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Mon 6 Feb 2017 | 09:26
Wales come good in second half to comfortably beat Italy

14
Comments

Wales came back from trailing at halftime to beat Italy 33-7 in a second half showing that included three tries in Rome. They came close to a fourth, what would have been a bonus point try, but were denied when Liam Williams was ruled to have lost the ball on the tryline.

Following 18 points from the boot of Leigh Halfpenny and tries to Jonathan Davies and Liam Williams, replacement Sam Davies put George North away for a long range sprint late in the game.

"We had to fight for every inch but we're happy in the end," North said after the game.

"They are a very passionate team like ourselves and always front up. Towards the latter end we backed ourselves and I think it showed, the holes came.

"In the first half the weather came down pretty hard before the warm-up. We knew it would be a tight game anyway with the passion they bring.

"Unfortunately we lost Bigs (Dan Biggar) to an injury but Sam came on and showed the form he's had for the Ospreys. The link between him, Scott and Foxy was beautiful.

"It's what I can do for the team as well. We put our best foot forward and it's about going on."

While Wales will have been delighted with the away win, they will have rued missing out on a crucial bonus point, especially after having come some close at the final whistle.

*now updated with official extended highlights

Posted By: Grant Constable

14 Comments

  • drg
    5:47 PM 08/02/2017

    I'd say a team stepping up and slamming 5-7 points down your throat by overpowering you is far more psychologically damaging that watching some pretty boy kick a ball.... Especially knowing that it shows they're scared to take you up front...

  • stroudos
    2:31 PM 08/02/2017

    Not sure what point you're making DrG. But I would argue that nothing stresses a team more psychologically than watching some bastard slot three points against you every time one of your team-mates makes a mistake.

  • danknapp
    5:37 PM 07/02/2017

    If you spin around three times and summon PhillNZ, he will come...

  • drg
    11:40 AM 07/02/2017

    I guess if they worked out that their conditioning was better than Italy then making a strong statement at the very beginning was a good way of stressing the Italians psychologically and physically, if you come away with points then it's great, if not, then it's ok because you're tiring them and you'll get those points later. This probably won't work against a 'better' team.

    I really don't like that mindset however, it seems so negative. Maybe I'm imagining wrong, but you sort of think teams like NZ play to their own strengths from the get go and exploit other teams weaknesses, not play a shit game just so you exploit the other teams fitness... I dunno, sounds like the same thing, just less champagne I suppose...

  • stroudos
    8:23 AM 07/02/2017

    WelshOsprey - unfortunately I have to agree. And it's bloody Wales - great running lines and backline moves have always been intrinsically part of Welsh rugby players' DNA. It is sad to watch these young Welsh players involved in such a blunt game plan. Can't help feeling Gatland has destroyed the whole ethos of Welsh rugby.

    On the other hand, I felt that in the early stages of the game, when Wales kicked 3 or 4 penalties to touch, they should have just taken the points. Get points on the scoreboard early and put pressure on the opposition to score.

  • drg
    8:48 PM 06/02/2017

    Ouch, tough assessment from a Welshman. Probably not far from the truth though tbh. The Italian outfit has got better over the years, but the reality is, the Welsh SHOULD be far better than poor Italy, but you're right, making them worn out seemed to be the tactic of the day.

  • welshosprey
    7:29 PM 06/02/2017

    Dire to watch as always. No skill, no running lines or backline moves. Had to rely on the Italians inevitably tiring before we could do anything. Halfpenny man of the match because he kicked some goals says it all really.

  • drg
    7:13 PM 06/02/2017

    To those that would argue the game is not going soft, that heinous piece of thuggery by that horribly nasty Italian will now become my go to!

    How can one expect to ENJOY this nasty sport when there are awful thugs brutally putting peoples lives in danger with those deadly tackles....

    ...Borderline racist, homophobic and sexist also...

  • stroudos
    3:48 PM 06/02/2017

    Yep, agree with all of that. Just seems a shame to watch a bloke I've always respected gradually becoming more petulant.

    I've already mentioned the "tip tackle" or whatever that beautiful hit was described as, which I thought was a major turning point in the game. Webb should have definitely been shown a yellow card for barracking the ref like that - utterly disgraceful.

    Must be hard enough playing for Italy, without this type of frustration. So yeah, I understand Parisse's exasperation, I just wish he'd react more positively.

  • vladimir
    3:05 PM 06/02/2017

    To his defense, I though Doyle's referee was very inconsistent. You could hear Webb swearing at the referee on tv even after getting warned - but only Parisse got pinned for it. Italians lying on the wrong side of the ruck cost them 6 pts, but the same infringement was not penalized for the Welsh.
    You could see the italians slowly getting out of the game, the more they got penalized from the moment they scored a try.

  • guy
    2:18 PM 06/02/2017

    Not sure if that is the reason. I find myself becoming more and more of a tit, just by getting older.

  • jimmy23
    1:36 PM 06/02/2017

    It's ironic I say this considering my comments on Picalmoles but yes, Parisse seems to becoming a bit of tit. Shame as he's a fantastic player. I wonder if all those years of having to carry Italy has gotten to him?

  • stroudos
    1:30 PM 06/02/2017

    Parisse is becoming a bit of a tit in his old age isn't he?
    Gave away a few unnecessary penalties in this game and just seems to act very petulantly. Always seems to moaning and whining at referees instead of keeping a constructive dialogue with them. He's really starting to get on my nerves.

  • stroudos
    1:16 PM 06/02/2017

    Mentioned already on the England v France thread, but:
    The Italian dump tackle v Moriarty was an absolute beauty and something to be celebrated, not penalised. Although "only" a penalty, it came at quite a crucial moment in the game and in my opinion really shifted momentum. That tackle should have been a massive psychological boost for Italy and ended up being three points and a major relief of pressure for Wales.

    After Wales had spent so much of the game naively kicking penalties to touch when they could have put 9 points on the board, I found this particularly frustrating.

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