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15-03-2025
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Italy v Ireland LIVE: Score and updates from Six Nations as visitors snatch lead just before half-time
Ireland know a win is a must to preserve their Six Nations title hopes as they kick off Super Saturday against Italy. A hectic final day could be in store with three teams harbouring somewhat realistic hopes of securing the championship. France begin in pole position with a bonus-point win making certain of their place at the top of the table when they play Scotland later having dashed Ireland's grand slam dreams with a Dublin dismantling last weekend. But the pressure could be piled on Fabien Galthie's side both by the men in green and England, who play Wales in the middle fixture on this decisive day. First, though, it will be the defending champions looking to finish with a flourish and move back to the top of the Six Nations tree. An historic three-peat may now feel unlikely but all Ireland can do is take care of business against an Italian team reeling after two poor performances against France and face Ireland in the first match of Six Nations Super Saturday | Live on ITV Ireland still harbour faint ambitions of winning the Six Nations title but must get a bonus-point win over Italy to keep those alive The Azzurri are aiming to win to guarantee they avoid the wooden spoon, with Wales hosting England later 40 ' -TRY! Sheehan flops over the line on stroke of half-time (ITA 10-14 IRE) 23' - TRY! Keenan finally goes over after an age in the Italy 22 (ITA 7-7 IRE) 11' - TRY! Ioane dives on Garbisi's kick through for stunning opening try (ITA 7-0 IRE) 15:09 , Ciara Fearn It looked like Italy would lead in Rome at half-time until Lamaro's moment of error right before the break. He got a yellow card, and Ireland immediately took advantage. A great passage of play, and a huge second half is on the way! 15:06 , Ciara Fearn Ireland take advantage of the Italian defence. Ireland are putting together some solid phases, but Lamaro makes a terrible mistake with a penalty. He knocks the ball down with his knees, preventing Gibson-Park from getting it. That's a yellow card. Dan Sheehan is clinical as Italy are punished. Ireland secure the lineout, and the maul drives toward the line. Sheehan finishes it off and Jack Crowley's conversion attempt drifts wide. 15:03 Garbisi's kick sails too far, and Hugo Keenan signals for the mark. Ireland attempt to attack down the blindside from the lineout, but Dan Sheehan is stopped in his tracks. The ball is recycled swiftly, and Ireland find themselves near the edge of the 22, but Italy's defence remains solid. 14:57 , Ciara Fearn Page-Relo makes a massive break, but a high pass puts his team at a disadvantage. They recover possession, kick a grubber, and earn a dropout. Italy are awarded a penalty after Ringrose is caught offside at the breakdown. They are opting for the penalty conversion. Tommaso Allan adds the points. 14:54 , Ciara Fearn Lowe makes a good interception, but Ryan fails to gather the pass, knocking it on. There's no advantage before Capuozzo's kick, so the play returns to the scrum. Italy have made two more substitutions as Sebastian Negro and Lorenzo Cannone leave the field with injuries. Ross Vintcent and Michele Lamaro come on to replace them. That's three injuries already! 14:52 , Luke Baker A compelling opening half an hour or so in Rome. 14:49 , Ciara Fearn That was some hit on Mack Hansen by Monty Ioane! Gibson-Park nails a superb kick, gaining Ireland more than 30 metres of territory. Italy win the lineout, but a knock-on follows the box kick, giving Italy a scrum just past halfway. 14:46 , Ciara Fearn Simple, but brilliant from Hugo Keenan! Crowley attracts two defenders from the scrum, creating space for Keenan, who finishes off the pass to score. Ireland are increasing the tempo, but they need to be more effective when they reach the danger zone. 14:44 The phases continue to build right on the line as Ireland's forwards push forward once more. Italy are penalised for an offside hand, and Ireland will have a scrum as a result. 14:42 Ireland respond well. Try or not? Ireland have a massive lineout just under five metres out. They set up the maul and continue to drive forward. Despite several stops, Bealham eventually gets over the line. It looked like he had two attempts at crossing the line. It's not awarded, but they will have the advantage. 14:36 , Luke Baker Here's how Italy took the lead - a lovely offload from Menoncello and a perfectly-timed kick from Garbisi A ROMAN BEAUTY! 🇮🇹It really is stunning rugby from Italy - the Azzurri lead! 💙#ITVRugby | #GuinnessM6N — ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) March 15, 2025 14:36 , Ciara Fearn James Lowe tries to initiate an attack down the left, but his kick has too much weight, allowing Italy to ground it in their own area. Italy clear their lines, but Ireland fumble the return. Italy make a breakthrough through Menoncello once more, who delivers a strong pass. Ireland win a penalty as Italy are caught offside after picking up the ball from a knock-on. 14:31 , Ciara Fearn Perfectly timed, sharp, crisp off-loads, letting the ball do the work. It's a thing of beauty! Brilliant footwork and reaction from Menoncello and a superb offload to Garbisi. Monty Ioane gets the try. 14:26 , Ciara Fearn Some really positive play from Ireland. Italy try to pick up the pace, taking a quick free-kick and making decent progress up the field. They quickly lose possession, allowing Ringrose to send a clever kick ahead. Capuozzo collects, but Jack Conan concedes a penalty at the ruck. Paolo Garbisi responds by kicking the ball back into Ireland's half Italy are being ponderous at the moment when they have the ball in possession. 14:24 , Ciara Fearn A Knock-on by James Ryan . Ireland's opportunity slips away as Sheehan gets isolated. However, with Italy unable to gain any ground, they are awarded the scrum. 14:18 , Ciara Fearn And we're off.. Italy in blue get us going first. Ireland will need to be fast off the mark. Jamison Gibson-Park clears his lines with his first touch. Italy will have a line-out. 14:13 , Ciara Fearn Caelan Doris and Ignacio Brex lead them out, and the anthems start. Emotional moments for Peter O'Mahony and Conor Murray. Kick-off is fast approaching. 