Wales 24 v 3 Italy 10/3/12 Millenium Stadium

by Glas a du Sat 10 Mar 2012, 10:56 pm

2012 RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 4

WALES V ITALY

MILLENIUM STADIUM 10/3/12 - 2.30

Referee: George Clancy
Assistants: Peter Fitzgibbon and Peter Allan
TMO: Graham Hughes
Citing Commissioner Mike Rafter

Attendance: 62,000

Man of the match - Alex Cuthbert
My choice - Ian Evans

Well, what an enigmatic game. Not quite the fable of the girl with the curl; the game was never very, very good. In fact it was riddled with unforced errors (many by Mr Clancy) but we were treated to the odd sublime flash of skill.

It was clear Wales wanted to start well. After the anthems they retreated to the try line for a last minute tackle bag session, a declaration of intent.

Alex Cuthbert, named man of the match by the BBC, was emblematic though of the first half. Anonymous in Twickenham he had been told to go looking for the ball. He popped up in midfield, broke the Italian line (no mean feat) caught cross kicks and created half chances. The offload was never quite on though, and the Italians were unstinting in their defence. Time after time Wales sent waves of attack at the Italian defences but the cracks didn't become breaches. North, Roberts, Davies, Faletau and Lydiate also broke the first line impressively, but the last line stayed stubbornly intact. Ian Evans carried up and made yards time after time. Parisse was again imperious, subduing the Welsh half backs by starving them of room and catching Halfpenny with a textbook cover tackle. All promising moves snuffed out. Cuthbert then fluffed a dolly catch. Inexplicable, but not apparently inexcusable. He provided the sublime and the ridiculous.

This could not be allowed to continue. The Sun was pleasantly warming the bones of a wintered people. A fine spring day to have the roof open. The stadium's shiny white ectoskelenton glinted in the sun. And whilst the stadium wasn't full, the attendees were in the mood for a party.

They would have to wait.

Wales lead 9-3 at half time.

The thigh slapping sumo wrestlers had thrown their salt into the ring. The bout had started with the wrestlers seemingly even, but the weight of Welsh possession and territory was about to tell.

10 minutes into the second half and the softening up process was continuing. Ghiraldini, the Italian hooker, was injured on his own ten yard line. As his treatment was coming to an end he may not have been aware of the sloppy pass thrown by his team mate on the other side of the pitch. Ghiraldini dragged himself off the floor to see Alun Wyn Jones and Ian Evans winning an excellent turn over on the floor with strong counter rucking. The Doctor left him and he hobbled into the defensive line as makeshift scrum half Justin Tipuric distributed. It was then that Priestland, like a cat eyeing a mouse, spotted him. He ran at his inside shoulder. Ghirhaldini squared up to offer the tackle as Priestland fed Roberts who faded out and angled in. Poor Ghirhaldini was turned inside out. Roberts was through and sprinted 50 yards to the posts unopposed. The Welsh sumo wrestler had spotted a weakness and had taken full advantage. He was now on top and just needed to finish his opponent off.

The game approached the hour mark and entered a frenetic stage. Wales continued to seek a second try to put the match beyond doubt. The dynamo Tipuric in his first start for Wales pulled off an excellent one handed catch and almost went in to one corner and Cuthbert got close in the other corner.

Priestland relied heavily on his boot for territory with marginal success and in attack with precious little. One kick saw the otherwise excellent Halfpenny overcommit to an aerial challenge with Parisse. The bigger man came off second best and Halfpenny, to the bays of the crowd, saw Clancy's yellow card.

Wales would not concede whilst down to 14 men and would bring on their entire bench, including a first cap for Ospreys scrum half Rhys Webb. Indeed Priestland landed a far from straight forward penalty in that time. Tipuric was again heavilly involved. Off the back of a poorly executed Italian line out in his own 22, he gathered, put in an excellent kick and chace and forced the Italian defender to find touch in his own 22. Wales pressured and even crossed the line but Clancy had already awarded them a penalty.

The result was not now in doubt. Wales eventually managed their second try. The 25th penalty of the match was taken quickly by captain Jenkins who fed Cuthbert. He scythed through the close defence and sprinted 50 yards to the corner. A valiant effort by two Italians five yards out was not enough and he stretched to claim a fine individual try.

Wales won 24-3.

Wales had almost two thirds of the territory and possession and never looked like losing, but Warren Gatland was frustrated. It was clear he didn't blame his charges for that, rather "the man with the whistle" who he described as "reasonably pedantic" after the match. I don't agree. Pedantry implies a measure of accuracy.

Wales are four from four and have their chance of a Grand Slam. If they can reduce the error and penalty count against France they have every chance.

No it was never very, very good, but it was involving enough not to become horrid either.

Wales
15 Leigh Halfpenny
14 Alex Cuthbert
13 Jonathan Davies
12 Jamie Roberts
11 George North
10 Rhys Priestland
9 Mike Phillips
1 Gethin Jenkins (c)
2 Matthew Rees
3 Adam Jones
4 Alun Wyn Jones
5 Ian Evans
6 Dan Lydiate
7 Justin Tipuric
8 Toby Faletau

16 Ken Owens
17 Paul James
18 Luke Charteris
19 Ryan Jones
20 Rhys Webb
21 James Hook
22 Scott Williams

Italy
15 Andrea Masi
14 Luke McLean
13 Gonzalo Canale
12 Alberto Scarbi
11 Mirco Bergamasco
10 Kristopher Burton
9 Fabio Semenzato
1 Andre Lo Cicero
2 Leonardo Ghiraldini
4 Quintin Geldenhuys
5 Cornelius Van Zyl
6 Alessandro Zanni
7 Simone avaro
8 Sergio Parisse (c)

16 Tommaso D'Apice
17 Fabio Staibano
18 Marco Bortolami
19 Robert Barbieri
20 Tobias Botes
21 Tommaso Benvenuti
22 Guilio Toniolatti