Italy vs Wales Match Thread

[maestegmafia]

First topic message reminder :

SIX NATIONS: ITALY V WALES
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Date: Saturday 23 February Kick-off: 14:30 GMT
Coverage: Watch live on BBC One Wales, BBC One HD, Red Button and online; listen on BBC Radio Wales & online and BBC Radio Cymru; live text commentary on BBC Sport website; watch again on BBC iPlayer; highlights on Sunday's Scrum V

Wales team to face Italy:

Leigh Halfpenny. Alex Cuthbert, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, George North, Dan Biggar, Mike Phillips; Gethin Jenkins, Richard Hibbard, Adam Jones, Andrew Coombs, Ian Evans, Ryan Jones (captain), Justin Tipuric, Toby Faletau

Replacements: Ken Owens, Paul James, Craig Mitchell, Alun Wyn Jones, Sam Warburton, Lloyd Williams, James Hook, Scott Williams.



Italian Team to Face Wales:

Andrea Masi (Wasps); Giovanbattista Venditti (Zebre), Tommaso Benvenuti (Treviso), Gonzalo Canale (La Rochelle), Luke McLean (Treviso); Kristopher Burton (Treviso), Edoardo Gori (Treviso); Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing Metro), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Treviso), Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester, capt), Antonio Pavanello (Treviso), Francesco Minto (Treviso), Alessandro Zanni (Treviso), Simone Favaro (Treviso), Manoa Vosawai (Treviso).
Replacements: Davide Giazzon (Zebre), Alberto De Marchi (Treviso), Lorenzo Cittadini (Treviso), Quentin Geldenhuys (Zebre), Paul Derbyshire (Treviso), Tobias Botes (Treviso), Luciano Orquera (Zebre), Gonzalo Garcia (Zebre).

[Guest]

The problem is, if we keep it as is Poite is a lottery at the scrum, and he's worth 9 points to both teams normally with scrum penaltys alone!

Wales need to give the wider chanells a go, look to exploit the 13 shoulder, but passes will be safe and not slick at all.

If nothing else Italy will be shocked by the ball going wide.

Your last line sums it up for me. Variety is the spice of life, and the thing that keeps defences 'honest' (I'm full of them today!). Without variety then defending is easy as they know what's coming. I'd like to see Biggar mix it up a bit: chips over, grubbers, running, setting the backs going, etc. Lets get behind them, get them facing their own try line and put the pressure on.

[Cari]

They've pinched the fella from S4C - Shane was just too nervous. He said so himself.

[Barney McGrew did it]

Looks like Italy have sent their football team out - schoolboy error.

[Looseheaded]

Great work there from Biggar to stop that

[wales606]

Well done Biggar, thought that was a Italian try!

Welsh players need to learn how to catch

[nathan]

i think that should of been a pen try.

[Guest]

i think that should of been a pen try.

You would

[thebluesmancometh]

Griff

Getting behind them is key, and something both teams are doing. Italy just got behind us, and see what happened?

[100%beefy]

coombs needs a rest

[nathan]

i think that should of been a pen try.

You would

so did jiffy.....

[Guest]

He said very well done Dan Biggar?

[George Carlin]

Hoping to get a coveted Mrs GC Pass for the rest of this game. They're not easy to get, these.

Looks like a tense, attritional armwrestle from these posts.

Surely that means Wales will pull through?

[thebluesmancometh]

And I agree defences are looking good because they know exactly whats coming, we need a Biggar style variety in the kicking, crossfield or grubber a few!!

[nathan]

He said very well done Dan Biggar?

and then on the replay said it was a case for a penalty....

[Looseheaded]

JD2s first touch i think?

[nathan]

TRY Wales!

[wales606]

Jonathan Davies' first touch on 45 minutes.

[thebluesmancometh]

THERE YOU GO, Phillips mixed the kicking game up and Italy struggle. Just what we were syaing we needed to try.

Have to give credit to Phillips for that, and he has been poor so far!!!

[nobbled]

Well done Wales - what a bounce!

[Morgannwg]

A nice lucky try!

[Guest]

Yep, good stuff

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

Thats why you play pressure

[100%beefy]

Is JD2 even on the pitch?

[Cari]

Bonza! It was nothing flash, and the bounce was lucky, but it's a try!!!

6-16 at 46 minutes.

Meanwhile, Melon is off with a limp. PJ will be on.

[nathan]

THERE YOU GO, Phillips mixed the kicking game up and Italy struggle. Just what we were syaing we needed to try.

Have to give credit to Phillips for that, and he has been poor so far!!!

mixing it up? he's been box kicking like that all game.

[Morgannwg]

THERE YOU GO, Phillips mixed the kicking game up and Italy struggle. Just what we were syaing we needed to try.

Have to give credit to Phillips for that, and he has been poor so far!!!

[Guest]

The Halfpenny in field kick: discuss!

[Guest]

What's with all of the Bond music???

[nathan]

What's with all of the Bond music???

lol, i was thinking that. peraps the italians think bond is welsh?

[wales606]

Lineout has not been going well, pity Matthew Rees isn't on the bench

[thebluesmancometh]

nathan

Disagree mate, his box kicking is normally way too long, or innacurate. And he's been poor with the foot today but he spotted the FB out of position and all you can ask for with an attacking kick in the opposing half is for a bounce.

[nobbled]

I always thought taking a man in the air was an immediate yellow?

[thebluesmancometh]

At 10 points down Italy are in trouble, and unless they hit back quick they'll need to play risky

[nathan]

I always thought taking a man in the air was an immediate yellow?

i must of missed that, the pen was in at the side.

[Cari]

9-16 at 50 minutes.

[Cari]

What's with all of the Bond music???

Ah! Is that what it is? I was trying to work out where I'd heard it before...I thought it was something from The Italian Job.

[Looseheaded]

Biggar's having a cracking match considering the conditions.

Very few mistakes on his part, good hands and a boot. Solid.

[nathan]

harly sorting out the lineout issues with that sub.

[Guest]

Scrum time!

[100%beefy]

harly sorting out the lineout issues with that sub.

ken will hit his man who will drop the ball and for good ness sake keep him away from kick offs

[thebluesmancometh]

loose

It's his type of game though isn't it.

[nobbled]

Brain Moore would be going spare as Wales are binding on the arm every time!

[Cari]

Lovely kick Halfapee! I wondered where that was going...!

[Guest]

It's great to see us having a situation where our bench can strengthen us in the pack. Rarely in my memory has that been the case. We've been dominant in terms of smashing the scrum, and then bring on Paul James who's even better at scrummaging than Gethin. Good stuff.

[Morgannwg]

Wales have dominated almost every single scrum. There were two Italian scrums in their half which they took down and unfortunately the penalty went against us.

[Looseheaded]

loose

It's his type of game though isn't it.

Well yeah definitely but it's just great to see a welsh 10 with composure and control regardless of weather or pressure, I've missed it so much.

[thebluesmancometh]

Oh Phillips mun!!

[nathan]

interesting to see what happens with italys scrum now.

[t1000advancedprototype]

Phillips is farcical. All those players outside!

[nathan]

Oh Phillips mun!!

not going to comment on that one! lol

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