14:03 , Luke Baker Jack Crowley has been given the nod to start at fly half for Ireland this afternoon, ahead of Sam Prendergast who has been in the 10 jersey for the rest of the Six Nations. It's a Munster v Leinster battle for the shirt that has divided Irish fans. The ITV Rugby team have discussed Simon Easterby's decision ahead of the game this afternoon: "Depending on where you come from In Ireland it's been a travesty of justice with Crowley not being selected."Who should wear the ten shirt for Ireland? ☘️#ITVRugby | #GuinnessM6N — ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) March 15, 2025 13:54 , Luke Baker Ireland head into today's clash with a chance of lifting the trophy but it's fair to say that they are distinct third favourites to do so today. What do Ireland need? Defeat to France without so much as a bonus point leaves Ireland down on 14 championship points (England have 15, France have 16). A bonus-point win in Rome is a must, then, and preferably by a significant margin to repair the damage done to their points difference by France. Five match points would take the defending champions to 19 overall and if France and England both lost, then Ireland would be champions. They can also be crowned champions if they secure a bonus-point win over Italy, France lose to Scotland and England beat Wales but fail to secure a bonus point. In that scenario, Ireland and England would both be on 19 championship points, meaning the title would come down to points difference, with England currently just seven points ahead of the men in green on that metric. 13:41 , Luke Baker An away victory is largely being taken for granted. Ireland have lost just one of the previous 25 Six Nations fixtures between the countries but Italy have improved significantly in recent years and demonstrated their try-scoring threat throughout the competition. Gonzalo Quesada's side begin the weekend a point above winless Wales as they bid to avoid the wooden spoon for the second successive year. Quesada has made seven changes to the side beaten 47-24 by England, including dropping captain Michele Lamaro to the bench. A shock home win would leave alarm bells ringing in the Irish camp. 13:20 , Luke Baker The Eternal City provides the backdrop for the swansongs of two Ireland greats. Flanker Peter O'Mahony and scrum-half Conor Murray, who are among the replacements, will end their illustrious international careers following the match. Cian Healy – Ireland's most-capped player, with 137 appearances – has already played his final Test after being left out of the 23. With a host of star names also expected to join permanent head coach Andy Farrell on the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, Easterby's squad for a summer series will likely have a very different feel. 13:01 , Luke Baker Munster fly-half Jack Crowley played every minute of Ireland's title-winning campaign in 2024 but the 25-year-old is now preparing for his first start of this year's championship amid speculation about his club future. Crowley has had to remain patient for an opportunity to regain the number 10 jersey from Leinster's Sam Prendergast and will certainly be eager to prove a point. If reports of a summer move to English club Leicester come to fruition, it may be his last international outing for the foreseeable future. 12:40 , Luke Baker Ireland need to win – ideally with a bonus point – to stand any chance of snatching the title. They will then face a waiting game. If Ireland successfully increase their points tally from 14 to 19, the permutations for them to lift silverware are relatively straightforward – they need second-placed England to, at most, beat Wales without a bonus point while also surrendering their current points difference advantage of seven, and then France must lose to Scotland in Paris. 12:20 , Luke Baker What a difference a week makes. Ireland went into a mouthwatering contest with France in the championship driving seat but are now in serious danger of finishing third. While there is no shame in losing a fixture which has ultimately decided the destination of the title in the past three years, Ireland's performance in the 42-27 loss was alarming. Easterby's men must improve significantly on a shambolic second-half display to put some pressure on their title rivals. 11:59 , Luke Baker Captain Caelan Doris insisted there is no sense of anti-climax in the Ireland camp as they fight to keep alive their scant hopes of Six Nations glory against Italy. Simon Easterby's side had hoped to be running out in Rome on the cusp of an unprecedented third consecutive title and a second Grand Slam in three years. But, following last weekend's 42-27 hammering against France, Ireland must rely on results elsewhere to snatch the championship crown and are in serious danger of finishing third. Caelan Doris: Ireland determined to end Six Nations with their best performance 11:37 , Luke Baker Spare a thought for the logistics team at the Six Nations, for which this has not been an easy week. In their pre-tournament plotting and planning, this would surely have been both a dream and nightmare scenario: a 'Super Saturday' where each and every game contains a title contender and the men's champions will not be known until the bells of Notre-Dame chime 11 times. The smart money would be of a straightforward Stade de France lifting of the trophy after France dispatch Scotland in Paris, but things are seldom that simple in this championship. Take care of business themselves and Ireland and England could face an anxious wait, the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on hold to host a hoisting if required, while an Irish three-peat would see an 'opulent palazzo' employed to give a sense of ceremony to the medal presentation. Read Harry Latham-Coyle's full preview of the final day: Ireland and England handed one task to ensure thrilling Six Nations finale 11:15 , Luke Baker Italy have only won four of the 37 meetings between the two sides, with their last victory coming in 2013 when they ran out 22-15 winners in Rome. Since then Ireland have won 15 in a row and could well make it 16 today. Rugby betting sites agree with Ireland at 1/14 for the win, while you can get 9/1 on an Italy win and 50/1 on a draw. Italy have won just one match, and that came against Wales in Rome, when the home side ran out 22-15 winners. They have lost the other three matches with an aggregate scoreline of 151-57. Check out our prediction and best bets: Italy vs Ireland prediction: Irish Backlash to Leave Azzurri Bruised 10:52 , Luke Baker Simon Easterby has explained his team selection, with JAck Crowley coming in for Sam Prendergast at No 10 as the main change. 'We have freshened things up a little this week in selection and it's a great boost to welcome back some players from injury, alongside others who have patiently waited in the wings for their chance to start,' said the interim head coach. 'While there was disappointment with certain aspects of our performance last weekend, we are thankful for the chance to get back on the horse this week. 'We've shown our resilience in recent years and I have no reason to believe that the game in Rome this weekend will be any different. 'The attitude of the players has been spot on since we gathered on Sunday evening, and you can sense a determination amongst everyone to give their best performance of the campaign. That's both the challenge and the opportunity that faces us this week.' 10:35 , Luke Baker Italy have dropped captain Michele Lamaro to the bench, with Manuel Zuliani given an opportunity on the openside and Juan Ignacio Brex named skipper. There are plenty of changes elsewhere, too, with Tommaso Allan, Martin Page-Relo, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Simone Ferrari, Dino Lamb and Lorenzo Cannone all handed starts. Italy XV: 1 Danilo Fischetti, 2 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 3 Simone Ferrari; 4 Dino Lamb, 5 Federico Ruzza; 6 Sebastian Negri, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 8 Lorenzo Cannone; 9 Martin Page-Relo, 10 Paolo Garbisi; 11 Monty Ioane, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 14 Ange Capuozzo; 15 Tommaso Allan. : 16 Giacomo Nicotera, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Giosue Zilocchi, 19 Niccolo Cannone, 20 Michele Lamaro, 21 Ross Vintcent; 21 Stephen Varney, 23 Leonardo Marin. 