah Holmes over for their second try. But it took the Ospreys just two minutes to hit back.
Full-back Dan Evans made the incisive break after some nice hands from Will Griffiths. Evans found Reuben Morgan-Williams, who put impressive inside centre Williams over for a brace of tries. Myler added the extras to push the hosts into a five-point lead.
The Dragons refused to give in as they started to build pressure in the home side’s 22. A powerful driving lineout forced lock Rhys Davies to illegally sack the lineout, leaving the referee with no choice but to award a yellow card.
And the Dragons made the most of their numerical advantage with Hewitt sneaking in at the corner after a driving maul by the visitors. Davies missed the conversion but the scores were level with a quarter left to play. Myler nudged the Ospreys back ahead with a penalty, but Dragons full-back Josh Lewis found a weak spot in their defence as he ghosted through a huge hole, drew his man and put Holmes over for his second score.
And Dragons sealed an unlikely win with Hewitt slicing through after a superb no look pass from Rhodri Williams, to run in unopposed from 40 metres.