6N 2017: Italy v Wales, 5 February

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ITALY v WALES
5 February 2017
15:00 CET (14:00 GMT)
Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Live on DMAX, ITV, RTE, FR2, S4C, BBC (H)

Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Touch judges: Johnny Lacey (Ireland) & Craig Maxwell-Keys (England)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)

A. Head to Head

24 Played 24
21 Won 2
1 Drawn 1
2 Lost 21
815 Points 400

B. Recent Form

19 March 2016
Principality Stadium, Cardiff
67 – 14 to Wales

5 September 2015
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
23 – 19 to Wales

21 March 2015
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
20 – 61 to Wales

1 February 2014
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
23 – 15 to Wales

23 February 2013
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
9 – 26 to Wales

10 March 2012
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
24 – 3 to Wales

C. Teams

ITALY

15-Edoardo Padovani; 14-Giulio Bisegni, 13-Tommaso Benvenuti, 12-Luke McLean 11-Giovanbattista Venditti; 10-Carlo Canna, 9-Edoardo Gori; 1-Andrea Lovotti, 2-Ornel Gega, 3-Lorenzo Cittadini, 4-Marco Fuser, 5-George Biagi, 6-Abraham Steyn, 7-Maxime Mata M'Banda, 8-Sergio Parisse (captain)

Replacements: 16-Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17-Sami Panico, 18-Pietro Ceccarelli, 19-Joshua Furno, 20-Francesco Minto, 21-Giorgio Bronzini, 22-Tommaso Allan, 23-Michele Campagnaro

WALES

15-Leigh Halfpenny; 14-George North, 13-Jonathan Davies, 12-Scott Williams, 11-Liam Williams; 10-Dan Biggar, 9-Rhys Webb; 1-Nicky Smith, 2-Ken Owens, 3-Samson Lee, 4-Jake Ball, 5-Alun Wyn Jones (captain); 6-Sam Warburton, 7-Justin Tipuric, 8-Ross Moriarty

Replacements: 16-Scott Baldwin, 17-Rob Evans, 18-Tomas Francis, 19-Cory Hill, 20-James King, 21-Gareth Davies, 22-Sam Davies, 23-Jamie Roberts

Tipuric is an awesome player, but when he chases kicks, he seems to have a terrible habit of hitting thin air. He really needs to learn to stand the player up instead of flying forward and missing the tackle every time.

Parisse is never wrong unlike Webb, though.

EnglishReign wrote:Parisse is never wrong unlike Webb, though.

He has actually been sent off for arguing with referees before.

Italy have gone to pieces, no structure or direction

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:Did Wales try and charge down that penalty

Liam Williams did. Should have been carded for that!

Italy have self combusted now though

Great now get him off before North seriously damages himself...

Great try.

Campagnaro needs to start next week.

faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaark

Well there we go.

Italy always play their best game first up, Wales always play their worst game first up.
Italy tired after 50 minutes and Wales ran away with the game. Onto next week now.

Wonder if people still think Sam Davies shouldn't start over Biggar?

RiscaGame wrote:Wonder if people still think Sam Davies shouldn't start over Biggar?

I imagine only Dan bigger now

Well played Wales bit slow in the first half, great try by Italy in the first half. But Wales just to strong for Italy.

Bad luck for the try on the line for the bonus point at the end of the game.

What wi9th Biggar going off at half time, George north look like he might have leg injury, and AWJ getting a knock in the dying seconds of the game. Could it be Wales may have a few injury niggles for next week.

North's leg is bruising other wise he couldn't have run that try in. He'll be fine

RiscaGame wrote:Wonder if people still think Sam Davies shouldn't start over Biggar?

No Sam Davies is a super sub, a Ceri Sweeney type player, he's good to bring on during a game, but fairly poor when starting. I'd keep Dan Biggar to start, and use Gareth and Sam Davies later on when the game breaks up and the opposition gets tired.

The last thing you want is fresh opponents putting Sam under pressure from the first whistle, better when they are too tired to run and he's got an extra second on the ball.

Can't say I am shaking in my boots at the prospect of Wales next week. What attacking Wales did in the second half (none in the first) was largely down to Italian error. England misfired in terms of continuity and attack, but were disciplined (ref aberrations excepted - T. Wood penalty). Spedding and Piccamoles; so far ahead of anything Wales showed, were the only threats. I cannot see the English scrum disintegrating like the Italians, that gave the Welsh their space and territory.

Tonight in Rome will feel much better after the improved 2nd half performance but Wales owe a big,big debt to AWJ and Sam W.Quite a few Welsh players need to up their game.The Italian front row very good for 50 minutes and Parisse just class.Wales didn't just look better with Sam D,they were better.The tactical kicking just not good enough but particularly in the first half.A win but Eddie Jones won't be having sleepless nights after that performance.