10:22 , Luke Baker Simon Easterby hands fly half Jack Crowley his first start of the tournament with Sam Prendergast dropped to the bench. Mack Hansen and James Lowe are fit to return on the wings while Tadhg Furlong is back on the bench after his injury travails. Peter O'Mahony and Conor Murray will make their final appearances for Ireland off the bench, but Cian Healy has played his final Test - Jack Boyle is preferred as the replacement loosehead. Ireland XV: 1 Andrew Porter, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Finlay Bealham; 4 James Ryan, 5 Tadhg Beirne; 6 Jack Conan, 7 Josh van der Flier, 8 Caelan Doris; 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 10 Jack Crowley; 11 James Lowe, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 13 Garry Ringrose, 14 Mack Hansen; 15 Hugo Keenan. 16 Gus McCarthy, 17 Jack Boyle, 18 Tadhg Furlong, 19 Joe McCarthy, 20 Peter O'Mahony; 21 Conor Murray, 22 Sam Prendergast, 23 Bundee Aki. 10:12 , Luke Baker Ireland vs Italy is due to kick off at 2.15pm GMT on Saturday 15 March at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on ITV1, with coverage on the channel from 1.30pm GMT. A live stream will be available via ITVX. 10:00 , Luke Baker Ireland know a win is a must if they are to preserve they faint Six Nations title hopes as they take on Italy on Super Saturday. The grand slam dreams were dashed by a drubbing at the hands of France in the penultimate round to leave Les Bleus in control of their own destiny as they prepare to take on Scotland in the championship denouement. Ireland's hopes of an historic third straight title require a French slip-up in Paris and England failing to take a full five points against Wales. All Simon Easterby's side can do, though, is put the pressure on by beating an Italian team that have struggled defensively in their last two outings. Here's everything you need to know: Is Italy vs Ireland on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Six Nations clash 09:55 , Luke Baker Welcome to The Independent's coverage of Six Nations Super Saturday, which kicks off with a fascinating clash between Italy and Ireland in Rome. That one starts at 2.15pm and we'll have full live coverage
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
France thrash Italy to keep Six Nations hopes alive
Men's Six Nations Italy (17) 24 Tries: Menoncello, Brex, Garbisi Cons: Allan 2, Garbisi Pens: Allan France (35) 73 Tries: Guillard, Mauvaka, Dupont 2, Boudehent, Barre 2, Alldritt, Bielle-Biarrey, Attissogbe, Barassi Cons: Ramos 8, Lucu France scored 11 tries to thrash Italy in a high-scoring contest to set up a potential Six Nations decider with Grand Slam-chasing Ireland. The game, with 14 tries, broke the previous championship record of 12 tries in a match, and it was also France's highest score in the Six Nations. In a thrilling 52-point first half, Italy opened the scoring through Tommaso Menoncello, but France scored three answered tries to regain control. Lock Mickael Guillard, hooker Peato Mauvaka and captain Antoine Dupont crossed, before a try by Ignacio Brex gave the hosts hope. Flanker Paul Boudehent grabbed France's bonus-point try, with full-back Leo Barre scoring to extend the visitors' lead. Fabien Galthie's side refused to let up in the second period and scored again through Gregory Alldritt, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Dupont. Paolo Garbisi scored the hosts' third try, but a ruthless France finished strong as Barre, Theo Attissogbe and Pierre-Louis Barassi all scored. France's 73 points is also the second-most points scored by a team in a championship game, after the 80 points scored by England against Italy in 2001. The results means Galthie's side sit three points behind Ireland in second place, who they face next in Dublin on 8 March, while Italy travel to face England at Allianz Stadium on 9 March. Les Bleus, if they are going to win the Six Nations for the first time since 2022, now head to Dublin knowing a victory - given their superior points difference - could put them in pole position for the title. More to follow. Italy: Allan; Capuozzo, Brex, Menoncello, Gesi; Garbisi, Page-Relo; Fischetti, Lucchesi, Ferrari; N Cannone, Ruzza, Negri Lamaro (capt), L Cannone. Replacements: Nicotera, Spagnolo, Zilocchi, Favretto, Zuliani, Vintcent, A Garbisi, Trulla. France: Barre; Attissogbe, Barassi, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Ramos, Dupont (capt); Gros, Mauvaka, Atonio, Flament, Guillard, Cros, Boudehent, Alldritt. Replacements: Marchand, Baille, Aldegheri, Taofifenua, Roumat, Jegou, Jelonch, Lucu. Referee: Karl Dickson (Eng)
BBC News
23-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
France thrash Italy to keep Six Nations hopes alive
Men's Six NationsItaly (17) 24Tries: Menoncello, Brex, Garbisi Cons: Allan 2, Garbisi Pens: AllanFrance (35) 73Tries: Guillard, Mauvaka, Dupont 2, Boudehent, Barre 2, Alldritt, Bielle-Biarrey, Attissogbe, Barassi Cons: Ramos 8, Lucu France scored 11 tries to thrash Italy in a high-scoring contest to set up a potential Six Nations decider with Grand Slam-chasing game, with 14 tries, broke the previous championship record of 12 tries in a match, and it was also France's highest score in the Six a thrilling 52-point first half, Italy opened the scoring through Tommaso Menoncello, but France scored three answered tries to regain Mickael Guillard, hooker Peato Mauvaka and captain Antoine Dupont crossed, before a try by Ignacio Brex gave the hosts Paul Boudehent grabbed France's bonus-point try, with full-back Leo Barre scoring to extend the visitors' Galthie's side refused to let up in the second period and scored again through Gregory Alldritt, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Garbisi scored the hosts' third try, but a ruthless France finished strong as Barre, Theo Attissogbe and Pierre-Louis Barassi all to follow. Line-ups Italy: Allan; Capuozzo, Brex, Menoncello, Gesi; Garbisi, Page-Relo; Fischetti, Lucchesi, Ferrari; N Cannone, Ruzza, Negri Lamaro (capt), L Nicotera, Spagnolo, Zilocchi, Favretto, Zuliani, Vintcent, A Garbisi, Barre; Attissogbe, Barassi, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Ramos, Dupont (capt); Gros, Mauvaka, Atonio, Flament, Guillard, Cros, Boudehent, Marchand, Baille, Aldegheri, Taofifenua, Roumat, Jegou, Jelonch, Karl Dickson (Eng)
Reuters
21-02-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Gesi replaces Ioane in Italy team to face France in Six Nations
