Wales to cruise to comfortable win over Italy

David Skippers

Wales head coach Wayne Pivac will hope his team can make a big statement when they host Italy in their Six Nations opener in Cardiff on Saturday.

As the tournament’s defending champions and 2019 Grand Slam winners, the home side will not be satisfied with anything other than a convincing win against the Azzurri, who head into this fixture after suffering defeats in their last 22 matches in the tournament.

It’s the dawning of a new era for both sides as Pivac and his counterpart, Italy head coach Franco Smith, are starting out after taking over Warren Gatland and Conor O’Shea in their respective roles.

Pivac, in particular, has a difficult task as Gatland is Wales’ most successful coach, who guided them to four Six Nations titles, of which three were Grand Slams as well as two World Cup semi-finals since he took charge of the team in 2007.

Although that is a tough act to follow, Pivac is up for the challenge and will be hoping to continue the good work done by his predecessor.

Meanwhile, Smith’s appointment as O’Shea’s successor is a temporary one so every match in this year’s tournament will be used as an audition for him to get the job on a permanent basis.

If truth be told, Wales should win this match at a canter as they have dominated this fixture in recent years. These sides have played against each other on 27 previous occasions – since their first Test in 1994 – and Wales have been victorious on 24 occasions while Italy have won twice and there has been one draw.

The Azzurri’s last triumph came way back in 2007, when they edged Wales 23-20 in Rome, and they are yet to win a match in Cardiff.

Despite those statistics, Wales attack coach Stephen Jones is not underestimating their opponents and expects a tough encounter this weekend.

“We’ve got a huge amount of respect for Italy,” he said.

“They’ve got a new coach at the helm in Franco and he is a very creative coach. They are a team we respect and we need to ensure we are mentally in the right place for this game.

“It’s an amazing tournament to be a part of both as a player and a coach. I’m looking forward to it immensely. It’s a pleasure to work with this group of players. They are working very hard.

“The effort they put in on the training pitch is superb and we are chomping at the bit.

“We’ve got options which is great and we can’t wait for the game.”

Despite being overwhelming underdogs, Smith is confident his charges will give a good account of themselves.

“We have worked a lot these days, on and off the pitch, in full synergy with all the staff and players,” he told Reuters.

“We know our potential and what we can give. I have faith in the team and can’t wait to see them on the pitch against Wales.”

Players to watch:

For Wales: With New Zealand-born flyer Johnny McNicholl set to make his Test bow, regular right wing George North has been shifted to outside centre for this encounter. McNicholl’s selection is an exciting one as he is a proven try-scorer, who impressed with a well-taken try on debut for Wales in an uncapped international against the Barbarians last year. Meanwhile, North is inexperienced in his new position at Test level but he has played there for the Ospreys recently. The 27-year-old will be under pressure to rise to the occasion as he replaces Jonathan Davies, who is one of the best number 13s in the international arena. Also keep an eye on the other wing, Josh Adams, who is in a rich vein of form after finishing as the top try-scorer at the recent World Cup. Adams is a superb finisher, who usually converts try-scoring opportunities and he will be keen to continue where left off in Japan.

For Italy: In Carlo Canna, who starts at inside centre, the Azzurri also have a player in an unfamiliar position in their back-line. The 27-year-old plies his trade as a fly-half at club level for Zebre and it will be interesting to see how he fares alongside first-choice number 10 Tommaso Allan. To select dual playmakers is a massive risk from head coach Smith – as both Allan and Canna are not renowned for the defensive capabilities – but after several winless years in the Six Nations, this decision is worth a gamble especially so early in competition. Another player who will be keen to do well is Abraham Steyn, who will start at number eight for the Azzurri. He has big boots to fill as he takes the position of former Italy captain Sergio Parisse, who is arguably the best player to ever represent his country.

Head-to-head: The back-row battle will be an important one, particularly the duel between the openside flankers – Justin Tipuric of Wales and Italy’s Jake Polledri, who have big roles to play in this match. Both had impressive World Cup campaigns in Japan last year and will keen to continue where they left off at the global showpiece. Although they are not similar in the way they approach the game, both will be at the forefront for their respective sides’ in the forward battle. Tipuric is the more experienced player, who is a brilliant defender and a real menace at the breakdown. Polledri is no slouch in either of those departments, although his real strength is his ball carrying and he will be crucial in helping his side cross the gain-line with some powerful surges.

Previous results:

2019: Wales won 26-15 in Rome
2018: Wales won 38-14 in Cardiff
2017: Wales won 33-7 in Rome
2016: Wales won 67-14 in Cardiff
2015: Wales won 23-19 in Cardiff
2015: Wales won 61-20 in Rome
2014: Wales won 23-15 in Cardiff
2013: Wales won 26-9 in Rome

Prediction: Although Italy should be competitive during the early stages of this game, their hosts will soon take control of proceedings and cruise to a comfortable win. Wales to win by 20 points.

The teams:

Wales: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Johnny McNicholl, 13 George North, 12 Hadleigh Parkes, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Justin Tipuric, 6 Aaron Wainwright, 5 Alun Wyn Jones (c), 4 Jake Ball, 3 Dillon Lewis, 2 Ken Owens, 1 Wyn Jones
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Rob Evans, 18 Leon Brown, 19 Cory Hill, 20 Ross Moriarty, 21 Rhys Webb, 22 Jarrod Evans, 23 Nick Tompkins

Italy: 15 Matteo Minozzi, 14 Leonardo Sarto, 13 Luca Morisi, 12 Carlo Canna, 11 Mattia Bellini, 10 Tommaso Allan, 9 Callum Braley, 8 Abraham Steyn, 7 Jake Polledri, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Niccolò Cannone, 4 Alessandro Zanni, 3 Andrea Lovotti, 2 Luca Bigi (c), 1 Giosuè Zilocchi
Replacements: 16 Federico Zani, 17 Danilo Fischetti, 18 Marco Riccioni, 19 Marco Lazzaroni, 20 Dean Budd, 21 Giovanni Licata, 22 Guglielmo Palazzani, 23 Jayden Hayward

Date: Saturday, February 1
Venue: Principality Stadium
Kick-off: 14:15 GMT
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant referees: Matthew Carley (England), Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
TMO: James Leckie (Australia)