Wales just one more win away from Six Nations Grand Slam after thumping Italy
Wales moved one win away from landing the Guinness Six Nations title and a Grand Slam after crushing Italy 48-7 in Rome. The unbeaten tournament leaders reeled off a third successive bonus-point victory to increase pressure on their rivals for silverware.
Wayne Pivac’s team head to Paris for an appointment with France next Saturday, knowing that a sixth Six Nations crown and fifth Grand Slam will be secured if they topple Les Bleus. Italy’s 31st Six Nations defeat in a row saw them predictably offer little resistance at Stadio Olimpico as Wales tore them apart by scoring seven tries.
Hooker Ken Owens led the way with a try double, while wing Josh Adams and number eight Taulupe Faletau also touched down during a dominant first-half display that saw Wales secure a bonus-point after just 30 minutes.
Centre George North added his 43rd Wales try early in the second period, equalling Shane Williams’ Wales record of 22 Six Nations touchdowns, and there were also scores for fly-half substitute Callum Sheedy and wing Louis Rees-Zammit. Sheedy kicked two conversions, with Dan Biggar landing three conversions and also kicking a penalty, while wing Monty Ioane scored a try for Italy that fly-half Paolo Garbisi converted.
Pivac made two changes following the Triple Crown-clinching victory over England a fortnight ago, replacing injured scrum-half Kieran Hardy with Gareth Davies and handing lock Cory Hill a start instead of Adam Beard.
Probably the last person in world rugby you'd want to see intercepting a pass against you…
LRZ does it again ?? ???????#GuinnessSixNations #ITAvWAL pic.twitter.com/A9cGIPuy5B
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 13, 2021
Italy showed five switches, including a recall for Wales-born number nine Stephen Varney, who missed the defeat against Ireland last month after being injured during the warm-up. Wales were off and running inside three minutes as Biggar kicked a 40-metre penalty, and the Azzurri were soon in deep trouble.
Captain Luca Bigi was sin-binned by referee Wayne Barnes – his second yellow card in successive games – and Wales opted for an attacking scrum, rather than kicking for goal. It reaped an immediate reward as Wales moved possession wide before Biggar’s long pass found Adams, who crossed for his 16th Test try, with Biggar converting.
Wales struck with a second try after 14 minutes while Bigi was still off the pitch. Rees-Zammit had already threatened Italy’s defence and he delivered a scoring pass to Faletau following another sweeping attack as Wales effortlessly moved 15-0 ahead.
Italy could not live with Wales’ pace and intensity, and a third try arrived when the Welsh forwards drove menacingly from a short-range lineout and Owens touched down. Biggar’s successful conversion made it 22-0 as Wales rattled along at a point a minute.
Owens delivered Wales’ fourth try when he stretched out to touch down following another powerful forward surge, and Italy were in disarray as their troubled afternoon continued when prop Giosue Zilocchi went off injured, being replaced by Marco Riccioni.
Rees-Zammit had a try disallowed five minutes before half-time after a forward pass by Biggar, but Wales were in cruise control, leading 27-0 at the break. Wales needed just two minutes of the second period to increase their lead, with centre Jonathan Davies freeing his midfield partner North, who sprinted clear.
Biggar’s conversion took Wales 34 points in front, but Italy gained a 51st-minute try through Ioane’s fine solo score, with Garbisi converting from the touchline. Italy collected a second yellow card of the game when Riccioni departed for a dangerous challenge on Willis Halaholo, and Wales moved past 40 points on the hour-mark after Sheedy converted his own try.
Wales added one more try – a 70-metre interception effort by Rees Zammit – as the Gloucester speedster claimed a fifth touchdown in just his eighth Test.
Sheedy with his first score for Wales! ? ???????#GuinnessSixNations #ITAvWAL pic.twitter.com/wZf4Dmkjo7
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 13, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Self proclaimed expert/pundit Andy Goode and his very personal views on referees…Why recalling them in such an article as if he were an undisputed authority on the subject ? Only because fellow writer ?
1 Go to commentsLate growth spurts are a common problem over here. I’m well over 30, and I just started having a growth spurt too. Could be a world class prop soon.
1 Go to commentsas much as the challenge cup is a bit of a nothing competition, winning it would still mean something. last year it was won by toulon, who are now something like 4th in the top 14? The year before it was won by Lyon a season before they finished 3rd in the league. The year before that the final was contested by Montpellier and Leicester - 12 months before they both became domestic champions. That should give Gloucester fans some hope.
1 Go to commentsgreat article - although I can’t help wonder whether the more relevant debate over coming years will be between Ford and Fin Smith!