Feb 21 (Reuters) - Italy's Simone Gesi has replaced injured wing Monty Ioane in the team named to face France in the Six Nations Championship in Rome on Sunday, with head coach Gonzalo Quesada making two changes to the side which defeated Wales last time out. Ioane is out with a knee injury and Gesi will make his third appearance for Italy and only his second start, having missed the 22-15 win over Wales through injury after coming off the bench in the opening defeat by Scotland. The 23-year-old Gesi's other Italy appearance also came against Scotland, when he started in their 2023 Six Nations meeting. Quesada's only other change to his starting 15 sees hooker Gianmarco Lucchesi replacing Giacomo Nicotera, who drops to the bench, while Danilo Fischetti and Niccolo Cannone will both earn their 50th caps in what is Italy's 50th meeting with France. Last year Italy almost came away from France with a shock win, but ended up with a 13-13 draw after their late penalty hit the post when the ball fell from the tee and Paolo Garbisi was left with a handful of seconds to kick it. Fullback Tommaso Allan is now handling kicking duties, and was responsible for 17 of Italy's points against Wales, leaving Garbisi free to concentrate on his flyhalf role. Mirco Spagnolo is on the bench after the prop missed the opening two games through suspension, while lock Dino Lamb is out with a shoulder problem and Riccardo Favretto is named among the replacements. The only other change on the bench sees prop Giosue Zilocchi in for Marco Riccioni as Quesada again for the most part sticks with his tried and trusted 23. At the Stadio Olimpico, Italy take on a France side who lost 26-25 to England at Twickenham in their last game, having begun the championship with a 43-0 drubbing of Wales. Team: 15-Tommaso Allan, 14-Ange Capuozzo, 13-Juan Ignacio Brex, 12-Tommaso Menoncello, 11-Simone Gesi, 10-Paolo Garbisi, 9-Martin Page-Relo, 8-Lorenzo Cannone, 7-Michele Lamaro (captain), 6-Sebastian Negri, 5-Federico Ruzza, 4-Niccolo Cannone, 3-Simone Ferrari, 2-Gianmarco Lucchesi, 1-Danilo Fischetti Replacements: 16-Giacomo Nicotera, 17-Mirco Spagnolo, 18-Giosue Zilocchi, 19-Riccardo Favretto, 20-Manuel Zuliani, 21-Ross Vintcent, 22-Alessandro Garbisi, 23-Jacopo Trulla
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Sport
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Wooden spoon in sight for Wales as Italy defeat signals new low
There comes a point watching a team unravel where the facts and numbers tell the story. Wales after this weekend will be ranked lower than Georgia, dropping to 12th in the world rankings. Their record losing run has now reached 14 Tests. Since Warren Gatland returned at the start of 2023, they have now played 26 Tests and lost 20 of them. The incessant downpour in Rome reflected the sorry mood around this Wales side, which peaked with a yellow card for veteran wing Josh Adams with 20 minutes to go for a high tackle on Paolo Garbisi. Wales started and finished well, but the rest? That was concerning. Early on they kicked well, with the right height and timing of their chasers meaning that for a while Italy struggled to exit their half. And then after the first 10 minutes Wales lost that control and everything began to fall apart. Sebastian Negri hounded their line-out, weakened enormously by the loss before the match of Dafydd Jenkins to illness. Danilo Fischetti, Italy's super impressive prop, had Henry Thomas at the scrum. And with the half-backs Martin Page-Relo and Garbisi beginning to settle and improving the accuracy of their own kicks, now it was Wales who could not escape.A highlight of Italy's performance at Murrayfield had been how well Tommaso Allan had kicked for goal, and every penalty given up by Wales in their own half felt like three points. Negri's effective kick chase preceded Italy successfully using the platform of an attacking scrum, with Fischetti ramping up the power before Italy attacked the blindside. Garbisi's dummy was a delight before Ange Capuozzo latched onto the fly-half's grubber kick for the opening try. Add in the breakdown threat for Italy of Luca Cannone, winning consecutive turnover penalties, and Italy's lead looked commanding. They rarely came away from Wales' 22 without any points, whereas two late attacks for Warren Gatland's side, including a line-out move where they ended up in touch, were ineffective. Down 16-3 at half-time, it was hard to see a way back. The sight of Wales going backwards 20 metres in attack, having actually won back a restart, was desperate. A couple of missed penalties from Allan – neither were easy chances but his form has been so good they came as a surprise – almost gave Wales hope, which was telling. But Adams' yellow card felt calamitous, catching Garbisi head on head running in to make a tackle after a catch, with Allan's radar working again as he added three more. Wales, it cannot be stressed enough, felt completely out of this contest until the rarest of trips to Italy's 22 with 12 minutes left. Freddie Thomas had a score ruled out for double movement but Wales won a penalty and turned to the maul, finished off by Aaron Wainwright in the corner with Dan Edwards's touchline conversion hitting the Allan penalty, his fifth, looked to easy any nerves but a run of late penalties at the maul against Italy were becoming a problem, inviting Welsh pressure and eventually giving Matthew Carley no option but to award a penalty try and to sin-bin two Italian players, Marco Riccioni and Dino Lamb, within the space of a minute. Fifteen against 13 with 60 seconds left. Surely Wales couldn't pull this off, could they? No. They never left their own 22. Italy's defence held firm, Marco Zuliani pouncing for the winning had been the gap in quality and control that it would have been a bit of a travesty had Italy lost, even if their discipline fell away in the closing stages. The Azzurri have now won three of the last four in this fixture and as desperate as Wales' decline has been, Italy's progress has to be applauded. Scoring sequence: 3-0 Allan pen, 3-3 B Thomas pen, 8-3 Capuozzo try, 10-3 Allan con, 13-3 Allan pen, 16-3 Allan pen, 19-3 Allan pen, 19-8 Wainwright try, 22-8 Allan pen, 22-15 penalty try Italy: T Allan (J Trulla 74); A Capuozzo, J Brex, T Menoncello, M Ioane; P Garbisi, M Page-Relo (A Garbisi 68); D Fischetti (L Rizzoli 66), G Nicotera (G Lucchesi 52), S Ferrari (M Riccioni 52), N Cannone, F Ruzza (D Lamb 61), S Negri (R Vintcent 61), M Lamaro (c, M Zuliani 66), L CannoneYellow cards: M Riccioni 77, D Lamb 78 Wales: B Murray; T Rogers (J Hathaway 61), N Tompkins, E James, J Adams; B Thomas (D Edwards 48), To Williams (R Williams 66); G Thomas (N Smith 44), E Lloyd (E Dee 44), H Thomas (K Assiratti 44), W Rowlands (Te Williams 57), F Thomas, J Botham (A Wainwright 57), J Morgan (c), T FaletauYellow card: J Adams 59 Referee: M Carley (ENG) Attendance: 72,698 By Ben Coles Warren Gatland was defiant after Wales fell to a 14th straight defeat in Rome, insisting he wanted to remain as head coach. Wales have home fixtures against Ireland and England and a trip to Scotland left in the tournament to break their losing run, with Gatland admitting that the fixture against Italy had been 'pretty vital for us'. Asked if he wanted to continue as Wales coach Gatland replied 'definitely'. He continued: 'It's not the easiest position to be in but you have to be strong in terms of that, continue to go back as a group of players and look at the review stuff, highlight areas where we can still get better. 