Italy v Wales 2005 Scrum V Classics

2004 was a far from vintage Six Nations for Wales.

A win against Scotland was followed by

defeats to Ireland and France.

It's a sixth try.

It's a rout already.

A further loss to England consigned them to fourth in the table.

Victory over Italy ensured a fond farewell for coach Steve Hansen,

but it was time for a change.

Mike Ruddock took the reigns

and oversaw an encouraging autumn campaign,

with Wales falling to the narrowest of defeats

against South Africa and New Zealand.

The self-belief was there. We knew the potential

this squad had. It was a young squad.

We'd been together for two or three years,

but we could sense there was something special.

And so to the Six Nations and, first up, reigning world champions

and overwhelming favourites, England.

The try-scoring pass to Shane Williams.

Opening try for Wales!

Luckily enough, we beat them by two points.

11-9 it was, in the end, thanks to a kick by Gavin Henson.

I remember I could see Rob Sidoli facing the other way.

He couldn't bear to watch.

COMMENTATOR: Fantastic. Shave away, Gavin, shave away!

Buoyed by that victory,

Wales travelled to the Eternal City to face the proud Azzurri,

who had won this fixture two years earlier.

Gareth Thomas was our captain. He was a great captain.

He led from the front.

It was his first full season at 15.

A lot of us were wary about the Italians. We'd lost to them in 2003

and that was the first time Wales had lost to Italy.

We knew how good the Italians could be, if you let them play.

But we were high on confidence,

we didn't want the England game to be a one-off,

we knew we had to keep the momentum and the confidence going through,

and if we played this wide game, the Italians would tire.

They didn't have the quality we had, but what the Italians possess,

they are just dogs, you know? They thrive on mistakes,

they love the tight games, they love to keep it tight amongst the pack,

and we knew that if we could run that pack around,

they would tire and holes would open up.

We were lucky enough to play in perfect conditions

that suited Wales.

It was an unbelievable day.

COMMENTATOR: Italy today,

it's a settled side.

Just one change forced upon coach

John Kirwan, after that Irish defeat.

Treviso centre Walter Pozzebon

coming in for the injured Gonzalo Canale,

to what is a fairly young backline,

but the strength of the Azzurri

really lies in the pack,

with a front five to rival the best.

At the heart of it, tighthead prop

Martin Castrogiovanni.

Try scorer last week. Still just 23,

but always impressive, and key to

Italian hopes of an upset.

Welsh optimism, though, is built on

a side which is threatening

to elbow its way back to

the game's top table.

Much of the hope rests on

those shoulders of Gavin Henson.

Last week's match-winner

is likely to get even more space

to show his skills today.

Wales have just one change,

where injury to Dafydd Jones

has forced Mike Ruddock to bring in

Jonathan Thomas to the back row -

the talented Ospreys youngster

getting his first start

since the game against Japan in November.

Otherwise, a very settled look to the Welsh 15.

The referee today is Brisbane dentist Andrew Cole.

Luciano Orquera waits for

the final instructions from Andrew Cole

as the flares go off around the ground.

Perfect conditions, Andrew. The pitch is in magnificent condition,

no wind, a little drizzle earlier on, but great playing conditions.

And we're under way on the second weekend of the RBS Six Nations.

It's a safe gather by the Welsh,

just outside their own 22.

Plumes of smoke drifting across from the far end.

A real tussle between the forwards.

No silly stuff. Stephen Jones with a decent clearing kick

and getting used to that ball straightaway.

Jones, can he fire his backline?

Here is Henson.

Long pass out to Thomas.

He's got Shane Williams... Cuts inside. Nowhere to go.

Here comes Henson once again.

It's Adam Jones in the centre.

Still Wales keep it alive. Shanklin,

a little chip for himself to chase.

And back there, just as the ball reached him, was Ludovico Nitoglia.

Shanklin pounding him into touch.

A bright start from Wales.

Huge cries of "Italia" around the ground.

The Italian line-out a little bit unsteady, but Troncon has it.