Williams foolish at the end, should have popped it up for JD2. Could be costly

So no bonus points in the first round although three sides came close. Got to say Wales may have blown it not getting that forth try, on the form shown yesterday, I cannot see Ireland or Scotland failing too. England at home will probably get one as well.

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:Can't say I am shaking in my boots at the prospect of Wales next week. What attacking Wales did in the second half (none in the first) was largely down to Italian error. England misfired in terms of continuity and attack, but were disciplined (ref aberrations excepted - T. Wood penalty). Spedding and Piccamoles; so far ahead of anything Wales showed, were the only threats. I cannot see the English scrum disintegrating like the Italians, that gave the Welsh their space and territory.

I knew someone would say that.  It's always the case when Wales win a game......the opposition were rubbish or they lost the game to their own errors and wales profited from it.

It's so boring to hear.

True Raven wrote:

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:Can't say I am shaking in my boots at the prospect of Wales next week. What attacking Wales did in the second half (none in the first) was largely down to Italian error. England misfired in terms of continuity and attack, but were disciplined (ref aberrations excepted - T. Wood penalty). Spedding and Piccamoles; so far ahead of anything Wales showed, were the only threats. I cannot see the English scrum disintegrating like the Italians, that gave the Welsh their space and territory.

I knew someone would say that.  It's always the case when Wales win a game......the opposition were rubbish or they lost the game to their own errors and wales profited from it.

It's so boring to hear.

True. But it is true as well.

Dear Welsh Coaching Team

Before we and the Italian fans down our first bottles of Barolo can you before next week:
-remind Rhys W not to copy the Phillips one-step before passing;
-tell JD2 that his sidestep is there to be used not neglected;
-ask Leigh H/P not to stop running before being tackled;
-start Evans,Baldwin and Francis next Saturday;
-the forwards to adopt the chant 'Quick ball from ruck and maul is all'.

Thanks.Let the drinking begin.

RDW_Scotland wrote:I've had to do some tidying up - whether it was meant in the way it came across or not there is no place for Shifty's comments on a public forum like this.

I totaly agree with you

Well first week end over and Wales, i belive in the lead at top of the table.

Well done Wales But the game as just started, lets see who is in the lead at the end.

I know the performance is always important but I'm sure the Wales management (and many of us) would have taken a 7-33 win away to Italy first up. I certainly would have before the game. BP would have been nice but when you look at a lot of the score predictions on the other thread then the actual scorelie is both a bigger winning margin and a higher total score by Wales than many predicted. Plus the usually first game rust from us. We can build on this.

Who got man of the match? Was it AWJ? or was it Warburton?

Halfpenny although warburton would have been my choice

I thought Parisse deserved it but that guy goes down in my estimations every game. He is the complete article as a player but as a leader he is fast becoming a large appendage. Needs to shut his gob and just lead by example.

True Raven. I would of thought Warburton to be honest.

I may be all me, but I thought that Warbs was part to play for the Italian try. The scrum they wasted us in, Warbs stopped pushing, and tried to kick the ball.

It was Welsh superior fitness that won the game not Italy handing us the game. I doubt you'll find many in Wales quaking in their boots over the visit of England either. I mean once again England never set the world on fire with their dour display against the French,in fact they were extremely lucky to win the game. I would still be more worried about a wounded Ireland.

Wales superior fitness that on Wales the game.  
ermmmm I think you will find it was more due to Italy giving away penalties, that won Wales the game.

Teams don't give away that many penalties unless under pressure...

majesticimperialman wrote:Wales superior fitness that on Wales the game.  
ermmmm I think you will find it was more due to Italy giving away penalties, that won Wales the game.

Why did they give away penalties? for fun?

3 tries to 1. North's unstoppable!

Possibly your take on rugby is about 25 years behind the rest

Wales superior play and fitness won the game. Bring on the English nowt to worry about.

Italy should be the only team no one worries about.

I don't think the TV coverage will capture the deluge that hit the pitch before kick off.

The ball was a bar of soap for the first half even though the rain eased off.

Had Wales have had better weather I think we would have been looking at a far bigger scoreline. I was impressed with Italian forwards

Levitt I was giving Lee a lot more trouble than we want to see. I think Francis had some advice on how to deal with him after. Levotti was a pain in the backside around the pitch too. Thought Steyn and Parisse were magnificent in the first half. But then totally illegal when defending multiple phases.

Wales went through the motions. Unlecky not to have three more tries than we did. Just short or held up a few times.

Defence looks better. Italys back three and centres weren't too shabby.