'There's no doubt it's challenging. You do question yourself in terms of that. As a group, the players are working incredibly hard. We had some good preparation going into the game and were pretty clear on what we wanted to do. 'With the weather conditions, we knew it would be a tight game. It was probably going to be about kicking and taking the opportunities, particularly if you got into their 22. That took us a bit of time to get there. I think, for us, we talked about continuing to work hard and staying tight as a group.' Gatland's former Wales fly-half, Dan Biggar, was asked about the head coach's future while speaking on ITV and insisted that every option had to be on the table when it came to reversing Wales' fortunes. 'That is for people on a higher pay grade than me to decide. I don't think anything is off the table at the moment, it can't be. It can't carry on,' Biggar said. 'It is such a shame because there are so many good people there who have had success previously but clearly what is happening there in the week is not working.' Biggar was also highly critical of Wales' effort in Rome, describing it as 'the poorest performance' in the losing run. 'It is hard to say because there are a lot of good people there but it is just not working,' Biggar added. 'Whatever is going on Monday to Friday is not being transferred to the pitch on a Saturday.' The loss in Rome dropped Wales below Georgia in the men's world rankings, following the Lelos' 40-7 win over the Netherlands earlier on Saturday. 'It's disappointing,' Gatland said of dropping to 12th. 'That's where we are at the moment. Obviously, we will continue to work hard to try and rectify that and to give these players some confidence and self-belief so they can go out there with that calmness in terms of their skills and decision-making process to hopefully execute the things we've been working hard on.' Asked what his message would be to the large number of Wales fans who made the trip to Rome, Gatland replied: 'They are incredibly supportive of the players and want them to do well. We're disappointed we could not give them something more to cheer about.' That brings to an end our coverage of Wales' 14th successive loss as they were beaten 22-15 by Italy in Rome. A reminder you can follow Telegraph Sport's live minute-by-minute updates of England's clash with France that is kicking off in a couple of moments here. Thanks for joining us. Discussing his side's performance, Wales head coach Warren Gatland told ITV: 'Very frustrating from our point of view. 'Probably shot ourselves in the foot in terms of the penalty count being 14-4. I know we got a few at the end and missed a couple of opportunities that we created and didn't finish off, so yeah it was very frustrating.' On whether it's a messaging issue, he said: 'Well I don't know. I think we've been pretty clear on the messaging with the players. 'But when you look back and it's a couple of soft penalties that we're giving away, offside at a couple of the breakdowns and the scrum wasn't as effective as it needed to be in the first half. 'But then we created a few opportunities as well but a bit unlucky in terms of Adams having a couple of chances, but look it's very disappointing.' Speaking on ITV, Former Wales fly-half Dan Biggar said: 'If you look at the games they have lost in the last 12 months, today was the poorest performance in that run. 'It is hard to say because there are a lot of good people there but it is just not working. Whatever is going on Monday to Friday is not being transferred to the pitch on a Saturday. 'Wales have Ireland coming to Cardiff in two weeks time, they travel to Scotland and welcome England. 'This team looks one that is shot of belief and confidence. We keep getting asked the same questions but what are the answers. I am not quite sure. The curve has been downward.' On Warren Gatland's future, Biggar added: 'That is for people on a higher pay grade than me to decide. I don't think anything is off the table at the moment, it can't be. It can't carry on. 'It is such a shame because there are so many good people there who have had success previously but clearly what is happening there in the week is not working.' Up next in the Six Nations this weekend, England will be looking for their first win of the tournament as they host France at the Allianz Arena in Twickenham You can follow Telegraph Sport's live minute-by-minute updates of this clash here. Pick your 37-man Lions squad. Wales captain Jac Morgan has told S4C: 'I'm gutted with the result. We've worked hard all week and things just didn't go our way. 'Discipline let us down. We gave them opportunities to kick points and that built the score board to be too high at the end.' Italy leapfrog England into third with victory this afternoon but continue to trail France, Scotland and Ireland by a point having not secured a winning bonus point. Wales did manage to secure a losing point by reducing the deficit to seven points meaning they are off the mark but they remain at the foot of the table and a successive Wooden Spoon is looking more and more likely. Former Wales centre Jamie Roberts has told ITV: 'I thought that was one of Wales' poorest performances over the last 18-20 months. 'I think everyone in Wales was expecting a kick back from the disappointing night in Paris last weekend. 'Our kicking game at times tonight was schoolboy. 'You just can't win Test matches, especially in the rain, against a quality Italian outfit who did it far better.' Speaking to S4C, Wales prop Gareth Thomas said: 'Quite emotional at full-time. It's a disappointing result and just not good enough. 'It's hard to put a finger on it. The effort is there, but discipline cost us.' Ask it here and come back on Monday lunchtime for the answer. 💚🤍❤️ A thing of beauty 💚🤍❤️#ITVRugby | #GuinnessM6N |@Federugby — ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 8, 2025 With defeat in Rome, Wales have now extended their record run of losses to 14 games, in a run dating back to October 2023. They have also equalled their longest losing streak in the various forms of this championship having lost their last eight Six Nations matches. Based on this performance, it is likely that will extend to 11 games come the end of the tournament. Wales are working the ball in their own 22 as they look to find a gap with the clock ticking into the red. The hosts win the foul in the breakdown though and they can kick into touch for a massive win! 🇮🇹🇮🇹 BACK-TO-BACK WINS IN ROME FOR ITALY! 🇮🇹🇮🇹That makes it FOURTEEN defeats in a row for Wales...#ITVRugby | #GuinnessM6N — ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 8, 2025 Italy 22 Wales 8 With Wales continuing to push down the left, Italy are penalised yet again and the referee awards the penalty try as Lamb sees yellow. They now need just one more try to level up. They haven't got long though. PENALTY TRY TO WALES! 