In the Six Nations Rugby Championship held in Rome, the Italian team defeated Wales with its strong performance, further exacerbating the Welsh team's predicament. The match was closely contested, but the Italian team ultimately prevailed, securing a crucial victory.
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02-11, 2025Ange Capuozzo opened the scoring for the home side with exquisite skill, and Italy maintained their lead from then on. Although Wales launched a powerful attacking surge in the final stages of the match, with Aaron Wainwright scoring a try, and earning a penalty try and two yellow cards, Italy ultimately held on with 13 players.
However, Wales' own lack of discipline led to previous mistakes, ultimately failing to turn the tide and encountering a predicament of continuous losses. This defeat marks Wales' 14th consecutive loss and also pushes them to a historical low of 12th in the world rankings, undoubtedly increasing the pressure on head coach Warren Gatland.
The Italian team, as the favorites in this match, faced unprecedented expectations, but they calmly handled the pressure and seized the only opportunity they had. On the other hand, Wales lost two key players on the morning of the match, with Dafydd Jenkins absent due to illness and Liam Williams withdrawing due to a knee injury.
On the day of the match, both teams had to overcome the impact of torrential rain, making it even more difficult to maintain possession in these harsh weather conditions. The adverse conditions highlighted the importance of precision, discipline, and efficiency, and Wales performed poorly in these areas. They committed 15 handling errors, compared to Italy's mere 4, which was only part of the problem, while Tommaso Allan's 17 points from penalties revealed another part.
Wales, although possessing more possession, did not effectively utilize it, just like in the match in Paris a week ago, and their attack appeared too predictable. In contrast, the Italian team performed with more confidence and intelligence, and dominated in key kicking situations and scrums, with number 8 Lorenzo Cannone standing out.
Gatland's decision to replace midfielder Nick Tompkins – who briefly left the field due to injury – with an inexperienced winger, Josh Hathaway, rather than the experienced midfielder Ben Thomas, exposed problems in Italy's first try. Hathaway was deceived by Paulo Garbisi's dummy, creating space for Capuozzo, who suddenly appeared and scored a try with brilliant skill.
Welsh winger Adams should have narrowed Italy's 16-3 lead before halftime, but he failed to catch Tomos Williams' cleverly kicked ball over the goal. In a match with so few opportunities, this was a costly mistake, and it epitomized Wales' predicament. Adams' pain was compounded by a yellow card in the second half, and Wales' mistakes continued to mount, with Italy even able to withstand missing three penalty opportunities in seven minutes.
Wales finally showed some improvement in the last 12 minutes, with the substitute forwards playing a role. But it was too late, and Italy were not to be denied this victory, their first home win against Wales in 18 years, and the rain in Rome was filled with cheers.
