Six Nations – Preview – Wales vs Italy

 

Italy travels to Cardiff with history on their minds, knowing that victory over Wales could secure their best-ever Guinness Men’s Six Nations finish.

The Azzurri got the better of Scotland in Rome last weekend to end an 11-year wait for a home win in the Championship and now look for more success at Principality Stadium.

Their last trip to the Welsh capital was a memorable one, Ange Capuozzo’s stunning break set up Edoardo Padovani for a match-winning try, establishing Capuozzo as a budding superstar.

A broken finger will keep Capuozzo out this time around, but Italy have built back-three depth and are brimming with confidence after a draw and a win in their last two games.

Wales, meanwhile, have lost all four matches this Championship, narrow losses to Scotland and England coupled with heavier defeats to Ireland and most recently, France.

That should not come as a huge surprise, given Warren Gatland’s decision to put his faith in youth this campaign.

Still, you have to go back 21 years for the last time Wales failed to win a game in the Championship.

They will be desperate to avoid matching the class of 2003, not least because George North – one of the last remaining players from the golden generation that won two Grand Slams and two more Championships in the 2010s – will bring the curtain down on his remarkable international career after this game.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has made four changes from the side that was beaten by France, including a new-look midfield.

George North returns for his final international appearance, and he will line up at outside centre alongside Nick Tompkins, with the duo preferred to Owen Watkin and Joe Roberts.

The rest of the backline is the same, but up front, Alex Mann comes back at blindside flanker, meaning that skipper Dafydd Jenkins shifts back into the second row and Will Rowlands drops to the bench.

The final change sees Dillon Lewis start at tighthead prop, opening up a space for the uncapped Harri O’Connor on the bench.

Retiring Wales centre George North said: “It’s not been an easy decision for me, although it feels like the right time and it’s the best thing for me and my family,” he admitted.

“I’ve been very fortunate to live a dream not many people get to do. And to be able to do it at home in front of a sold-out stadium with my family around me seems like the best way for me to start my next chapter.”

Italy have made three changes of their own. Lorenzo Pani comes in for the injured Capuozzo at full-back, while Stephen Varney is restored to the starting line-up at scrum-half as Martin Page-Relo slots in with the replacements.

Last, but not least, Lorenzo Cannone is back into the starting XV at No.8 as Ross Vintcent returns to the bench.

Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada said: “We have a really tough match awaiting us on Saturday. We will be in Cardiff, in a full stadium against a Wales team that will be hungry for points, desperate to win and saying goodbye to one of their best players in recent years: George North. We need to be careful because in almost every game, they have been in the game against their opponents: in particular in the second half against Scotland and the first hour against England and France.

Teams:

Wales: 15 Cameron Winnett; 14 Josh Adams; 13 George North, 12 Nick Tompkins; 11 Rio Dyer; 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Tomos Williams; 1⁠ ⁠Gareth Thomas, 2 Elliot Dee, 3 Dillon Lewis; 4 Dafydd Jenkins (c), 5 Adam Beard; 6 Alex Mann, 7 Tommy Reffell, 8 Aaron Wainwright. Replacements: 16 Evan Lloyd, 17 Kemsley Mathias, 18 Harri O’Connor, 19 Will Rowlands, 20 Mackenzie Martin, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Ioan Lloyd, 23 Mason Grady.

Italy: 15. Lorenzo Pani; 14. Louis Lynagh; 13. Ignacio Brex, 12. Tommaso Menoncello; 11. Monty Ioane; 10. Paolo Garbisi, 9. Stephen Varney; 1. Danilo Fischetti, 2. Giacomo Nicotera, 3. Simone Ferrari; 4. Niccolò Cannone, 5. Federico Ruzza; 6. Sebastian Negri, 7. Michele Lamaro (c), 8. Lorenzo Cannone. Replacements: 16. Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17. Mirco Spagnolo, 18. Giosuè Zilocchi, 19. Andrea Zambonin, 20. Ross Vintcent, 21. Manuel Zuliani, 22. Martin Page-Relo, 23. Leonardo Marin.