The blue wall proved to be sturdier than the red. Given the rate at which Gonzalo Quesada’s Italy are improving that should come as little surprise, but the facts are increasingly stark for Wales. They have the wooden spoon for the first time since 2003, moving Warren Gatland to make a hypothetical offer to resign, but this was rejected by the Welsh Rugby Union’s CEO, Abi Tierney.
“I just said to Abi in the changing rooms: ‘Look, if you want me to resign, I’m quite happy to do that,’” Gatland said. “She said: ‘Like hell. That’s the last thing I want. That’s what I’m really afraid of.’ I can promise you we’ll go away and make sure we review this really carefully.”
The review will be lengthy. Wales’s timing was off and passes refused to stick. Basic errors and a lack of communication hampered them, and George North concluded his outstanding international career on a low note. But he will hardly be remembered for this. “Italy set an example to us about controlling and managing a game,” Gatland said.
Italy, meanwhile, have made history by avoiding defeat in three championship matches for the first time. Since a second-round thumping by Ireland they have drawn with France and beaten Scotland and Wales. There are new faces such as Louis Lynagh and Ross Vintcent, but a hat must be tipped most of all to their relentless captain, Michele Lamaro, outstanding again here.
The first half was one-way traffic. Beautiful handling by Paolo Garbisi, Tommaso Menoncello and the dangerous Monty Ioane crafted an opportunity down the left before Ioane sprinted over on 19 minutes. By then, Garbisi had already punished the hosts with two penalties.
A run by the scrum-half Tomos Williams stretched the visitors’ defence and the home crowd’s volume rose, but Lamaro swiftly forced a turnover. Garbisi launched a speculative kick down the middle, and a mix-up between Cameron Winnett and Sam Costelow handed Italy a scrum. Gatland’s great sides gave you nothing; the current iteration give you plenty. Menoncello narrowly failed to collect a smart kick close to the tryline.
North was repeatedly involved before Rio Dyer’s burst, five minutes after half-time, had the fans on their feet. Wales built phases but a neck roll by Adam Beard on Federico Ruzza brought a promising raid to an end, and the hosts paid a price when the Azzurri countered. Ioane’s well-timed pass teed up the full-back Lorenzo Pani to apply a wonderful finish with a weaving run.
Quesada brought Martin Page-Relo on along with Vintcent, whose fine tackle stopped Gareth Thomas close to the tryline, but a TMO check confirmed that Elliot Dee had snuck over. Finally Wales were on the board and had a quarter of an hour to erode an 11-point deficit. But Italy could add smart game management to the other positives: Page-Relo’s box kick bought territory and Garbisi stretched Italy’s lead just when a sniff of a Welsh recovery was in the air. Page-Relo struck another penalty that would prove decisive given what was to come.
Will Rowlands crossed for what looked merely a consolation, and with the clock in the red, Kieran Hardy’s kick from hand saw Mason Grady hack into space and in under the posts. A bonus point secured for Wales but the final score scarcely reflected Italy’s dominance.
Asked to express his emotions Lamaro said: “On the emotional part, I’m too tired to feel my feelings, honestly. I just want to share it [this achievement] with the guys I’ve been working with for a long time. I’m just proud of my team.”
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Regarding changes he has made since becoming head coach, Quesada said: “That passion, that heart, that character that Italian rugby can have, that can appear in the set piece and the defence, needed to appear stronger. The belief of the players, their commitment was huge before I arrived, and it’s still growing. But then it was a matter of organising that a bit better so we can use that incredible power ... that’s the improvement we were looking for, and that we shared with the leaders.
“I think we attack better with and without the ball. We talked a lot about that. Always attack, not only when we have the ball, but also with the chasing kicks … I think the team started believing in that, and today was probably the best game of that path we decided to take. They executed it absolutely amazingly.” Italy’s future is bright; the present isn’t bad either.
