Italy hosted the first game of Super Saturday and were looking to restore some pride after last week’s turgid affair.
Wales needed to win by at least 25 points and were in search of a big win to set a target for both Ireland and England in the later games.
Italy 20 – Wales 61
First Half
Wales need to get the scoreboard moving as soon as possible but it was Italy who opened the scoring. Evans was pinged for obstruction and Haimona converted for 3-0 Italy.
A good start for the misfiring Italian outhalf but that’s all it would be as he departed a few minutes later with an arm injury.
Halfpenny responded from the tee when Italy were caught offside. Wales back level at 3-3.
Orquera and Halfpenny then exchanged penalties in quick succession. The Italian replacement converting when Charteris was caught offside and the Welshman unerring when Burgamasco was obstructing from the restart. 6-6 with 12 minutes on the clock.
The opening try of the game came when Roberts collected a Halfpenny grubber which bounced up into his hands as he was crossing the whitewash. An excellent angle from Davies earlier in the move created the momentum for Wales to exploit the retreating Italian defence. Halfpenny dragged the conversion to the left but Wales were in front for the first time 11-6.
Jaime Roberts – scored the opening try of the game
Italy though were still full of passion and fire and they came back at the men from the principality. They worked their way to within five metres of the Welsh line and when their attempt at forming a maul disintegrated wing Venditti broke off the back and through a gap in the Welsh cover to score close to the posts. Orquera tacked on the extras and Italy were back in front 13-11 with 26 minutes gone.
A barnstorming run by Vunisa, in for the injured Parisse, came to a halt when Halfpenny bravely brought him down. However he got his head on the wrong side and had to depart with a head injury. Wales were behind as we approached halftime and they’d lost the top points scorer in the championship.
Giovanbattista Venditti – his try put Italy back in front
Italy were on a high and the crowd were in full voice but it was Wales who went in leading. Biggar converting a penalty on the stroke of halftime to make it 14-13.
Second Half
If the first half was a tight afair typical of this year’s championship the second 40 was anything but.
A quick tap penalty from Webb resulted in the first try of the second half as he put Williams through a gap for a canter under the posts. Biggar converted and Wales lead 21-13 after 48 minutes.
One minute later a loose kick from Orquera was collected by Williams on halfway and he put North away for an unopposed run to the tryline, Biggar converted.
Italy then lost Masi to the sin bin when he tackled a Welshman without the ball. What was becoming a tough afternoon for Italy just become tougher.
Wales wasted no time in exploiting Italy’s numerical disadvantage. A Wyn Jones steal close to the Italian line and some slick crossfield passing saw North crash over in the oppostise corner. Biggar converted from the touchline to make it 35-13.
There was no let up from Wales as North collected the ball ten metres out and powered his way through the Italian cover to dot down under the posts.
George North – scored a hattrick in 10 minutes. Drought, what drought?
Italy were restored to their full compliment for barely a minute when Geldenhuys was yellow carded for infringing at a maul having been warned only moments earlier.
Wales went to the corner from the penalty and employed their 13 man lineout. The Italians held against the initial surge and survived a TMO review as the replays were inconclusive on the grounding over the line.
The Welsh weren’t to be denied though as Webb broke off the back of a maul and showed great strength to hold off the challange of Sarto before crashing over in the corner. 47-13 with 12 minutes to go.
Just a minute later Scott Williams collected a lose grubber from Italy and surged over halfway. He offloaded to Tipuric putting the replacement through a half gap. As the Italians scrambled to take him down he popped to the on rushing Warbuton who had a 40 metre run to the posts.
Italy then went in search of a consolation try. They established a presence in the Welsh 22 for the first time in the second half. They kicked a penalty to the corner and were back to 15 men.
Wales had other ideas. Italy dropped the ball at the lineout and Owens scooped up the loose ball. Wales then spread the ball across their backline with Jonathan Davies surging through a gap up to halfway. Replacement scrumhalf Gareth Davies took it on from there to the 22 before putting Scott Williams over for a length of the field try reminicient of the Welsh teams of old.