1 Go to commentsMaking Scott Barrett captain might be a masterstroke….will calm him down & stop brain fades and also take pressure off Ardie, so he can just play his natural monster game. Lets see how that all pans out🧐
8 Go to commentsI’m surprised Scotland are planning to rest key players this summer - I don’t think any other tier 1 nation will be doing the same?
2 Go to commentsGreat analysis Brett and what a shame that RA haven't spent more on the tight five instead. BTW I see the latest 8-9 Combo has dropped, looking forward to that. It's incredible the amount of damage that Hamish and Eddie's egos did in such a short space of time. From memory Eddie drove the initial drive to poach league stars way back in the 00s, with community rugby paying the price in reduced funding. Australia went from 15% of its income being spent on community rugby in 2002 to 2.4% in 2015, sheer madness and look where they are now. Hamish reminds me of Scrappy Doo. Always mouthing off, spoiling for a fight with bigger dogs who'd eat him alive. Sadly RA didn't have a Scooby Doo to bail him out.
12 Go to comments*_“I love watching bone-shuddering tackles, brutal clear-outs, monster ball carries, and crushingly intense scrummaging. I love it. These things make my heart rate spike. These aren’t the only things I love about rugby, but I feel no need to pretend I don’t love them, or to apologise for loving them just in case someone thinks I shouldn’t.”_* beautifully put Flats🔥
3 Go to comments“Hidden comments” all over the place😂 Turlough’s been a busy little boy ey🤭
82 Go to commentsit’ll all be released in an autobiography a few years from now….. “Razor shafted me” blah blah blah. thinking of making Scott Barrett captain might be a good move. Could calm down his brain fades & make him an even better player for them
3 Go to commentsSadly he played far too many games too young. England and France really do need to look after their younger players better.
1 Go to commentsHaving finally been able to watch the first Chasing the Sun (thanks RugbyPass!) - because I refuse to pay DSTV's extortionate monthly fee in SA - after four years, it was amazing to see Mapimpi's story as well as seeing my personal hero, Rassie, breaking down when telling it. There _is_ hope for the country, but only once we've got rid of the crooked and incompetent ANC (and others) who have set out to destroy it. Viva Rassie, viva Kolisi viva rugby!
1 Go to commentsWhether true or not, all the best to you Sam Cane. A warrior of a player and a loyal servant to the ABs! Go get you some yen and have some fun.
3 Go to commentsThe game was changing too much with teams trying to role the dice drawing fouls. Would be better if scrums and the adjudicating problems were resolved but this is a good immediate fix.
42 Go to commentsLike many here I am encouraged by this post. Our forwards are where the real rewards and improvements must come from. With a 50/50 pack against any opposition, our backs could ensure more than 50% of the games will be won. We need Valetini at 6 and Cale at 8 to make the most or a good tight 5, McWright will add to the effectiveness of the pack BUT must get a very good tight 5 out there first.
119 Go to commentsThe key point I think that is missing is that if Joseph wants to guarantee a Lions spot, he really has to play wing in his first year. He is easily going to nail down whatever he wants to do, but with just half a season, how much of a factor he proves to be in the Lions series could be dictated by this initial choice of playing position.
12 Go to commentsthe game was 2 weeks before the challenge cup final. I really don’t believe they needed to rest that many players.
1 Go to commentsI really feel like neither of the Vunipolas is given the respect they deserve. I would have liked to see both of them get a few more caps than they have gotten in the past couple of years, but unfortunately the fact that they both peaked young has meant that for a number of years they have been perceived as disappointments. When they are both retired, in the cold light of day they will be recognised as two of the best players of their generation of any nation.
4 Go to commentsthis generation of saracens players could produce some really incredible coaches. When Farrell retires he could walk into any premiership team as a defence, attack, or kicking coach. Itoje could make it as a defence or a lineout coach, and Jamie George as a lineout or scrum coach. The problem the Vunipolas are going to have is that its not clear what their coaching speciality would be. Neither are great in the set piece, and while they were good in attack and defence, they were never tactical masterminds. Perhaps contact skills would be their ideal brief? Mako perhaps could work in strength & conditioning, but Billy has a bit of a reputation for not taking that side of the game seriously.
4 Go to commentsA very good player.We are finally getting some balance in our team. Plummer..Heem ..Lam a solid..experienced combo who take the sensible options consistently. Clarke was a grt impact of the bench option until Lam moved to 13 to replace an injured Reiko. Cotter is doing a grt job building his team. .
1 Go to comments