Rome is a fantastic city, plan ahead to go in two years time. You'll love it. Italian rugby fans are wonderful, hospitable and passionate.

I missed the last 15/20 mins of the game but in the run up to Davies try thought JP Doyle was inconsistent with a lot of penalties going in Wales favour. Parisse was offside at the ruck but Wales had been doing it consistently though usually 2nd man out and not right at the ruck

There were a few occasions Italy were penalised for not rolling away even though they were being pinned in, something he warned Italy about a few times

The ref and officials completely missed an Italian player dropping Ken Owens so meh.

Missed that myself though the tackle on Moriarty that was deemed a tip tackle was harsh IMO

JP Doyle I think has went backwards as an official and doesn't seem to have many good games these days

marty2086 wrote:Missed that myself though the tackle on Moriarty that was deemed a tip tackle was harsh IMO

JP Doyle I think has went backwards as an official and doesn't seem to have many good games these days

My Mrs (a neutral) thought he let the game flow well.

munkian wrote:

marty2086 wrote:Missed that myself though the tackle on Moriarty that was deemed a tip tackle was harsh IMO

JP Doyle I think has went backwards as an official and doesn't seem to have many good games these days

My Mrs (a neutral) thought he let the game flow well.

That's one of his strengths but like I said thought he was inconsistent and seemed to go in Wales favour, I think Parisse and co did get under his skin a bit questioning him constantly and that maybe counted against them

marty2086 wrote:

munkian wrote:

marty2086 wrote:Missed that myself though the tackle on Moriarty that was deemed a tip tackle was harsh IMO

JP Doyle I think has went backwards as an official and doesn't seem to have many good games these days

My Mrs (a neutral) thought he let the game flow well.

That's one of his strengths but like I said thought he was inconsistent and seemed to go in Wales favour, I think Parisse and co did get under his skin a bit questioning him constantly and that maybe counted against them

He told Webb to shut up too - he obviously listened though.

I though JP Doyle had a magnificent game yesterday, he let the game flow and got all the crucial call correct.

JP Doyle is a very good referee and he always refs games to a very high standard, what I would give to have him in the Pro12. He is Irish after all.

munkian wrote:

marty2086 wrote:

munkian wrote:

marty2086 wrote:Missed that myself though the tackle on Moriarty that was deemed a tip tackle was harsh IMO

JP Doyle I think has went backwards as an official and doesn't seem to have many good games these days

My Mrs (a neutral) thought he let the game flow well.

That's one of his strengths but like I said thought he was inconsistent and seemed to go in Wales favour, I think Parisse and co did get under his skin a bit questioning him constantly and that maybe counted against them

He told Webb to shut up too - he obviously listened though.

Was going to mention that but that was pretty much a one off that I saw but Parisse was in his ear at nearly every stoppage and I think he told off one or two Italians

LordDowlais wrote:I though JP Doyle had a magnificent game yesterday, he let the game flow and got all the crucial call correct.

JP Doyle is a very good referee and he always refs games to a very high standard, what I would give to have him in the Pro12. He is Irish after all.

You mean except for the calls he got wrong?

marty2086 wrote:

munkian wrote:

marty2086 wrote:

munkian wrote:

marty2086 wrote:Missed that myself though the tackle on Moriarty that was deemed a tip tackle was harsh IMO

JP Doyle I think has went backwards as an official and doesn't seem to have many good games these days

My Mrs (a neutral) thought he let the game flow well.

That's one of his strengths but like I said thought he was inconsistent and seemed to go in Wales favour, I think Parisse and co did get under his skin a bit questioning him constantly and that maybe counted against them

He told Webb to shut up too - he obviously listened though.

Was going to mention that but that was pretty much a one off that I saw but Parisse was in his ear at nearly every stoppage and I think he told off one or two Italians

Parisse is fantastic player but a complete gobshoite - if he even pretended to speak to his players after the ref had spoken to him rather than just look petulant then I'd feel a shred of pity.

marty2086 wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:I though JP Doyle had a magnificent game yesterday, he let the game flow and got all the crucial call correct.

JP Doyle is a very good referee and he always refs games to a very high standard, what I would give to have him in the Pro12. He is Irish after all.

You mean except for the calls he got wrong?

Marty, bugger off.

Unless you are going to say something constructive instead of constantly arguing don't bother.

marty2086 wrote:Was going to mention that but that was pretty much a one off that I saw but Parisse was in his ear at nearly every stoppage and I think he told off one or two Italians

Web was told off, and he listened. Parisse was told off on more than occasion, he did not listen, that is why he was in the end penalised.

He's his own worst enemy at times, can see O'Shea giving the role to one of the younger players sometime soon if he keeps it up