The scrum-half feels the force of his forwards piling over

and setting it up once again.

This is the chip through from Andrea Masi.

Shane Williams collects and dances,

and finds himself in clear-blue water

and sets himself forward,

and he's got men outside him.

And there's space there for Shanklin.

Does he have the strength?

-Metres short.

-Got to come left.

Which they try and do.

Still, it's with Wales,

carried on by Gethin Jenkins.

The referee playing Wales advantage.

Still got numbers on the left-hand side.

Here they come. The long floated pass.

It's Jonathan Thomas. The replacement

is in for the first try.

The men were there and the try was there.

And the supporters around the Stadio Flaminio erupt.

This is what you don't want to do.

A loose kick, first missed tackle,

you've got to make a tackle.

And he's away. Hits space,

good awareness of people around him.

And this is a lovely pass

by Michael Owen again.

They were at sixes and sevens in the defence.

So many men over,

anyone could have scored.

What a start for Mike Ruddock.

Seems fairly pleased with it.

It will give Stephen Jones a chance

to make it a seven-pointer.

Jonathan Thomas, what a start to

the first game he's started in

since that appearance against Japan in November.

Stephen Jones back on kicking duties,

after that heroic effort

from Gavin Henson, but he knocks over the shorter ones

and turns five points into seven

and makes it a great start for Wales.

The first 20 minutes,

they said, was crucial.

In the first two minutes,

Wales have taken a hefty lead.

They safely gather the restart.

Jones, once again, straight off the training ground.

Rather slices that one, but finds touch.

It'll be an Italian line-out

just outside the Welsh 22.

He won't be happy with that start.

They've stopped it, but they've rolled it to the left again.

It's gone to ground.

What can the Italian backline do?

They spill the ball,

and Henson almost seizes upon it.

Wales can attack once again

on the break.

It's Thomas setting himself free,

the captain. Men inside.

He chips for them to chase,

but Ludovico Nitoglia is back there.

He's back there alone and he's scragged.

Italy have a penalty though.

Wales, however, are rampant.

Nitoglia did exceptionally well there, didn't he?

The danger we've seen is

from the counter attack,

and Gareth Thomas shows his pace

for an old man. Nitoglia did well.

A high tackle there,

which Gareth Thomas was fortunate to get away with.

Lost, once again,

and Italy get a chance to break.

Orquera sends the ball to the heavens.

Underneath it is Andrea Masi.

Numbers on the right.

The red shirts have that overlap,

if Henson can make use of it.

Which they do,

down that far touchline,

but no pace to outstrip Mirco Bergamasco.

Shanklin hit the accelerator,

but was just found wanting in speed.

Well, another loose kick,

but look at this.

Gareth Thomas takes it,

but look how quickly they clear out.

They've got numbers on the right-hand side.

They've got to straighten up,

attack on the inside shoulder,

and not give a long miss-pass.

You've got to put it through the hands. An opportunity missed again.

-Are you saying that was a Henson mistake?

-Well, he IS human.

A good take under pressure...

..from Hal Luscombe.

It looked as if he might have been taken out in the air.

Here come Wales once again.

Gavin Henson...

thinks about Shanklin outside him,

but goes himself. A little chip.

Orquera has it.

Orquera, with a chase for the line.

A Henson mistake...and Orquera is in!

And Rome erupts

to the repost from Italy.

Luciano Orquera with the charge down, the gather and the try.

An opportunity for Wales to attack down the left.

Again, it's the overlap.

Henson does exceptionally well.

Slips out of a tackle.

The only choice he had,

but the kick wasn't high enough.

Charged down, lovely bounce.

Good finish there by Orquera.

This is the kick. No other choice.

He picks the ball up.

Is Shane Williams...

Watch Shane Williams.

No. No obstruction whatsoever.

Shane Williams ran into the back

of Ongaro, I think.

Showed good pace. Good finish.

Last week, it would have been Orquera

trying to convert his own try.

This week, it's Roland de Marigny.