🏴And ANOTHER yellow card for Italy! They couldn't could they? #ITVRugby | #GuinnessM6N — ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 8, 2025 Wales' attack comes to nothing as they kick over the top but they have another penalty advantage, meaning they have another line-out down that left. Time is running out though. Italy are penalised yet again and Riccioni is given the yellow card after the referee had warned them over their discipline moments before. Wales maul well once again following an attacking line-out down their left to reach the 22 but it's poor handling as they work it out to the right. Play is brought back though for an earlier infringement by the Azzurri and Wales can kick to within five metres. Italy 22 Wales 8 (Allan) Wales soon give away another foul in the breakdown for their challenge on Page-Relo and Allan's kick drifts just inside of the far right post to crucially extend the hosts' lead to 14 points. This game honestly felt dead and buried before Wainwright's try. I think Italy have done enough but fascinating to see how they respond now to the gap closing. That missed conversion from Dan Edwards might be crucial. Italy 19 Wales 8 (Wainwright) Wales had the penalty advantage though following that disallowed try and they can kick into touch once again down their left. They maul superbly with really good speed following the line-out and Wainwright is the one to cross over in the corner for their first try of the day. Edwards' attempted conversion strikes the left post though. They still need two more tries to get themselves ahead. 🏴 TRY FOR WALES! 🏴Brilliant catch and drive puts Wales back in it... But is there enough time?#ITVRugby | #GuinnessM6N — ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 8, 2025 Italy 19 Wales 3 Wales win the foul in the scrum though and Edwards can kick into touch within 10 metres of the line, down their left. The visitors drive to go within a metre before Thomas makes the crucial push for the line as he extends his right arm over. There is a TMO check whether there was a knock-on just before and while they are happy the ball went backwards, they notice there was two movements from Thomas as he went for line so it is ruled out. It's knocked on by Wales in a rare trip towards the Italian 22 and it really just hasn't clicked for them in attack today. The yellow card for Adams remains just a yellow due to a low degree of danger. Despite their healthy lead, it is Italy who continue to come forward. Ioane is up superbly to win the aerial duel following Garbisi's box kick. The fly-half then goes for the crossfield kick towards Capuozzo on the right but Edwards is their to sweep up and call the mark. Italy 19 Wales 3 (Allan) Italy are nearly through for a second try but there is a knock-on at the crucial moment. There was some more ill-discipline from the visitors though as they were caught offside in the breakdown just moments before. After missing his last couple of kicks, Allan makes no mistake this time to extend the hosts' lead to 16 points. Italy 16 Wales 3 There is a TMO check following a high challenge from Adams which caused a head-on-head collision with Garbisi. The officials quickly come to the decision of a yellow card for Adams and there will be a 20-minute red card review. After initially letting play go, the referee brings the play back for a slightly high challenge from Rogers on Garbisi. It's a slightly harsh one with the Italian slipping as he claimed the kick meaning he was naturally lower down. Page-Relo goes for the posts from inside his own half but remarkably he strikes the crossbar. That's three misses from their last three now. Faletau is correctly penalised for a neck-roll in the breakdown and Allan is going to give it another go, this time from a bit further out. It's not the best contact as it's sliced a bit to the right while looking somewhat short on distance and the full-back's kicking has just got astray on these recent attempts. It's an early change for the visitors as Dan Edwards comes on for his second appearance in place of Ben Thomas. Can the youngster make an impact? A Smith knock-on is called by the referee's assistant and Italy have the scrum just outside the Welsh 22. The scrum collapses and Italy have yet another penalty as Assiratti is penalised. They are once again going for the posts but Allan unexpectedly misses just wide of the near right post. Murray shows great feet and acceleration to burst through the Italian defence and over halfway. He is instructed by the supporting Williams to kick towards the try-line but the scrum-half doesn't have the pace to beat Allan to the ball. Thomas is slammed in the tackle and Italy force the foul in the breakdown before finding touch within 10 metres. The visitors steal it well though following the line-out and Rogers clears. Ioane drives well to take Italy close to the 22. Garbisi goes for the crossfield kick but it's a poor one this time and Rogers can gather with ease and call the mark. Wales do really well to compete following their own kick forward but as they claim possession, Williams' next box kick just goes straight into touch. It's poor decision making from the scrum-half. There are arguably more pressing areas of concern for Wales but one stat which has leapt out - they made 40 tackles in that first half and missed eight. So missing one in every six. We are back underway at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome with Italy kicking things off from left to right. Can they extend their 13-point advantage or will Wales turn things around? As Wales slide towards a 14th successive defeat, Warren Gatland has a crucial half-time team talk. With broadcasters of the Six Nations now showing footage from inside the dressing rooms during the interval, have a look at Gavin Mair's take on the importance of the half-time team talk. Ask it here and come back on Monday lunchtime for the answer. Wales threaten down their left once again as Adams bursts through but the offload to his left goes forward. After a couple of failed scrums, Italy eventually win the foul with Thomas being penalised as the scrum collapses. With the clock ticking into the red, Garbisi kicks into touch and the hosts have a deserved and healthy lead at the break. The play is brought back for a penalty though and Wales can find touch down the left, within five metres of the line. Following the line-out, Lloyd drives for the line in the corner but he runs out of space as the Italian defence can force him into touch. It's a nice decoy run from James and Jenkins can pick it up and find a rare hole in the Italian defence to drive his side towards the 22. Williams plays an excellent kick through for Adams down the left but once again, the winger is unable to collect the ball in tricky conditions when just a matter of metres from the line. Alarm bells starting to ring a bit for Wales here. That's back-to-back turnover penalties they've given up to Luca Cannone and their set-piece is struggling. Having lost that early territory they cannot dictate the game. Italy 16 Wales 3 (Allan) Cannone forces the foul in the breakdown as Wales are penalised once again. They find touch in the Wales in 22 and can drive well in the maul following the