Wales v Italy 6 Nations - Saturday 1st Feb 2020 - match thread

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Wales v Italy match thread

Wales



Italy





Teams:

Wales:

L Halfpenny (Scarlets); J McNicholl (Scarlets), G North (Ospreys), H Parkes (Scarlets), J Adams (Cardiff Blues); D Biggar (Northampton), T Williams (Cardiff Blues); W Jones (Scarlets), K Owens (Scarlets), D Lewis (Cardiff Blues), J Ball (Scarlets), A W Jones (Ospreys, capt), A Wainwright (Dragons), J Tipuric (Ospreys), T Faletau (Bath).

Replacements: R Elias (Scarlets), R Evans (Scarlets), L Brown (Dragons), C Hill (Dragons), R Moriarty (Dragons), R Webb (Toulon), J Evans (Cardiff Blues), N Tompkins (Saracens)


15. Matteo Minozzi (Wasps) – 16 caps
14. Leonardo Sarto (Benetton Rugby) – 34 caps
13. Luca Morisi (Benetton Rugby) – 29 caps
12. Carlo Canna (Zebre) – 39 caps
11. Mattia Bellini (Zebre) – 22 caps
10. Tommaso Allan (Benetton Rugby) – 54 caps
9. Callum Braley (Gloucester) – 5 caps

1. Giosuè Zilocchi (Zebre) – 2 caps
2. Luca Bigi (c) (Zebre) – 24 caps
3. Andrea Lovotti (Zebre) – 40 caps
4. Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Rugby) – 117 caps
5. Niccolò Cannone (Benetton Rugby) – uncapped
6. Sebastian Negri (Benetton Rugby) – 22 caps
7. Jake Polledri (Gloucester) – 13 caps
8. Abraham Steyn (Benetton Rugby) – 36 caps

Replacements

16. Federico Zani (Benetton Rugby) – 13 caps
17. Danilo Fischetti (Zebre) – uncapped
18. Marco Riccioni (Benetton Rugby) – 7 caps
19. Marco Lazzaroni (Benetton Rugby) – 4 caps
20. Dean Budd (Benetton Rugby) – 26 caps
21. Giovanni Licata (Zebre) – 8 caps
22. Guglielmo Palazzani (Zebre) – 36 caps
23. Jayden Hayward (Benetton Rugby) – 23 caps

[Guest]

It's a good team. No complaints considering it's Italy and the injuries. Expect Gareth Davies to be recalled for the next fixture with Webb missing out.

Yes a good team nonetheless. I think the only position I'd really argue about would be starting a different TH over Dillon Lewis. But perhaps he's shown up best in training, so happy to go with Pivac on that.

[mikey_dragon]

People must see something in Dillon Lewis that I don't. Hope he improves in the scrum - it would be awkward if he didn't but Cardiff fans continued to bitch about Leon Brown's scrummaging...

[chris_501]

A good selection. A bit of pressure on Dillon Lewis and North at OC to perform well, with ready made replacements on the bench. Hopefully Jarrod Evans and Elias will get some game time too, delighted to see Faletau back.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

I guess in Tomas Francis's absence, he's next in line, after the World Cup. My concern would be how little rugby he's played since then, but I'm sure they know what they're doing!

[BigGee]

Surprising he did not put LRZ on the bench, surely this would have been the perfect game to give him a taste of international rugby and get him capped.

Subsequent games are just going to see the pressure ramped up.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

Surprising he did not put  LRZ on the bench, surely this would have been the perfect game to give him a taste of international rugby and get him capped.

Subsequent games are just going to see the pressure ramped up.

It would, but if Pivac doesn't think he has the all-round game for Test rugby quite yet, it's right that he hasn't put him in.

I quite like the pragmatism of it, which surprises me because I'm usually all for taking a risk on raw talent.

[LondonTiger]

Well that's a bit underwhelming!  Not many new starts there. Safety first.

Agreed. I guess being the first test for Pivac it always would be, but I just do not see McNicholl, North (as a centre) or Parkes ever being anything more than stop gaps.

[mikey_dragon]

It's too conservative for Italy. Be interesting to see how Wales execute though. I wonder if Pivac is going to be one of those NZ coaches that chops and changes their international team a lot, which would make sense when you consider the great potential and calibre of players to come in.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

The big question now from a fantasy rugby point of view is whether Biggar or Halfpenny will be kicking at goal!

[maestegmafia]

Happy with that team good to see a few new faces and a mix of selection. George North could prove to be very useful running an angle in at the 10-12 channel.

Sad to hear about Navidi though. Such a talent.