The good side for a left-footed kicker, but right on the touchline.

And fractionally wide.

Wales still lead, but what a try,

an opportunistic try from Orquera.

He knew he didn't have the pace on Shane Williams in a straight race,

so just a bit of zigzagging,

put a bit of doubt on when to make the tackle for Shane Williams.

-7-5.

-Game on.

A little bit more concern creeping into the face

and words of Mike Ruddock, I'm sure.

Quickly fed to Michael Owen.

No numbers here.

Henson had no option. He had a red shirt standing in front of him.

The kick bounces kindly.

Hal Luscombe looking for it.

That was nearly a try from nowhere.

In the end, it was a very good kick.

He put height on it.

I think it put Bergamasco

and Marigny into some difficulty.

No-one really looked confident.

If that ball had bounced to the left,

Hal Luscombe was there.

And now it's time to put pressure on

the Italian line-out.

Ongaro throws long. Risky!

The ball is loose.

It's Castrogiovanni...

trying to bullock his way...

but caught.

The thinking behind this...

A short line-out,

you throw the ball over the top and your player should get to it first.

But very good play by Sidoli.

Gets a hand to it, then it's mayhem.

And the end result is a Welsh scrum five metres out.

Here is the drive. It's a Welsh scrum.

This time, it's used quickly.

It's Gareth Thomas trying to beat

the last man, using his strength

and his nous, and Wales keep it alive.

They're two metres out.

And now they have men over,

and Jones tries to go himself.

Great tackle. Great tackle, Ongaro.

They're lining up in the red shirts outside. The cross chip from Henson.

Shanklin looking for the jump, and does he get the ball down?

Well, he does.

A remarkable try from Tom Shanklin.

He has got this knack of scoring tries, Shanklin.

Ball goes up in the air

and it's just a free-for-all,

and Shanklin comes down with it.

Not much on.

Just look. There's not much on.

The Italian defence are back there.

A lovely chip.

And the Italian back three haven't looked confident

under the high ball all day.

Just watch. It's a straight fight.

He's nowhere near it, really.

Notoglia losing out to Shanklin.

I'd like to have a look at that.

Tom Shanklin's try makes things look a bit more pleasant

for the thousands upon thousands of Welsh fans around the ground.

Wales have a free-kick.

Michael Owen takes it quickly

and tries to set free that backline.

Henson sees the gap

and tries to use that strength.

Shanklin on his shoulder.

Creeping into the 22.

Henson spins around in the tackle.

A little chip from Dwayne Peel.

Is it too long?

Bergamasco, did he call for the mark? He did.

Good thinking by Bergamasco.

And the younger Bergamasco boy

will get a chance to...

He should slow this down.

There's only 30 seconds to go.

If he'd have slowed that down...

It'll give Wales one more chance.

He's young. He'll learn.

It's a very good call by Bergamasco.

A good clear call.

Look where Mr Cole, the referee, is.

In a good position to hear the call.

But it gives Wales a line-out

just outside the Italian 22.

Is there time for one last hurrah,

before half time?

The next time the ball goes dead,

they'll be heading for the changing rooms.

They just about lose the line-out.

Get away with it at the back.

Henson has it. Luscombe clean through...

Does he have support?

He's going himself...

There's Martyn Williams, trying to touch the upright.

That is a fantastic tackle by Marigny.

Hal Luscombe made the break and Martyn Williams was on his shoulder,

trying frantically to touch the post.

He thinks he's scored, as he's placed it

on the bottom of the posts.

-REFEREE:

-Whether it was grounded against the goalpost pad and the...

Does he ground it against

the bottom of the goalpost pad?

If that is a grounding, it's a try.

Let's have a look.

I don't think he gets to the post,

-does he or not?

-It looks like he does.

That could be a try.

You don't see that very often.

The bottom of the pad and the post

is the goal line.

Does he get it into the flag?

That is a try. Martyn Williams,

very, very clever thinking.

-REFEREE:

-I can award the try.

There you have it. It's a try.