line-out from the right. After a number of attacking phases it's Page-Relo this time to go for the cute kick through but Wales cut it out. It's brought back though for an infringement by Lloyd and Allan makes no mistake from close range. Ominous for the visitors! Italy 13 Wales 3 (Allan) Rowlands is penalised in the breakdown with the Welsh players far too slow to provide support for the lock and Allan can have another attempt to kick for the posts. It's superb execution once again from the full-back, from deeper this time, as he makes it three from three this afternoon. It's Italy's turn to win the foul and find touch. They are forced back slightly following the line-out but that doesn't stop Garbisi going for the drop goal from just inside the Welsh half. It's an incredible effort but it doesn't quite have the legs on it to reach the posts and Wales can clear from inside their 22. Jenkins is back on following his HIA. What a first 20 minutes for Sebastian Negri. One lineout steal, almost another, and now he's absolutely clattered Josh Hathaway with perfect timing after the Wales replacement took a catch. Garbisi continues to show some magic with the feet as he pulls off an excellent banana kick to take Italy 50 metres up the pitch. Wales soon win the foul at the breakdown and can find touch inside the Italian half. Italy 10 Wales 3 (Capuozzo) Following the scrum, Italy work it quickly to the right. Garbisi sells the Welsh defence with a dummy before executing an excellent grubber kick. Capuozzo shows his acceleration as he bursts down the right flank before diving and just about getting a hand on the ball for the first try of the day. Allan converts to give the hosts a seven-point lead. Ben Thomas knocks it on as he competes in the air following the Italian kick and the home side have the scrum in the Welsh half. There is a brief pause in play before the scrum with Gareth Thomas receiving treatment on his right leg. It looks like a dead leg following a collision with Negri. Italy 3 Wales 3 (Thomas) Italy are penalised in the scrum but the kick from Williams has too much on it and rolls on beyond the try-line. Wales quickly in it back though and win the foul in the breakdown presenting the chance for Ben Thomas to kick for the posts for the first time today. He makes no mistake and Wales are level. Tompkins his made way for a head injury assessment following that latest Welsh attack. Blair Murray chases the kick and takes it excellently inside the Italian half but as Wales look to work it out to the left flank, Tomkins is hit heavily in the tackle and the pass goes forward. It's a solid scrum for the hosts before they kick clear and force the turnover in the breakdown. Capuozzo struggles to gather the slippery bouncing ball as it's worked out to him on the right so the play is brought back for the Welsh knock-on. The superb Capuozzo claims the Welsh box kick excellently and calls the mark. Italy have coped well with the early kicking from Wales in difficult conditions. Welsh captain Morgan puts in a fabulous tackle on halfway. He will hope that can help to kickstart his side. Italy 3 Wales 0 (Allan) There has been plenty of kicking in these early stages and plenty of towel use, which we can certainly expect more of. Freddie Thomas is penalised for being offside in the breakdown and Italy opt to kick for the posts. It's Allan to step up for the home side and he continues his perfect record from Murrayfield to give Italy the lead. Wales go so close to an early try! Williams' clever crossfield kick to the left flank is nearly clinched by Adams in the corner but it dribbles just under his grasp and Italy have the scrum in front of their try-line. The hosts win the foul in the scrum and they can clear into touch for the line-out. No mascot has ever had a better time. #ITAvWAL — Ben Coles (@bencoles_) February 8, 2025 We are underway here in Rome with Wales kicking things off going from left to right in a rainy Stadio Olimpico. We now have the national anthem of the hosts and it is delivered with the usual passion of Italian teams. Kick-off is now less than two minutes away! The players have emerged to the pouring rain at the Stadio Olimpico and up first is the national anthem of Wales. Will the conditions play a part in proceedings this afternoon? Warren Gatland has spoken of the importance of Taulupe Faletau's return to the side ahead of kick-off. 🗣️ "He's important to us because he's an absolute WORLD-CLASS player."Warren Gatland on Taulupe Faletau and two last-minute changes to the Welsh XV 🏴#ITVRugby | #GuinnessM6N — ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 8, 2025 A reminder that Wales have lost their last 13 games - a record amount of successive defeats for the nation, which they extended last weekend as they were thumped 43-0 by France. That result also extending their losing streak in the Six Nations to seven matches after picking up the Wooden Spoon in 2024. Can they avoid defeat this afternoon to avoid equalling their longest losing run in the competition? 🏴 𝙅𝙖𝙘 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣 🤝 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙤 🇮🇹Taflu'r geiniog 👍#GuinnessM6N #ITAvWAL — Welsh Rugby Union 🏴 (@WelshRugbyUnion) February 8, 2025 No let-up with the rain here. Wonder how much Wales' lineout will struggle without Daf Jenkins, potentially puts a lot of pressure on Faletau as a jumper. Wide expectation asking around is that Italy will have enough to put Wales away - some saying by five, some 10, one person said 20 points! But, they have have rarely performed well as favourites, as highlighted this week by Russ Petty. Italy as favourites in a Six Nations match in last 15 years:-4 v Scotland 2014, lost 20-21-1 v Wales 2023, lost 17-29-6 v Wales 2025(using oddsportal) — Russ Petty (@rpetty80) February 4, 2025 The Azzurri completed 212 tackles in week one, more than any other side. Sebastian Negri's 26 tackles were the joint-second most by an Italian in a Six Nations match after Michele Lamaro's 27 v Scotland last year. Speaking this week, Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada said: 'Wales have had a day more preparation than us and that is worth gold at this stage of the competition. 'Not a single one of us thinks that this will be an easy match. It will be a fierce battle against a team that will be very different from that of 2024, a team with a lot of experience and pride.' Have your say on how this afternoon's clash will go. When asked whether it felt like Wales' biggest game for 20 years Wales head coach Warren Gatland replied: 'No it doesn't. 'We know the situation we're in with the amount of players and experience we've lost. 'We've been in some close games but unfortunately we haven't been able to get over the line. We know we're in a bit of a rebuilding phase and aware we've got some tough games in this competition. 'It's definitely not the biggest game Wales have had in 20 years. 'It's an important game for us. We're desperate to get a win. That's the most important thing.' Gatland says a win could get 'the monkey off your back and grow some confidence'. 