Wales have named a team for their trip to Rome on Saturday that includes 10 changes from last week’s stunning comeback victory over France.
Coach Warren Gatland made the same number of changes for the
match against Italy last year, which saw Wales run out as 38-14 winners.
They take on an Italian side that will be looking to build
on a strong finish against Scotland at Murrayfield last week.
Despite a 33-20 loss, Italy will take confidence from the
fact they were able to score three tries and were close to a fourth in the
final moments.
Wales
Among the 10 players Gatland has brought in for this game,
four will be making their 6 Nations debuts. Flankers Thomas Young and Aaron
Wainwright, scrum-half Aled Davies, and wing Jonah Holmes will all be making
their first appearances in the tournament.
Second-row Alun Wyn Jones has been dropped to the bench, and
will hand captaincy duties over to centre Jonathan Davies, who will be leading
his country for the first time.
Josh Navidi retains his place in the back-row, but switches
to number eight, with lock Adam Beard the only other forward surviving from
24-19 win in Paris.
Nicky Smith, Elliot Dee and Samson Lee form a new-look front
row, with Jake Ball joining Beard in second-row.
Dan Biggar starts at fly-half, and Owen Watkin will join
skipper Davies in the centres.
George North, who scored twice against the French, has
dropped to the bench as he nurses a shoulder injury that has limited his
involvement in Wales’ training in Nice this week. He is replaced by debutant
Holmes.
Josh Adams and Liam Williams, who also started last week,
complete the back three.
Gatland, who was criticised last year for the number of
changes he made against Italy, has remained unfazed amid more concern about his
team.
“I’ve never been a person who has worried about external influences,” said Gatland.
“People can say, write or imply whatever they like.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that we’ve been put into a
role to make what we think are the best decisions.”
“It’s a challenge this year, making changes. Guys have
got to go out there and prove themselves.”
Italy
Italy have made just two changes from the side that lost at
Murrayfield, with Tommaso Castello and Andrea Lovotti dropping out.
Wing Edoardo Padovani starts in place of Castello, meaning
Wasps back Michele Campagnaro switches to the centres.
Nicola Quaglio starts at prop ahead of Lovotti.
Captain Sergio Parisse will add to his record 66 appearances
in the Championship; he overtook Brian O’Driscoll last week.
Following the defeat to Scotland, Parisse was keen to
highlight his sides ability when they are possession, even if they do struggle
defensively.
“If we had the possession we are dangerous; we can score tries,” Parisse said.
“I think Scotland deserved the win; they dominated the game,
had a lot of possession – more than us – so of course the last ten minutes is a
good base to work on for the game next week against Wales.”
Meanwhile Padovani, who scored the second of Italy’s tries
last week after coming on as a substitute, has called for his side to continue
their discipline against Wales.
“Well, we will have to first improve the performance and
keep the discipline under control, which went well with Scotland,” he said.
“Obviously you will need to play a lot more in their half of
the field and express a greater volume of play, controlling more possession and
above all, as mentioned, managing to be more precise in our performance:
especially inside the 22 metres and in the decisive stages of the match.
“Then we need to show ourselves in contact and in the
one-on-one, both in attack and defence.”
Verdict
It is hard to see how Italy will beat Wales on Saturday,
despite the wholesale changes Warren Gatland has made. He made the same number
of changes last year and Wales won comfortably 38-14.
He is one of the best coaches in the world and it would be
foolish to doubt his decision making at this level. The players coming in,
though inexperienced, have more than enough ability to overcome the Italians.
It will be interesting to see how the cope without
influential captain Alun Wyn Jones, but Jonathan Davies is a capable stand in.
Italy will be hoping that star man Sergio Parisse will be
able to rattle the cages of the two inexperienced Wales flankers, who will have
to be at their best to keep the marauding number eight quiet.
If Parisse can secure Italy enough ball early on, they will
hope they can recreate their flowing attacking rugby from the last 10 minutes
in Scotland.
If the young Welsh side then begins to panic, then this game
will be far from a foregone conclusion.
Despite this, Wales still have a strong bench, which will be
beneficial should this game be closer than Gatland would prefer entering the
second half.
Italy are always a stern test, regardless of their finishing
position each year in the Six Nations, but the match in Rome may just be
another one of their ‘nearly’ moments.
