3 things we learned - Italy vs Wales

Over the years Italy have been able to hold their own in the opening 40 of their encounters, however it has become a common occurrence for the Azzurri to implode in the second half and allow the floodgates to open. It is believed that with Conor O'Shea coming in that this trend can be mended, though based on today's performance against Wales it would appear that the new management has not had much luck. If Italy are to have any hope of succeeding in this year's 6 Nations, they will certainly have to concentrate on their ability to see out a game.

 

 

A rather controversial moment of today's encounter was Braam Steyn's big hit on Ross Moriarty. Issues were raised by JP Doyle regarding what appeared to be quite a good tackle, with the referee seeking verification from the TMO on whether a card should be issued for the hit. With World Rugby looking to crack down on dangerous tackles, it would appear that what would have been standard last year, such as Steyn's tackle, will now result in a minimum punishment of a penalty. 

 

 

 

While Wales struggled to create chances in the first half due to a great defensive effort by Italy, the second half was a totally different story. After the interval the Welsh back line were provided with several opportunities to punish this Italian side, and they certainly took their chances when they arose, with Jonathan Davies, Liam Williams and George North all crossing the whitewash in the second half. With the pace and strength provided by the likes of George North and Liam Williams, it's clear that, given the opportunity, Wales will tear through a defense. This was made painfully clear to Italy today when North made a blistering run for his score from his 22.