Can’t wait

[BigGee]

Happy with that team good to see a few new faces and a mix of selection. George North could prove to be very useful running an angle in at the 10-12 channel.

Sad to hear about Navidi though. Such a talent.

Can’t wait

I can't see North playing OC against one of the better teams, he will get exposed defensively. He is not the best of tacklers even on the wing and OC is possibly the hardest position to defend on the park.

[RiscaGame]

WOL’s sources are pretty off now Delme has gone then.

Feel a little underwhelmed with the squad, but obviously there is a bit of pressure on the new coaching team. It’s a bit of a shame to not include LRZ and to a certain extent Brown or John not starting.

Massive shame for Navidi though. I assume he would probably have been on the bench instead of Moriarty.

[maestegmafia]

Happy with that team good to see a few new faces and a mix of selection. George North could prove to be very useful running an angle in at the 10-12 channel.

Sad to hear about Navidi though. Such a talent.

Can’t wait

I can't see North playing OC against one of the better teams, he will get exposed defensively. He is not the best of tacklers even on the wing and OC is possibly the hardest position to defend on the park.

Aye we all have our reservations about the defence he can muster, but defence can be taught where as being big, strong and covert fast can’t..!

I was hoping to see Tompkins there, but I’m not too upset about it.

Italy are not a weak side, they’ll create problems. This is a good test for George

[BigGee]

Happy with that team good to see a few new faces and a mix of selection. George North could prove to be very useful running an angle in at the 10-12 channel.

Sad to hear about Navidi though. Such a talent.

Can’t wait

I can't see North playing OC against one of the better teams, he will get exposed defensively. He is not the best of tacklers even on the wing and OC is possibly the hardest position to defend on the park.

Aye we all have our reservations about the defence he can muster, but defence can be taught where as being big, strong and covert fast can’t..!

I was hoping to see Tompkins there, but I’m not too upset about it.

Italy are not a weak side, they’ll create problems. This is a good test for George

Probably likely that they will bring Tompkins on during second half, when the match may well be done and then maybe start him the following week if all goes well. That sound much more plausible as a longer term plan.

[LondonTiger]

Italy team to play Wales in Cardiff – Saturday 1 February (kick-off 2.15pm):

15. Matteo Minozzi (Wasps) – 16 caps
14. Leonardo Sarto (Benetton Rugby) – 34 caps
13. Luca Morisi (Benetton Rugby) – 29 caps
12. Carlo Canna (Zebre) – 39 caps
11. Mattia Bellini (Zebre) – 22 caps
10. Tommaso Allan (Benetton Rugby) – 54 caps
9. Callum Braley (Gloucester) – 5 caps

1. Giosuè Zilocchi (Zebre) – 2 caps
2. Luca Bigi (c) (Zebre) – 24 caps
3. Andrea Lovotti (Zebre) – 40 caps
4. Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Rugby) – 117 caps
5. Niccolò Cannone (Benetton Rugby) – uncapped
6. Sebastian Negri (Benetton Rugby) – 22 caps
7. Jake Polledri (Gloucester) – 13 caps
8. Abraham Steyn (Benetton Rugby) – 36 caps

Replacements

16. Federico Zani (Benetton Rugby) – 13 caps
17. Danilo Fischetti (Zebre) – uncapped
18. Marco Riccioni (Benetton Rugby) – 7 caps
19. Marco Lazzaroni (Benetton Rugby) – 4 caps
20. Dean Budd (Benetton Rugby) – 26 caps
21. Giovanni Licata (Zebre) – 8 caps
22. Guglielmo Palazzani (Zebre) – 36 caps
23. Jayden Hayward (Benetton Rugby) – 23 caps

[Luckless Pedestrian]

Franco Smith has confirmed that Italy want the roof shut.

[Guest]

Cheers, LT. I'll update the OP.

[maestegmafia]

Brilliant I fancy sending George North at Carlo Canna a few times to test his defence with the wings waiting for an offload

[Gooseberry]

Can we run a sweepstakes on how long it takes the commentators to mention Parisse? Discouting studio pundits I'm going for during the introduction to the Italian team rundown.

[maestegmafia]

Can we run a sweepstakes on how long it takes the commentators to mention Parisse? Discouting studio pundits I'm going for during the introduction to the Italian team rundown.

They’ll get it in before that mate, he’s the only Italian player most of them know anything about, gone are the days when you had the brilliant Bill MaClaren who did his research

[Guest]

It's a good team. No complaints considering it's Italy and the injuries. Expect Gareth Davies to be recalled for the next fixture with Webb missing out.

Yes a good team nonetheless.  I think the only position I'd really argue about would be starting a different TH over Dillon Lewis.  But perhaps he's shown up best in training, so happy to go with Pivac on that.

