Wales player ratings: Tomos Williams best of a bad bunch in humiliating defeat to Italy
Wales scrum-half Tomos Willians feeds his backline against Italy.
Following a 24-21 defeat to Italy in the Six Nations clash at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, here’s how the Wales side performed on Saturday.
Wales player ratings v Italy
15 Cameron Winnett: The young Cardiff full-back will want to forget this game in a hurry as little went right for him in front of his home crowd. In the first half, he was responsible for mix up with Sam Costelow at the back while trying to field a high ball and it was spilled. He had few attacking opportunities and could not give his side momentum from the back. 5
14 Josh Adams: The experienced wing won a turnover for his side late in the opening half but apart from that he did not contribute much in this encounter. Beat with ease by Lorenzo Pani when the Italian crossed for his try and also caught out of position on defence on other occasions while he came off second best in his direct duel with Monty Ioane. 5
Solid outing in final Test appearance
13 George North: While it will not be a day the Wales legend will remember fondly due to the end result, he can be happy with his performance which was solid throughout. The 31-year-old did well as a ball carrier and finished with 47 metres gained from 12 runs with three defenders beaten and an offload. He was eventually forced off through injury in the game’s dying moments. 7
12 Nick Tompkins: Like most of Wales’ players the Saracens star did not have many positive moments. He battled on attack as he made several handling errors at crucial moments and it was not surprising when he was replaced by Mason Grady early in the second half. 4
11 Rio Dyer: Just like last week against France, the Dragons speedster was brilliant with ball in hand and he kept Italy’s defenders on their toes throughout. Made several attacking runs and finished with 56 metres gained from 10 runs which included two clean breaks. 7
10 Sam Costelow: It was a frustrating day for the Scarlets playmaker as little went right for him in this match. His decision making let him down on several occasions and he could not get the best out of his outside backs. Was prominent on defence and finished with nine tackles made before being replaced by Ioan Lloyd late on. 5
9 Tomos Williams: He was arguably Wales’ best player as he tested the Italian defence throughout with his sniping breaks, but there was little support from his team-mates. Williams came close to scoring a try midway through the second half and finished with 65 metres from seven runs with one clean break, three defenders beaten and an offload. Left the field due to injury in the 63rd minute with Kieran Hardy replacing him. 8
Planet Rugby’s player ratings key.
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8 Aaron Wainwright: Not the 26-year-old’s best day at the office as despite giving his all on attack, he had little joy as the Italian defenders closed down his space on several occasions. The Dragon also made little impact on defence. 5
7 Tommy Reffell: Like most of the other games in the Six Nations, the Leicester Tiger was excellent in the execution of his core duties with his defensive and breakdown work of a high standard for the full 80 minutes. Finished with a team-high 17 hits but less prominent with ball in hand. 7
6 Alex Mann: The Cardiff tearaway had some runs on attack but made little headway as the Azzurri‘s defence kept him in check throughout a 59-minute stint on the field. He was prominent on defence though and made 13 hits. 5
Little impact from British & Irish Lion
5 Adam Beard: Apart from his prowess in the lineouts, the British and Irish Lion brought little to the Welsh cause. Blown up for a neck roll on Federico Ruzza late in the opening half and was eventually replaced by Will Rowlands in the 52nd minute. 4
4 Dafydd Jenkins (c): As usual, the Welsh skipper did what was expected of him in the forward exchanges with his efforts in the lineouts solid throughout while he put his body on the line on defence. The Exeter Chief finished with 11 tackle completions. 6
3 Dillon Lewis: Came into the run-on side to bolster the Welsh scrum but things did not go according to plan as Italy held the upper-hand at the set-piece for most of the match. Despite that, he toiled manfully for 74 minutes and made 10 hits during his time on the field. 6
2 Elliot Dee: One of the few Welsh players who made a positive impact in this match. The Dragons hooker performed well in the execution of his core duties, with his defensive work particularly impressive as he finished with 11 tackle completions. Also showed great determination to score his side’s first try. 7
1 Gareth Thomas: The Ospreys loosehead prop was put under tremendous pressure early on in the scrums but improved in that department as the match progressed. He also put in a solid defensive shift before being replaced by Kemsley Mathias in the 74th minute. 6
Replacements: Wales head coach Warren Gatland rang the changes early in the second half with the likes of Grady and Rowlands delivering fine efforts and both were rewarded with late tries. It wasn’t enough, however, and the rest of the replacements could not match their high standards. 7
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