Scott Williams – finished a length of the field effort for Wales
Biggar convereted to make it 61-13 with six minutes to go and all of Wales dared to dream.
Italy had the final word of the game as they finally got their consolation try. Venditti spun out a challenge and them showed great strength to pop to Sarto in the tramlines. The wing then ran 60 metres and flirted with the touchline as he rounded Biggar to score in the corner.
Orquera converted from the touchline to reduce the Welsh margin. Final score 61-20.
Wales had still set a healthy target for Ireland and England and had delivered a fantastic half of rugby that will live long in the memory.
The wrap up
Italy were competitive in the first 40 but their second half display lacked direction and they were blown away in the end. They really missed Parisse today and he’s going to be irreplacable when he finally hangs up his boots.
Wales showed how good they can be when they decide to attack space rather than trying to run over the opposition. They fell just short in the final shake up but they can be very proud of their performance, ambition and hunger.
[one_half last=”no”]
The Game Changer
Alun Wyn Jones stole an Italian linout five metres out from the Azzuri’s line. Wales looked to set a maul but when the ball squirmed out Lydiate spread it to Warburton and on through the hands of Roberts and Davies to North who scored his second try in the corner.
Wales went 22 points up, Italy had a man in the bin and there were 25 minutes to go. The game was no longer a contest and the great points race had truly begun in ernest.
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
The G&GR MOTM
George North scored a hattrick in a fine return to form. Warburton kept going the entire game and summoned up a burst of energy to score from 40 metres. Webb and Biggar maintained a frenetic pace in the second half and made sure the backs were well fed.
This win was possible because Wales put in the hard work in the first half and then dominated the Italian pack in the second. The man at the centre of that dominance was Alun Wyn Jones and that’s why he’s my MOTM.[/one_half]
The Details
Score & Scorers
[one_half last=”no”]Italy 20
Tries: Venditti (24), Sarto (79)
Conversions: Orquera (26, 80)
Penalties: Haimona (1), Orquera (10)
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]Wales 61
Tries: Roberts (18), Williams (47), North (49, 54, 59), Webb (66), Warburton (68), S. Williams (72)
Conversions: Biggar (47, 50, 55, 59, 69, 73)
Penalties: Halfpenny (7, 12), Biggar (40)
[/one_half][one_half last=”no”]
Cards & citings
Andrea Masi – Yellow Card (52)
Quintin Geldenhuys – Yellow Card (64)
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
Crowd
65,827
[/one_half]
The Teams
Italy
1. M. Rizzo, 2. L. Ghiraldini, 3. M. Castrogiovanni, 4. G. Biagi, 5. J. Furno, 6. F. Minto, 7. M. Burgamasco, 8. S. Vunisa, 9. E. Gori, 10. K. Haimona, 11. G. Venditti, 12. A. Masi, 13. L. Morisi, 14. L. Sarto, 15. L. McLean.
Reserves: 16. A. Manici, 17. A. de Marchi, 18. D. Chistolini, 19. Q. Geldenhuys, 20. R. Barbieri, 21. G. Palazzani, 22. L. Orquera, 23. E. Bacchin.
Wales
1. R. Evans, 2. S. Baldwin, 3. A. Jarvis, 4. L. Charteris, 5. Alun Wyn Jones, 6. Dan Lydiate, 7. S. Warburton (c), 8. T. Faletau, 9. R. Webb, 10. D. Biggar, 11. L. Williams, 12. J. Roberts, 13. J. Davies, 14. G. North, 14. L. Halfpenny.
Reserves: 16. K. Owens, 17. Rhys Gill, 18. Scott Andrews, 19. Jake Ball, 20. J. Tipuric, 21. G. Davies, 22. R. Priestland, 23. S. Williams.