He's the only one with recent tier 1 experience so it makes sense. This tournament is a good chance for players to win the shirt and prop is one of those positions up for grabs.

[Guest]

Well that's a bit underwhelming!  Not many new starts there. Safety first.

Agreed. I guess being the first test for Pivac it always would be, but I just do not see McNicholl, North (as a centre) or Parkes ever being anything more than stop gaps.

McNicholl is a very good player. A lot more Super Rugby experience than Parkes had. He should be an ever present in the squad from now on until 2023.

[RiscaGame]

Some things never change, I guess. Few trained well mentions from Pivac.

[maestegmafia]

Some things never change, I guess. Few trained well mentions from Pivac.

. Sounds like a number didn’t train enough. several of the squad had to head back to one club or another midweek last week and were therefor not considered ahead for of players who stayed. Fair enough...!

Also I’ve never heard a coach say that a player trained badly? But I’m sure if a player did they wouldn’t get selected...!

[Guest]

Finn Russell was practically invisible in training last week, I heard.

[maestegmafia]

Will wales have lost their gritty edge is the question I most want answered this weekend.

Despite a few training matches last summer wales have barely lost a game of international rugby in nearly two years...! In fact take out the training games and they have lost two, one by three points to the now World Champions.

We have injuries, we have exciting prospects to fill gaps but the core of the team is little different to that which has been so hard to beat, that has ground out so many wins. A Grandslam and bowing out of the RWC to the finalists in an extremely close semi final last year.

This squad has a core strength, a captain and a belief that knows how to win more so than the rest of the teams.

I will be bitterly disappointed if that has gone since Japan so much so that I am surprised to see SCW and a few others ranking Wales as likely candidates to come fourth.

Mind you I am damn happy with the underdog tag..

[maestegmafia]

This is an article on the changes that Pivac is making at the moment...!

“The upshot of it all is that the new Wales management understand that their predecessors were getting things right, which is why they haven’t gone in and made wholesale changes”.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/wayne-pivac-wales-rugby-team-17650990

[Guest]

I'm not sure Wales Online is the place for hard hitting analysis of anything to be honest. A lot of hot air and guff mostly.

[Welshmushroom]

Got to be honest I would have preferred a different backline. Tomkins should have started and I would have put McNicholl at 15 as I think he runs better attacking lines and 15 is a great position to do that from.

Would have probably dropped North for this one from the starting 23. Personally I would have selected Conbeer in the squad and on the wing against Italy as even though people are raving about Zammit, Conbeer has been really good for the Scarlets as well scoring in 4 out of 10 matches for them. Plus he's regionally based so I doubt they would have had any training and resting issues had they selected him instead.

[maestegmafia]

Got to be honest I would have preferred a different backline.  Tomkins should have started and I would have put McNicholl at 15 as I think he runs better attacking lines and 15 is a great position to do that from.

Would have probably dropped North for this one from the starting 23.  Personally I would have selected Conbeer in the squad and on the wing against Italy as even though people are raving about Zammit, Conbeer has been really good for the Scarlets as well scoring in 4 out of 10 matches for them.  Plus he's regionally based so I doubt they would have had any training and resting issues had they selected him instead.

Raised all the same points myself a few pages back. Including adding Conbeer for Lane..! Apparently Luke Morgan is in Camp not part of the squad.

[RiscaGame]

Got to be honest I would have preferred a different backline.  Tomkins should have started and I would have put McNicholl at 15 as I think he runs better attacking lines and 15 is a great position to do that from.

Would have probably dropped North for this one from the starting 23.  Personally I would have selected Conbeer in the squad and on the wing against Italy as even though people are raving about Zammit, Conbeer has been really good for the Scarlets as well scoring in 4 out of 10 matches for them.  Plus he's regionally based so I doubt they would have had any training and resting issues had they selected him instead.

Raised all the same points myself a few pages back. Including adding Conbeer for Lane..! Apparently Luke Morgan is in Camp not part of the squad.

As is Taine Basham.

[maestegmafia]

Got to be honest I would have preferred a different backline.  Tomkins should have started and I would have put McNicholl at 15 as I think he runs better attacking lines and 15 is a great position to do that from.

Would have probably dropped North for this one from the starting 23.  Personally I would have selected Conbeer in the squad and on the wing against Italy as even though people are raving about Zammit, Conbeer has been really good for the Scarlets as well scoring in 4 out of 10 matches for them.  Plus he's regionally based so I doubt they would have had any training and resting issues had they selected him instead.

Raised all the same points myself a few pages back. Including adding Conbeer for Lane..! Apparently Luke Morgan is in Camp not part of the squad.

As is Taine Basham.

That’s good too...!

[mikey_dragon]

I think Conbeer and Morgan are well down the pecking order personally. No point in comparing them to Rees-Zammit, he is much better than both of them.

[wayne]

Got to be honest I would have preferred a different backline.  Tomkins should have started and I would have put McNicholl at 15 as I think he runs better attacking lines and 15 is a great position to do that from.

Would have probably dropped North for this one from the starting 23.  Personally I would have selected Conbeer in the squad and on the wing against Italy as even though people are raving about Zammit, Conbeer has been really good for the Scarlets as well scoring in 4 out of 10 matches for them.  Plus he's regionally based so I doubt they would have had any training and resting issues had they selected him instead.

Raised all the same points myself a few pages back. Including adding Conbeer for Lane..! Apparently Luke Morgan is in Camp not part of the squad.

Maes, Dewi Lake is also helping with the squad, probably doing the same as for the Baa Baa's game in the Autumn.

[maestegmafia]

Dewi is definitely one for the future.

Tough player and a good rugby brain too, did a great job last year in the U20s

[mikey_dragon]

I wouldn't mind Dewi moving to Dragons, we could give him some game time. He's quite promising and reminds me of Adrian Strauss a little.

[mikey_dragon]

Pivac isn't stupid is he. I figure this is why they're telling Welsh players to get back in, so they can call players into an extended training squad.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

I wouldn't mind Dewi moving to Dragons, we could give him some game time. He's quite promising and reminds me of Adrian Strauss a little.

The Ospreys probably know what a prospect they've got there.

[mikey_dragon]

I wouldn't mind Dewi moving to Dragons, we could give him some game time. He's quite promising and reminds me of Adrian Strauss a little.

The Ospreys probably know what a prospect they've got there.

Makes me wonder why they consider him 4th choice then. He must have featured in like one game this season? Otten is a decent back-up but he looked too small for front row when I seen him at RP. I mean with us, Lake could potentially overtake Hibbard in a short space of time. If not us then Blues, he could overtake Dacey quite easily.

[maestegmafia]

I wouldn't mind Dewi moving to Dragons, we could give him some game time. He's quite promising and reminds me of Adrian Strauss a little.

The Ospreys probably know what a prospect they've got there.

Makes me wonder why they consider him 4th choice then. He must have featured in like one game this season? Otten is a decent back-up but he looked too small for front row when I seen him at RP. I mean with us, Lake could potentially overtake Hibbard in a short space of time. If not us then Blues, he could overtake Dacey quite easily.

Not sure of the reason he’s not played much..? Did he have an injury? Maybe he can’t play in the back line, we are so low on staff we use forwards in midfield now

[Guest]

Hopefully we all get a good look at Tompkins tomorrow.

[maestegmafia]

First time in a few years where we have not had two out and out open sides vying for a cap. I wonder how much Pivac will alter his Backrow this year? Tips and Faletau are first choice selections, let’s hope they both go a championship un-injured. But the six shirt could well see some rotation. Changing the six offers a number of different dynamics as the players in contention all have very different attributes.
Navidi hasn’t been released from the squad despite medics referring that he will be unable to play until the last round. Might be a good chance to call in another player, maybe Dan Thomas at Bristol, to take a look at what he can do. Basham is already with the squad.

[mikey_dragon]

If Navidi is unavailable for that long then he may as well sit this tournament out and we can give the opportunity to one of the many available 7's.

[maestegmafia]

If Navidi is unavailable for that long then he may as well sit this tournament out and we can give the opportunity to one of the many available 7's.

That’s what I think too, we do have a few injuries to the seven contingent. Thomas Young is probably next in line, james Davies injured and Ollie Griffiths is generally injured all the time poor lad, hope they both get fit and firing again soon.

I don’t see the MacLeod or Sam Cross route being a sensible option so I think they are right to incorporate Basham into the squad but I would also maybe take a look at dan Thomas and maybe Scarlets Dan Davies too...?

[maestegmafia]

Webb and Tompkins to come on early in the second half and really push our attacking game to a new level

[BigGee]

HIA for McNichol following his kick in the mouth, on comes Tompkins

[No 7&1/2]

Always a funny one. That's reckless play by jones and if he were wearing blue he'd be off with a yellow.

[BigGee]

Biggar has got the kicking boots on today

Wales 9-0 up and coasting

[BigGee]

Good try from Adams, a bit of work to do but made it look easy

14-0 Wales

[Duty281]

Italy are still utterly hopeless and add nothing to this competition.

February 2015 was the last time they won a Six Nations game.

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