It's a Welsh try which will end the half,

and Wales will look far healthier at the interval

than they did a few minutes ago.

Stephen Jones wastes no time at all

from in front of the posts.

That is the final move.

What a time for Wales to score!

Three tries to one.

'The key for us was...'

we needed to go into half-time comfortable.

We needed a bit of a lead.

15 points, something like that, would have been nice,

because the Italians are always tough.

Mike Ruddock's key words were tempo.

We had to keep the tempo high.

Dwayne Peel was key in that,

tapping and going, keeping the speed of the game up.

And the second half just seemed to unfold.

Lo Cicero takes it on.

Takes on Adam Jones.

Sends himself into that matted mass

of woolly hair.

And now Italy, once again.

Better stuff from the Azzurri.

Pozzebon.

Dellape carries it forward once again.

Troncon punching away

down the blind side.

De Marigny.

Italian crowd complaining again

of a physical challenge there.

But it is a contact game, isn't it?

Italy will ultimately have the penalty.

This is a big kick.

They certainly have to score first

and they will have to take these three points.

He's missed three from three so far.

It's one from four.

Italy have scored first in the second half.

They've nibbled away at that Welsh lead.

It's a broken game once again.

Henson, what can he do?

Opts for the kick.

Places it well.

Bergamasco takes it well.

-No full-back.

-He kicks and chases.

It's Henson who he's racing against

and who he smothers in the tackle

and flings towards the line.

And Wales now under pressure.

Dwayne Peel does well.

Unlucky bounce for the Italians.

And now it's Nitoglia under the cosh,

but the winger sets himself free

and into space.

No real support with him.

Now it comes from Orquera.

Now from Dellape. There's men over

for Italy, if they can move it.

It's Dal Maso.

The roar of the crowd drives them on.

Ten metres out.

Orquera. Masi, thundering into

a couple of Welsh tackles.

Troncon again finds Parisse.

Lo Cicero...

There's only one...

..sets himself low into the tackle.

There's only one way he's going!

But lost, and free-kick Wales,

and the red shirts survive

the Italian onslaught.

The crowd cheer, but the whistle,

the advantage, had already gone.

Michael Owen knew that

there was a knock-on for Wales.

I'm sure he'll have a bit of stick, anyway, for that.

This will be a big scrum for Wales

because the Italians will attack.

Brute strength from the Italian pack

and they try and wheel it around.

The referee says, use it.

Peel does, but he's engulfed

by the blue shirts.

And Stephen Jones does well.

Great kick. Great kick.

They just want to suck these Italian defenders in.

Good interception. Unfortunately,

he doesn't get the pass away.

But they have the ball back.

Shane Williams doing what he does best,

jinking inside, and he's away,

up into the Italian 22.

Jonathan Thomas. It's forwards out there. It's Cockbain!

He pins his ears back for the line.

The lock forward is over.

And what a try from the forward!

That's a great angle, isn't it?

What an angle from Cockbain!

This is Shane Williams.

Bang, off his left.

Gets behind. Once he's behind

the defensive line,

it's so difficult to get organised.

He's going to go to ground.

Doesn't panic, doesn't try to offload.

And Wales' lead is looking remarkably healthy.

Our post camera shows

Brent Cockbain breaking his duck,

and the joy of Mike Ruddock.

Welsh hands on the ball once again,

Gareth Thomas cutting loose,

support from Martyn Williams.

-Up to the 22, and it's Morgan himself...

-Great try!

He finds Shane Williams.

What a try for Wales!

It is becoming a rout.

That is a great try.

Left step, inside Dal Maso,

support, quick feet, bang, bang,

offload in the tackle,

Kevin Morgan, another offload,

great angle of running by Shane Williams - superb try.

And Shane Williams keeping up his remarkable try-scoring record.

He almost averages a try a game.

Gareth Thomas.

Untidy line-out. Intoppa does his best,

the replacement hooker.

Griffen looks for any way through.

-Turnover.

-The ball is pinged loose.

Here's Cooper.

Cooper on the angle.

