Italy host Wales in Rome today in a battle to avoid the 2023 Six Nations’ wooden spoon.
Wales are rock bottom of the Championship table with no points from their opening three games, while Italy have picked up only a solitary bonus point, in their narrow defeat by France on the opening weekend.
Warren Gatland knows Wales must win if they are to avoid the humiliation of finishing bottom of the pile for the first time in 20 years.
“We have been disappointed with the results so far, and for me it is hard to take as it is the first time I have lost three games in the Six Nations with Wales,” he said. “We have got some young players who are pretty exciting and need a bit of time. For a number of players it could be their last year in a Welsh jersey as well, so there will be that sort of transition going forward.
“One of the things I’ve always said is you cannot coach experience. Sometimes, young players make mistakes and you’ve got to allow them to do that.” Here is everything you need to know.
When is Italy vs Wales?
Wales take on Italy in Rome today, Saturday 11 March, at 2.15pm GMT.
How to watch on TV and online
Italy vs Wales will be broadcast live on free-to-air channels ITV, S4C and STV. To live-stream the game online, viewers can access the ITVX, S4C and STV websites and apps.
Team news
Gatland has made six changes for the Stadio Olimpico encounter, with full-back Liam Williams, wing Rio Dyer, scrum-half Rhys Webb, prop Wyn Jones, lock Dafydd Jenkins and flanker Jac Morgan called up.
Leigh Halfpenny (hamstring) and Dan Biggar (back) were not considered, while other players absent include lock Alun Wyn Jones and flanker Christ Tshiunza.
Webb makes a first Test start since October 2020, replacing Tomos Williams, and Dyer is preferred to Louis Rees-Zammit, who is joined on the bench by the likes of George North, Rhys Davies and Tommy Reffell.
Harlequins fly-half Tommy Allan will start at full-back for Italy. Allan, who filled the fly-half role against France and England, replaces Ange Capuozzo. Capuozzo memorably created Italy’s winning try in Cardiff last season, but he is sidelined by a shoulder injury that has meant Azzurri head coach Kieran Crowley makes one enforced change.
It is otherwise the same team that pushed Six Nations leaders and title favourites Ireland close last time out.
Confirmed line-ups
Wales
L Williams (Cardiff); J Adams (Cardiff), M Grady (Cardiff), J Hawkins (Ospreys), R Dyer (Dragons); O Williams (Ospreys), R Webb (Ospreys); W Jones (Scarlets), K Owens (Scarlets, capt), T Francis (Ospreys), A Beard (Ospreys), D Jenkins (Exeter), J Morgan (Ospreys), J Tipuric (Ospreys), T Faletau (Cardiff).
Replacements: S Baldwin (Ospreys), G Thomas (Ospreys), D Lewis (Cardiff), R Davies (Ospreys), T Reffell (Leicester), T Williams (Cardiff), G North (Ospreys), L Rees-Zammit (Gloucester).
Italy
T Allan (Harlequins); E Padovani (Benetton), J Brex (Benetton), T Menoncello (Benetton), P Bruno (Zebre Parma); P Garbisi (Montpellier), S Varney (Gloucester); D Fischetti (London Irish), G Nicotera (Benetton), S Ferrari (Benetton), N Cannone (Benetton), F Ruzza (Benetton), S Negri (Benetton), M Lamaro (Benetton, capt), L Cannone (Benetton).
Replacements: L Bigi (Zebre Parma), F Zani (Benetton), M Riccioni (Saracens), E Iachizzi (Vannes), G Pettinelli (Benetton), M Zuilani (Benetton), A Fusco (Zebre Parma), L Morisi (London Irish).
