Wales vs Italy – Report – Six Nations Championship 2024 – 16 Mar, 2024،
Italy finished their best Six Nations campaign with a 24-21 victory over a desperately poor Wales who scored three late tries in Cardiff on Saturday but slipped to a fifth successive defeat and finished bottom of the table.
While Italy appear to be on the rise, it is the first time in 21 years that Wales have finished bottom of the table.
Italy scored tries through winger Monty Ioane and fullback Lorenzo Pani as they won collisions, were better at breakdowns and overpowered the Welsh scrum in arguably their most accomplished performance of the Six Nations.
The visitors led 11-0 at half-time, the fourth match in this year's Six Nations that Wales have failed to score in one half.
Wales built momentum early in the second half through winger Rio Dyer and scrum-half Tomos Williams, but that ended when lock Adam Beard was penalized for a neck role during a ruck.
The unforced error was compounded when Italy came up the other end of the field and scored their second try thanks to a brilliant run from Pani as the visitors cut their hosts wide.
Wales had a way back into the match when they scored their first points in the 64th minute when Dee buried himself over the line and brought the ball down under heavy Italian pressure, before Rowlands and Grady cross to make the score look more respectable.
Wales' young side will lose even more experience with retired prop George North limping off late on, bowing out of Test rugby with a demoralizing defeat as they crossed for late scores through hooker Elliot Dee, at lock Will Rowlands and center Mason Grady, but were the second best of the day.
Italy have two wins and a draw from five matches for the first time in the Six Nations, and 11 points, the most they have managed in a single campaign as their renaissance under new Argentina coach Gonzalo Quesada takes momentum.
“It means everything to us,” said Italian captain Michele Lamaro. “But we want to do more, we had a good tournament, but we know we can do even better than that.
“We have changed the mindset we take on the pitch, we have a lot of trust. We work for each other. We have been through difficult times and now we have to celebrate these good ones.
“Two games don’t define a team, we still need to be a lot more consistent in what we do and be competitive with all the teams in the competition.”
Warren Gatland's Wales have now lost 12 of their last 13 Six Nations matches and questions will inevitably arise about the direction he takes this team despite the retirement of so many experienced players.
“It's a total disappointment, no disrespect to Italy, but we want to be better than them,” said 21-year-old Wales captain Dafydd Jenkins.
“You like to think that under pressure we would rise to the occasion. But this group of players will give their all, I promise you the future is bright. We have to improve as players and we will.”
It was a seventh consecutive home defeat in the Six Nations for Wales, their worst ever run and the first time they have lost all five games in the competition and finished bottom of the table since 2003.
