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ITALY SENT WALES spiralling deeper into crisis on Saturday after triumphing 22-15 in the Six Nations and handing their sorry opponents a record-extending 14th consecutive Test defeat in front of delighted fans in Rome.
Ange Capuozzo scored the hosts’ only try at a soaking Stadio Olimpico with Tommaso Allan’s quality kicking also condemning Wales to a defeat which could be key to deciding the destination of the wooden spoon.
Wales have lost all eight of their Six Nations fixtures since winning in the Italian capital two years ago and slump to 12th in the World Rugby rankings, below Georgia.
It is the lowest Wales have ever been in those standings and Warren Gatland’s team will be wondering from where the next win is going to come with two-time champion Ireland up next in Cardiff later this month.
“I’m gutted with the result. We’ve worked hard all week and things just didn’t go our way,” Wales captain Jac Morgan told S4C.
“Discipline let us down. We gave them opportunities to kick points and that built the score board to be too high at the end.”
A single point from their opening two matches, thanks to a bundled score from Aaron Wainwright and a late penalty try, will do little to inspire any confidence, while the Italians will be dreaming of another positive campaign under Gonzalo Quesada.
Italy showed very little of the handling errors and poor decisions which have traditionally plagued even their positive performances, handily holding off Wales once Allan’s boot put them far enough in front.
Quesada’s team next host a daunting clash with France who take on England at Twickenham in the day’s late match.
“After so many close defeats to win here in Rome in front of my son is incredible,” Allan told Sky Italia.
“This team has so much character but we will have to improve against France who are a brilliant team.”
Perpignan fly-half Allan kicked Italy into the lead in the seventh minute, not long after Josh Adams only just failed to collect Tomos Williams’ brilliant searching kick into the left corner.
The uncharacteristically soaking conditions made it hard to build passing moves, with Ben Thomas booting his first points of the tournament in the 16th minute to level the scores.
Paolo Garbisi provided the first true bit of quality in the 20th minute when his perfectly-weighted grubber kick allowed Capuozzo to dive in the opening try of the match, converted by the imperious Allan.
Wales were still within a try of Italy but that changed with Allan’s red-hot boot cracking two more penalties — one from a huge distance — within five minutes to give Italy a serious points cushion just as the rain began to come down even harder.
And Wales’ low confidence was summed up near half-time when Adams inexplicably passed forward just as a clear opportunity to dot down opened up on the left flank, moments after he just failed to reach a promising kick to the corner.
Shortly after the break Allan missed two penalties which would have almost certainly killed off the match given the diabolic conditions but he was given yet another chance in the 61st minute which he slotted to put Italy 16 points ahead.
That cushion ended up being very handy for the Italians as Wainwright forced over Wales’ first try of the tournament seconds after Freddie Thomas was denied one of his own via the TMO for a double movement on the ground.
But it was too little too late offered for Wales whose first ever consecutive defeat to the Italians was sealed by another perfect Allan penalty in the 74th minute, making Wales’ penalty try only good for a bonus point.
Written by AFP and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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