'It would help players put their shoulders back a little bit and stand a little bit taller,' said the head coach. 'Those are the important things for that because I know how hard they are working and how hard they are trying.' After 16 defeats in a row against Wales, Italy have won two of the last three meetings between the sides. The Azzurri are now looking to win back-to-back games against the Welsh for the first time. Italy's last two victories against Wales came in Cardiff having not beaten the Welsh on home soil since the 2007 Six Nations. Ask it here and come back on Monday lunchtime for the answer. Discussing the passion each side will bring this afternoon, Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada has told ITV: 'I think rugby is a sport of passion, but if there are two nations in world rugby that represent it well I think it's Wales historically and Italy in the last years. 'So of course, with this weather, with so many things that are important around this game, the heart, the passion, the belief both teams take to the pitch will be key.' 🗣️ "I think we are ready for a big one!"Gonzalo Quesada speaks with Claire Thomas before kickoff in Rome#ITVRugby | #GuinnessM6N — ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 8, 2025 Taulupe Faletau, who has not played an international since the World Cup in October 2023 due to a series of injuries, missed out against France last weekend through a knee issue. 'He brings experience and a little bit of X-factor,' said head coach Warren Gatland. 'We know what an outstanding player he's been in the past for Wales. He hasn't had a lot of games in the last few years. 'Just having him back gives everyone a bit of confidence. In terms of the way he's trained he's looked good. 'Hopefully with him we are looking for some of those special traits he has to get us on the front foot and hopefully inspire the players around him.' Later on today, England will be looking for their first win of the tournament as they attempt to keep hopes of a first title since 2020 alive when they host France at the Allianz Arena. The final tie of the weekend sees Scotland welcome Ireland to Murrayfield on Sunday with both sides hoping to make it two wins from two. Following the defeats for Wales and Italy last weekend, holders Ireland got off to a winning start in the final clash of the opening round of fixtures as they came from behind to beat England 27-22 at the Aviva Stadium. With all three winning sides collecting a bonus point, they are tied on five points after one match. Meanwhile, England were the only team to secure a losing bonus point, meaning they lead Italy and Wales, who are yet to get off the mark. Sign up for free to receive Six Nations news and analysis from the experts at Telegraph Rugby - every Monday and Friday during the tournament. As Wales stare down the barrel of a 14th successive Test defeat and an 8th successive loss in the Six Nations, James Corrigan has taken a look at the demise of Warren Gatland's men and what 'could just prove the country's darkest day' in Rome. Have a read here. Confirmation from Wales that Dafydd Jenkins out through illness, and Liam Williams has a knee injury. Big blows for Wales. That means Gloucester's Freddie Thomas is at lock and Josh Hathaway comes onto the bench, with Blair Murray promoted to full-back in place of Williams. The Welsh fans are out in force in Rome as they arrive hopeful of a first win in 14 matches. 🏴 𝘿𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙘𝙝 | Strong Welsh support in Rome this afternoon 👏#GuinnessM6N — Welsh Rugby Union 🏴 (@WelshRugbyUnion) February 8, 2025 'When you're looking at picking a squad, if you make three or four changes, do those players feel like they've been made the scapegoat?' said Welsh head coach Warren Gatland, discussing his selection. 'There's a couple of forced changes, but there's an opportunity for those guys to go out and do what we did well last week. 'Also an opportunity to fix some things to change the performance.' Italy: Allan; Capuozzo, Brex, Menoncello, Ioane; P Garbisi, Page-Relo; Fischetti, Nicotera, Ferrari, N Cannone, Ruzza, Negri, Lamaro, L Cannone Replacements: Lucchesi, Rizzoli, Riccioni, Lamb, Zuliani, Vintcent, A Garbisi, Trulla. Wales: L Williams; Rogers, Tompkins, James, Adams; B Thomas, T Williams; G Thomas, Lloyd, H Thomas, Rowlands, Jenkins, Botham, Morgan (capt), Faletau. Replacements: Dee, Smith, Assiratti, F Thomas, Wainwright, R Williams, Edwards, Murray. Head coach Warren Gatland has made two changes to the side which was thumped 43-0 by France in Paris with Taulupe Faletau coming in for Aaron Wainwright and Eddie James replacing the injured Owen Watkin, who is ruled out of the rest of the tournament, for his first international start. Wales have also suffered a late injury worry with Liam Williams reportedly struggling with a knee injury so we will bring you the latest updates on the full-back's fitness. 🚨 𝗧î𝗺 𝗖𝘆𝗺𝗿𝘂 🏴Here is your Wales team for our @SixNationsRugby clash 🆚 @Federugby on Saturday afternoon at the Stadio Olympico, 14:15 KO! 🔥👇#GuinnessM6N | #ITAvWAL — Welsh Rugby Union 🏴 (@WelshRugbyUnion) February 6, 2025 Italy have made just one change to the team which started in the defeat against Scotland as Niccolo Cannone replaces Dino Lamb in the second row. 🇮🇹 Here's how @Federugby line-up to face Wales 🙌#GuinnessM6N — Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 6, 2025 Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of the Six Nations as Italy host Wales at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, with the visitors looking to end their 13-match losing streak. Having last tasted victory in October 2023 in the Rugby World Cup against Georgia, Warren Gatland's men extended their record run of defeats last Friday as they were thumped 43-0 by France in the tournament's curtain raiser in Paris. Now after suffering their second-heaviest loss in a Six Nations tie and losing to nil for the first time in all competitions since 2007, Wales are on the brink of equalling their longest-ever losing run in the various forms of the championship, as they stare down the barrel of an eighth successive Six Nations loss. With defeat in Rome likely to result in Wales slipping to their lowest ranking of 12th, below Georgia, and heading towards successive Six Nations Wooden Spoons, former fly-half Dan Biggar has labelled the Stadio Olimpico clash as the most important match for the country for the 'last 15 to 20 years'. Gatland's side, however, are up against an Italy team who have won two of the last three meetings between the nations. The most recent Italian triumph came in last year's championship as the Azzurri went on to register their best-ever finish thanks also to a draw against France and victory against Scotland. The win over the Scots was Italy's first at home in the Six Nations in 27 matches but they had no such luck in Edinburgh last Saturday as they were beaten 31-19 by Gregor Townsend's men at Murrayfield. Victory this afternoon though would see the Azzurri register back-to-back victories over Wales for the first time ever and back-to-back home victories in the Six Nations for only a second time.