Williams picks up well.

So small, but so hard to trap.

This is Michael Owen. No option but to head straight forwards.

The forwards again doing their bit.

Wales flinging it about now...

And for the line!

A try for Wales from Sidoli.

Well, his father's Italian,

but his father's a Welsh rugby supporter,

so he can forgive him.

Wales putting this game...

It's already beyond the Italians.

Just putting the gloss on it.

They've been clinical. Clinical!

Again, from a turnover, used the short side.

Just watch it.

Yapp, every time he's come on,

the two games, he's made an impression.

This is a bouncing ball,

lovely inside ball,

good running by Sweeney,

thank you very much.

Those are the tries you want as a second row.

And a first try.

Again, land of my father's, forgive me.

Robert Sidoli with the finish.

-Comprehensive.

-30 points, the margin.

Perugini now takes

the direct route to the Welsh 22.

But they're caught.

Good play by Sowden-Taylor.

Henson, with only one option,

sends the ball forwards.

Griffen gathers inside the Italian half.

Players all over the place.

Out of position. Gareth Thomas sees space deep in the Italian half.

Nitoglia closes that space down.

Now there are options out wide for Italy. Here comes Robertson.

Bortolami, the big, bruising lock on the wing.

Pozzebon just about gathers, and Lo Cicero...

..hurls himself forward.

Griffen.

And an Italian penalty.

This will be it, next stoppage.

Is there one last effort from Italy?

It wouldn't even be consolation,

but here they go. Masi,

slipping as he hurtles into the 22.

Robertson down the blind side,

Notoglia spills it,

Notoglia into touch.

The referee will look at his watch and blow his whistle.

A comprehensive victory for Wales.

An impressive victory, certainly in the second half.

Job well done for Mike Ruddock and his coaching staff.

The forwards played exceptionally well, laying the platform,

and, as we thought, the Welsh backline were far too good

for the Italian backline.

Everything they created, they finished them off.

A very, very good performance by the Welsh.

Unfortunately for Kirwan,

he's got a lot of work to do with the Italian backline.

A comfortable victory for Wales and, whisper it quietly,

they're moving on and up in the Championship.

Winners today in the Stadio Flaminio, 38-8.

'It's a big result, because I don't think we've won back-to-back for'

a long time in the Championships.

The platform was laid by the front five.

They were outstanding against a top unit.

We're pleased to come here...

It was a big banana skin for us, so we're glad to get a win.

It was obviously still too early to start thinking about Grand Slams,

but we knew, with the group of players we had,

something special could be the other side.

Next, it was France, where fans were treated to one of the most

dramatic comebacks in Six Nations' history,

spearheaded by Player of the Tournament Martyn Williams.

It's breathless, magnificent. They're still going.

Taken it quickly and they're there!

Oh, Martyn Williams!

And in round four, the shackles were well and truly off,

as Wales stormed Murrayfield and destroyed the Scots.

Ryan Jones finds support from Kevin Morgan

and there are Welsh players lining up. Surely they're there now!

And out for the try, it's Ryan Jones himself.

And then it was all down to the big one against Ireland.

Last game of the Six Nations. This was huge.

Wales hadn't won a Grand Slam for 27 years,

but the fans sensed something special was about to happen.

We knew it was a big game. You can tell by the bus journey in.

Normally, you don't see supporters

until you hit the Angel Hotel, but the day of the Ireland game,

they were walking in from Leckwith, so we knew it was big.

It was a dead silent bus.

O'Gara, down towards that corner...

Gethin Jenkins!

-He's really...

-He's going to score!

He is. Gethin Jenkins!

No-one ever thought that this was going to happen.

We were off the back of a poor Six Nations the year before,

so we were underdogs. We were looking at 4th, 5th position.

Tom Shanklin. Shanklin for the line!

Kevin Morgan!

Morgan, to put the seal on the win!

It was only until we were two scores ahead,

with two minutes on the clock,

that I realised, yes, we've done it.

And, er, yeah, the rest is history.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd