Wales v Italy

:01:09. > :01:26.Days of friendship, of passing the time, days of cordial respect, or

:01:27. > :01:35.not so cordial. Days of fixing the focus, chewing the fat. Talking the

:01:36. > :01:40.talk. Days of tightening the knot, taking the shot, saying she's. These

:01:41. > :02:43.days are done. It is that time of year again, great

:02:44. > :02:49.players, great teams, and great cities. Our opening weekend takes is

:02:50. > :02:54.to -- takes us back to Dublin, Cardiff and Parisse. They will be

:02:55. > :03:13.offered less than half an hour. Everybody is saying this is the most

:03:14. > :03:19.open Championship for years. Jeremy Guscott is part of our team. You go

:03:20. > :03:23.along with that? Yes, every year it is more competitive. He would have

:03:24. > :03:28.thought France would finish bottom last season? In 2014, the three

:03:29. > :03:31.teams that have three home games, Wales, France and Ireland will be

:03:32. > :03:37.near the top with England challenging, and England -- Italy

:03:38. > :03:41.and Scotland holding up the bottom. And we say it every year, you have

:03:42. > :03:46.to get off to a good start, because the Championship can be gone before

:03:47. > :03:51.it is started. How important and how tough start is it for England? Very

:03:52. > :03:59.tough. They would rather be in Wales's position. They were here two

:04:00. > :04:03.years ago and they wouldn't. Three of their try scorers not on the

:04:04. > :04:08.side. But the squad is thinking well, behaving well, and the

:04:09. > :04:11.training I saw this week is good. They are confident. France against

:04:12. > :04:19.England kicks off at 5pm. We are back here in Paris at 4:30pm. But

:04:20. > :04:39.first we go to Cardiff, 46 weeks on from that momentous finale.

:04:40. > :04:44.But -- welcome to the madness. England looking for the grandson,

:04:45. > :04:52.Wales with a chance to take the title. Over she does. England are on

:04:53. > :05:02.the board. You can hear the crunch from here. The tackling is

:05:03. > :05:13.absolutely brutal. I am just out of breath watching this! What a game!

:05:14. > :05:20.The first try of the game. The lead stretches out. He knew it, he turned

:05:21. > :05:29.away. Oh, my word. Sam Warburton storms away. The correct Tom Wales

:05:30. > :05:32.are storming to the title. It is turning into a race. The title goes

:05:33. > :05:44.to Wales. That was the drama at the end of the

:05:45. > :05:51.last Six Nations in Cardiff. The crowd is gathering today hoping for

:05:52. > :05:58.the same again. Italy has been winning over France and Ireland

:05:59. > :06:01.under coach Jacques Brunel. Wales arrived at the Millennium Stadium in

:06:02. > :06:05.chaos in the domestic game, with players leaving for France in

:06:06. > :06:12.big-money deals, but the national side are still winning titles and a

:06:13. > :06:18.Batman. -- under that man. It is six years since Warren Gatland came to

:06:19. > :06:27.Welsh rugby. Wales are hoping to become the first side to win 36

:06:28. > :06:30.Nations in a row. A wonderful atmosphere at the Millennium

:06:31. > :06:33.Stadium. Welcome to Cardiff, the home of the defending champions. Eg

:06:34. > :06:38.you think will win the Six Nations this year? We want to hear from you.

:06:39. > :06:43.You can go to our online rugby pages and have your say. We will announce

:06:44. > :06:47.the boat at half-time. Vote closes 30 minutes into this match. You can

:06:48. > :06:53.do it on Twitter, and on our website. I'm joined today by

:06:54. > :06:58.Jonathan Davies, Martyn Williams and Ryan Jones. Ryan Jones is a man

:06:59. > :07:05.accustomed to lifting this trophy, he did it in 2008 and in 2013. What

:07:06. > :07:10.is it like lifting that Rosie? It is absolutely magical. To stand up

:07:11. > :07:14.there as captain of Wales and lift the trophy in front of the home fans

:07:15. > :07:22.is something very difficult to put into words. It is fantastic. Is it

:07:23. > :07:30.heavy? Yes, but I am strong! Can Wales make it three in a row? I

:07:31. > :07:36.believe they can. They have had a wonderful two weeks' preparation. On

:07:37. > :07:41.the back of our advantage of last year, we have a squad littered with

:07:42. > :07:49.world-class individuals who will be bolstered by the confidence of last

:07:50. > :07:52.year. Martyn Williams, good afternoon. Wales got off to a slow

:07:53. > :07:58.start this year. Will that happen this year? Ireland blew them away in

:07:59. > :08:01.the first 40 minutes last year. Italy pose a different threat, they

:08:02. > :08:06.are much more physical upfront and don't have a back side. Wales were

:08:07. > :08:12.slow starting off in the Championship, with one win in five

:08:13. > :08:22.or six tournaments. I can't see that happening today. They will not be

:08:23. > :08:25.complacent. Happy New Year, Jonathan Davies. Yet again, incredible

:08:26. > :08:32.atmosphere here in the Millennium Stadium. Do you detect a different

:08:33. > :08:36.atmosphere here? We were here for the Ireland's defeat last year.

:08:37. > :08:41.There was an error trepidation. They were under pressure from the autumn,

:08:42. > :08:45.and the wind was what they were after. They could have won that

:08:46. > :08:49.game. Their second half was incredible and they created a lot of

:08:50. > :08:53.opportunities and did not finish it. That second-half performance

:08:54. > :08:56.gave them the confidence to go on and win the Championship. The

:08:57. > :09:01.Italians today are in a transitional period. They have been struggling.

:09:02. > :09:09.Jonathan Davies is coming back into fitness, and the centres will have

:09:10. > :09:15.to perform. The Welsh backline, it is significantly larger than the

:09:16. > :09:19.Italians' . The back three, and the centre, they could cause huge

:09:20. > :09:22.problems for the Italians. Jonathan, you are going to the commentary

:09:23. > :09:28.box. I want to ask you this question, because many viewers will

:09:29. > :09:31.want to know. The Welsh Rugby Union and the rugby regions are at

:09:32. > :09:36.loggerheads over the control of the game in Wales. What is your view on

:09:37. > :09:40.Sam Warburton? He is now centrally contracted by the Welsh Rugby

:09:41. > :09:45.Union. Is that a right move or a wrong move? It is difficult to say.

:09:46. > :09:49.You do not really know what the situation is. As a rugby player, I

:09:50. > :09:53.wanted to train and play with my team-mates. At the moment, he is in

:09:54. > :09:58.limbo. If they had gone to the regions and said, we will take one

:09:59. > :10:01.player from every region, that is fair for everyone. But because of

:10:02. > :10:06.the lack of trust between Rugby Union and the regions, that was a

:10:07. > :10:09.no-go. For everyone's sake, I hope it is sorted out, because it is an

:10:10. > :10:14.absolute shambles and an embarrassment. Having been in and

:10:15. > :10:18.around the camp in the last couple of weeks, I believe this has been

:10:19. > :10:23.put to one side. These players are focused on what they can control.

:10:24. > :10:27.They are all geared to play national rugby and very proud of having that

:10:28. > :10:30.honour. What goes on off the field will still be around in nine weeks,

:10:31. > :10:35.and then it can be addressed. For this group of 30 individuals, they

:10:36. > :10:39.are focused on making history. You could go your whole career without

:10:40. > :10:43.that opportunity, but these guys have a wonderful opportunity that no

:10:44. > :10:47.team has ever had. Thank you very much. We will be joined by Carlo Del

:10:48. > :10:50.father in a moment. 54 caps for Italy. We hear now from Sergio

:10:51. > :11:21.Parisse say. I am Sergio Parisse and I am the

:11:22. > :11:24.leader. Definitely a difficult beginning, giving too much away. If

:11:25. > :11:30.you can't go in and beat Wales and France, we will not be happy, but it

:11:31. > :11:35.is really difficult. At the same time, we beat France, we beat Wales

:11:36. > :11:41.in Rome, and there is a difference between those -- us and the big

:11:42. > :11:47.nations. The big nations can play well week by week, it doesn't matter

:11:48. > :11:51.if you play at home or away. Our objective is to become a big team,

:11:52. > :11:55.so the challenge for us is to try to be competitive during the Six

:11:56. > :11:59.Nations. Especially when we play away from Rome.

:12:00. > :12:04.At the heart of the action yet again.

:12:05. > :12:07.We start to play in another kind of way, especially when Jacques

:12:08. > :12:17.Brunel, our coach, arrived in Italy, we wanted to involve our backs in

:12:18. > :12:21.the game. We saw good rugby in the last Six Nations. We showed that we

:12:22. > :12:28.were not just focused on playing the scrum and a boring game! We got to

:12:29. > :12:35.play more dynamic rugby, so the idea this year is to continue to devour

:12:36. > :12:41.and continue to score tries. Lots of people ask if Italy deserves a place

:12:42. > :12:45.in the Six Nations, and I am proud and happy to say that we have shown

:12:46. > :12:49.to everyone that we have a good place in the Six Nations and we

:12:50. > :12:54.deserve to play, because we have shown that we can be competitive.

:12:55. > :13:03.Here is the skipper. Fantastic! What a start for Italy! I would really

:13:04. > :13:07.like to see the matches of Wales, the Millennium Stadium is my

:13:08. > :13:11.favourite stadium. I am really looking forward to playing our first

:13:12. > :13:15.match. It is really precious to play there.

:13:16. > :13:26.Sergio Parisse, what a terrific competitor. Happy memories for you?

:13:27. > :13:32.2004 was when you made your Italy debut. I have mixed memories. It was

:13:33. > :13:38.a great experience getting your first international cap, especially

:13:39. > :13:43.in a stadium like this. But the scoreline did not reflect that. It

:13:44. > :13:49.was a fantastic experience. I think Martyn Williams was going to say, it

:13:50. > :13:53.was a 40-10 win for Wales! But we just looked at Sergio Parisse.

:13:54. > :13:57.Let's talk about him briefly. How important is he? When he wasn't in

:13:58. > :14:02.that Italian side last year in Rome, there was a big difference. He came

:14:03. > :14:06.back against Ireland in that final game and was incredible. He is

:14:07. > :14:14.immense. As far as the leader of the team, the amount of work he gets

:14:15. > :14:18.through during the week, motivating and organising the team, getting

:14:19. > :14:22.things in place, that is amazing. He is almost part of the coaching staff

:14:23. > :14:27.come but he is close to the players and is a great motivator. And

:14:28. > :14:33.Tommaso Allan, an interesting story, this. He has Italian and Scottish

:14:34. > :14:41.parentage, played for Scotland under 20s, and Jacques Brunel has broken

:14:42. > :14:49.into the deep end today. the options he has, you have other players

:14:50. > :14:53.there, and what he brings is a mix of skills. He knows when to kick and

:14:54. > :14:57.when to run. He is 20 years old, so you have a coach is looking at

:14:58. > :15:02.moulding somebody into somebody can use as a weapon in the future. And

:15:03. > :15:05.further evidence of Jacques Brunel's commitment. He has talked

:15:06. > :15:11.about being bowled in the attacking game. That is why he has chosen

:15:12. > :15:15.somebody like Tommaso Allan. He has good distribution skills and he is

:15:16. > :15:20.looking at getting youngsters coming through from the academies, people

:15:21. > :15:27.who can exploit the space when it is their and play a more expansive

:15:28. > :15:34.game. They can bring a bit of dynamism to the team.

:15:35. > :15:41.Take us through the team that Jacques Brunel has gone for?

:15:42. > :15:43.Starting in the front row today is Michele Rizzo, along with

:15:44. > :16:01.Castrogiovanni. Marco Bortolami makes his 100th

:16:02. > :16:04.appearance for Italy. Alessandro Zanni is playing his 56th

:16:05. > :16:14.consecutive test. He is often referred to as Robocop occurs of his

:16:15. > :16:19.high work rate! The new combination of Alberto Sgarbi and Michele

:16:20. > :16:24.Campagnaro are in midfield. Angelo Esposito makes his first appearance.

:16:25. > :16:32.Wales will have a tough afternoon taking on not only Italy but also

:16:33. > :16:37.Robocop! Let's hear from Wales coach Warren Gatland.

:16:38. > :16:42.How does it feel to be back in the thick of it after your sabbatical?

:16:43. > :16:48.It feels great. The team won the championship last year and we have

:16:49. > :16:52.got a chance to create history in terms of three championships in a

:16:53. > :16:54.row. It has never been done before. Such a nice way to come to the

:16:55. > :17:01.campaign. The row between the unions and

:17:02. > :17:05.regions have been well documented. How confident are you that you can

:17:06. > :17:10.put it to one side and it will not affect Wales' chanters? We have not

:17:11. > :17:16.even spoken about it. It is out of our control and the players'

:17:17. > :17:19.controlled. I have not heard rumours or whisperings about it. All we can

:17:20. > :17:24.do is control the controllable is, and that is going out, training hard

:17:25. > :17:30.and hopefully performing well today. It is well documented and hopefully

:17:31. > :17:34.will be sorted out in the next few months and then we can move forward.

:17:35. > :17:38.I have been here for six years now and nothing has changed in that

:17:39. > :17:45.whole time, it has been one row after another. It would be nice to

:17:46. > :17:49.have some peace at some stage. Interesting comments from Warren

:17:50. > :17:54.Gatland. What a job he has done for Welsh rugby. Wherever you look

:17:55. > :17:57.interesting, there are big names, Test match winners. Non-so big as

:17:58. > :18:04.Adam Jones whose place is under pressure for the first time.

:18:05. > :18:12.The second row goes back to the 2011 World Cup combination. Alun Wyn

:18:13. > :18:16.Jones, how he keeps turning up these performances, I don't know. A great

:18:17. > :18:26.week for Dan Lydiate, he became a father for the first time. Justin

:18:27. > :18:30.Tipuric is on fire at the moment. Rhys Priestland has got the nod this

:18:31. > :18:36.week ahead of Dan Biggar, he needs to repay the faith. The size of

:18:37. > :18:42.these guys, Scott Williams, the form player at the moment, and Jamie

:18:43. > :18:46.Roberts, back from injury. The back three, you don't need to say much

:18:47. > :18:49.about these three. George North one of the best in the world at

:18:50. > :18:56.finishing. Leigh Halfpenny, not many awards left for him to win. An

:18:57. > :19:01.unbelievable back three. Leigh Halfpenny was the player of the

:19:02. > :19:03.tournament last year and one of -- and runner-up of the BBC sports

:19:04. > :19:21.personality of the year. When I started, as a kid, playing

:19:22. > :19:24.rugby, the support I had from my family was incredible, you know?

:19:25. > :19:34.Coming down on Sunday mornings to watch us play. I loved it. When I

:19:35. > :19:39.was seven years old, one of my mates I went to school with set, I am

:19:40. > :19:47.going to rugby training, you can come along. So I did. Matchstick

:19:48. > :19:54.legs, wasn't it? ! The sinister legs you have ever seen! But fast. That

:19:55. > :19:58.makes all the difference. He first joined when he was seven. As soon as

:19:59. > :20:06.he was on the field, he was different. Instantly, you saw that

:20:07. > :20:10.he was special. You get to the age where you are playing a full-sized

:20:11. > :20:17.page and need a kick on the team and I always wanted to be a kicker. I

:20:18. > :20:24.thought, I will have to start practising. He gradually got better

:20:25. > :20:28.and better and better, and his practising, the time he puts in,

:20:29. > :20:36.with him and his grandfather, is phenomenal. I remember running out

:20:37. > :20:48.into the road, you could hear the brakes squealing! I remember they

:20:49. > :20:51.were making abusive remarks. The ball coming at the windscreen as

:20:52. > :20:57.they were driving along! You would not be too happy, would you? He

:20:58. > :21:03.developed at a normal pace and he didn't quite hit the spot until

:21:04. > :21:09.nearly 16. Things just went on from there, then. I never forget having a

:21:10. > :21:14.text message one day after training with rumours that I was picked in

:21:15. > :21:20.the Welsh squad. Kicking duties have gone to the new

:21:21. > :21:24.cap, 19-year-old Leigh Halfpenny. That was a moment I have always

:21:25. > :21:30.dreamt of, kicking for Wales. When I saw the ball go through the past, I

:21:31. > :21:38.was -- it was a very, very proud moment that I will never forget.

:21:39. > :21:46.After the match, my grandad said he could die a happy man. You never

:21:47. > :22:00.forget where you come from. I still see myself down here as one of the

:22:01. > :22:04.boys. Bonjour! I spend my spare time down here, close to the people that

:22:05. > :22:08.have supported me all through my career will stop without them, I

:22:09. > :22:12.wouldn't be where I am today. I will never forget that.

:22:13. > :22:22.He is such a nice guy, Leigh Halfpenny. You can see more of that

:22:23. > :22:27.on the Get Inspired website, and information about how to play at

:22:28. > :22:30.your local club. You could be kicking the British and Irish Lions

:22:31. > :22:35.to glory 20 years from now, you could be the next Leigh Halfpenny!

:22:36. > :22:39.What more is there to say about Leigh Halfpenny? And incredible

:22:40. > :22:45.competitor. He is a wonderful, wonderful rugby player. You know

:22:46. > :22:50.when you are walking down the tunnel with a player that the rest of the

:22:51. > :22:55.rugby world would give their left arm to have in their team. A

:22:56. > :22:58.generation ago when Shane Williams was with us, now we have another

:22:59. > :23:04.matchwinner in Leigh Halfpenny. You have young kids playing rugby in

:23:05. > :23:10.Wales wanting to be the next Leigh Halfpenny. He is a down-to-earth

:23:11. > :23:16.superstar, and he is a superstar, you can't go anywhere in Wales. And

:23:17. > :23:21.he still works as hard as he have have. You have been in the Italian

:23:22. > :23:27.side, Carlo. What is it like, waiting for the stadium to erupt?

:23:28. > :23:30.Once you walk down the tunnel, you realise the atmosphere that is

:23:31. > :23:35.waiting for you as you get out. You feel the heat of the pyrotechnics,

:23:36. > :23:39.you hear the stadium erupted, and you realise you will be in for a

:23:40. > :23:44.battle. I don't know where you are watching this rugby match today, but

:23:45. > :23:49.I can tell you the atmosphere here in the Millennium Stadium is just

:23:50. > :23:53.incredible, and, Ryan, you have been in this position many times. Alun

:23:54. > :23:57.Wyn Jones, the captain of Wales today. What is it like to walk

:23:58. > :24:05.through the tunnel to 70,000 people? You come down the tunnel,

:24:06. > :24:09.you are faced with a wall of noise and colour, and a wall of

:24:10. > :24:17.expectation. The pyrotechnics go off, physically you are on edge. The

:24:18. > :24:20.fireworks going off. Emotionally and psychologically, a real, real edge.

:24:21. > :24:59.These guys are ready for battle now. You can feel the passion, the

:25:00. > :25:02.intensity, and I get the killing there is expectation on their

:25:03. > :25:13.shoulders now. The fans are used to success. Yes, but they know it will

:25:14. > :25:16.be a tough game. You may be able to see the Italian players wearing

:25:17. > :25:23.black armbands. It has been a week of tragedy for Italian rugby. And

:25:24. > :25:29.under 24 academy player died in a car crash last Saturday. Many of his

:25:30. > :25:33.team-mates were playing in the under 26 tournament last night. In a

:25:34. > :25:37.separate tragedy, the man in charge of the under 20 is a wee team also

:25:38. > :25:42.died this week they heart attack so the Italians are wearing black

:25:43. > :25:47.armbands and there will be a minutes silence here today in memory of

:25:48. > :25:51.them. It has been a week of tragedy for Italian rugby and they will now

:25:52. > :25:53.be remembered here at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, the home of the

:25:54. > :26:47.defending champions will . A tragic week for Italian rugby,

:26:48. > :26:51.immaculately observed by the crowd at the Millennium Stadium. The Six

:26:52. > :27:12.Nations start here. Here come the anthems.

:27:13. > :27:23.# Fratelli d'Italia. # L'Italia s'e desta.

:27:24. > :27:31.# Dell'elmo di Scipio. # S'e cinta la testa.

:27:32. > :27:39.# Dov'e la vittoria? # Le porga la chioma.

:27:40. > :27:48.# Che schiava di Roma. # Iddio la creo.

:27:49. > :27:52.# Fratelli d'Italia. # L'Italia s'e desta.

:27:53. > :27:56.# Dell'elmo di Scipio. # S'e cinta la testa.

:27:57. > :28:00.# Dov'e la vittoria? # Le porga la chioma.

:28:01. > :28:06.# Che schiava di Roma. # Iddio la creo.

:28:07. > :28:10.# Stringiamoci a coorte. # Siam pronti alla morte.

:28:11. > :28:14.# Italia chiamo. # Stringiamoci a coorte.

:28:15. > :28:16.# Siam pronti alla morte. # Siam pronti alla morte.

:28:17. > :28:45.# Italia chiamo #. Si! # Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i

:28:46. > :28:55.mi. # Gwlad beirdd a chantorion,

:28:56. > :29:06.enwogion o fri. # Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra

:29:07. > :29:24.mad. # Dros ryddid gollasant EU gwaed.

:29:25. > :29:43.# Gwlad, gwlad. # Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad.

:29:44. > :29:58.# Tra mor yn fur i'r bur hoff bau. # O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau.

:29:59. > :30:16.That was the noise of an entire nation. Two great anthems, a

:30:17. > :30:20.wonderful atmosphere. Two of the greatest anthems you will hear

:30:21. > :30:25.during this tournament. He staged is set here in Cardiff, Wales against

:30:26. > :30:26.Italy. Let's join the commentators Jonathan Davies and good afternoon

:30:27. > :30:49.to Andrew Cotter. What a team it is today. A couple of

:30:50. > :31:04.understudies. Gethin Jenkins and Paul Jones.

:31:05. > :31:12.Fly-half is the only uncertain position. Rhys Priestland gets the

:31:13. > :31:28.nod today. They will be very hard to contain.

:31:29. > :31:39.We have 320-year-olds starting today -- three 20-year-olds starting

:31:40. > :31:58.today. The Six Nations is underway. Alun

:31:59. > :32:03.Wyn Jones has captained his side before against Italy. He has

:32:04. > :32:36.captained the Lions of course. This is the most experienced

:32:37. > :32:54.international pack ever to grace this field in terms of caps.

:32:55. > :33:03.Campagnaro is one of the 20-year-olds.

:33:04. > :33:08.The Welsh fans are responding. Sergio Parisse is there. Still with

:33:09. > :33:27.Italy. Edoardo Gori once again. A penalty for Wales. Not much

:33:28. > :33:31.penetration there for the Italians, and Faletau gets the ball and the

:33:32. > :33:38.penalty. It will be interesting to see how the Italian halfbacks go,

:33:39. > :33:39.because they are in a transitional period and want to play more

:33:40. > :33:57.expensively. They will be crucial. There is the penalty, getting

:33:58. > :34:02.cleared out. The debate about number ten, Priestland and Biggar. Biggar

:34:03. > :34:07.has been playing well. They want the more expansive, and the difference

:34:08. > :34:12.in physique between the Welsh backline and the Italian backline is

:34:13. > :34:19.phenomenal. That will be the big question, can they cope?

:34:20. > :34:41.Blonde Sarah flies over the half line.

:34:42. > :34:50.It is going to roll away. The whistle went to his mouth, but he

:34:51. > :35:04.left it. A gift for Alex Cuthbert! You cannot

:35:05. > :35:12.afford to give Wales chances like that. It was a well-placed kick, but

:35:13. > :35:23.not that well-placed. Alex Cuthbert for Wales. A dummy runner from Scott

:35:24. > :35:27.Williams. A lovely little kick, but this should be taken, right winger

:35:28. > :35:33.comes across and covers. Esposito, just a flood banks. A lovely kick,

:35:34. > :35:37.but covered. This should be cleaned up. Just missed times it, misjudges

:35:38. > :35:45.the Barents, and Alex Cuthbert is there. Esposito, on his debut, still

:35:46. > :35:49.looking for his first touch. He should have had it. That is a big a

:35:50. > :35:54.big mistake. You have got to go down and get behind the ball, and

:35:55. > :36:00.Cuthbert, when he's around, is a deadly finisher. That is a poor

:36:01. > :36:06.start for the Italians, worst start possible for them. Italy will have

:36:07. > :36:10.been saying, keep in search with Wales for as long as possible and

:36:11. > :36:32.three of their nerves start afraid. -- start to fray.

:36:33. > :36:53.A beauty. A tight angle. Wales have a 7-point start in this game.

:36:54. > :37:37.Leigh Halfpenny thumbs down there again. A dangerous kick coming up

:37:38. > :37:48.here. A very good run. The easy option is to take it to the

:37:49. > :37:52.22 and banged it into touch, but he had a look up and took the difficult

:37:53. > :38:00.option. A dangerous kick, but struck beautifully. The Derby odds from the

:38:01. > :38:06.international is -- these are the odds.

:38:07. > :38:10.Different ball is the most difficult to attack from the backline, but it

:38:11. > :38:31.is a safer ball. There it is. George North building up a head of

:38:32. > :38:39.steam. Esposito is trying to get there.

:38:40. > :38:47.Leonardo Sarto was eventually coming across from the left wing. A good

:38:48. > :38:51.covering by the Italian wingers. Leonardo Sarto did exceptionally

:38:52. > :38:52.well to see the danger. He comes all the way across. A lovely kick by

:38:53. > :39:09.George North. Good play, good pass. Great cover,

:39:10. > :39:17.but a blindside Italian winger. The position now is great for Wales.

:39:18. > :39:22.Alun Wyn Jones secured the ball at the line-out. Many of the Italian

:39:23. > :39:30.players have gone to ground and regrouped in a great position.

:39:31. > :39:39.Sergio Parisse tries to get in there and get it from the grasp of Mike

:39:40. > :39:43.Phillips. A good defence by Italy. Very good play, definitely. It of

:39:44. > :39:50.the body and into the arms of Priestland.

:39:51. > :39:58.Italy have the scrum. You have to applaud their defence there. I

:39:59. > :40:02.thought they had big problems there. A lot of the Italian players went to

:40:03. > :40:12.ground, but they regrouped. Sergio Parisse was in there.

:40:13. > :40:36.Good stiff structure of work by the Italians. -- good destructive work.

:40:37. > :40:47.Open up your shoulder. You have lasted longer this match than the

:40:48. > :40:53.last match. This time last time you in the gentlemen's toilet in Rome.

:40:54. > :41:09.Too much information! Good times. That ball was put-in sharply there.

:41:10. > :41:16.One thing about the scrum is that Adam Jones has had to adjust. He was

:41:17. > :41:20.so good at getting the hit. There is no real hits now. There is a tiny

:41:21. > :41:23.little hit, and I wonder if that has this empowered to the Italian

:41:24. > :41:31.forwards as well. It is a different beast now, the scrum. Adam Jones has

:41:32. > :41:34.struggled to adjust a little bit. This is a competition where he can

:41:35. > :41:46.step up to the mark again. Penalty to Italy. Head and

:41:47. > :41:47.shoulders, that is the instruction from John Lacey. Paul James is the

:41:48. > :42:11.man penalised. McLean clears for Italy. The referee

:42:12. > :42:18.again is giving instruction to Alun Wyn Jones, the captain, who was

:42:19. > :42:25.asking what was wrong with that. Looking at Wales's line-out stats

:42:26. > :42:29.from the autumn internationals, and abbreviated line-out. Not long this

:42:30. > :42:41.time. A good rolling maul. A penalty

:42:42. > :42:46.coming to Italy as well. Charteris is coming in at the side. I think

:42:47. > :42:48.they are too far to go for goal. That's a good drive by the Italian

:42:49. > :42:57.pack. It is going to be a kick for touch

:42:58. > :43:13.by Luke McLean. That is a good one, into the 22. It

:43:14. > :43:19.will steady things a little bit after that flying start. Yes, the

:43:20. > :43:23.Italians started well, just one defensive lapse, one mistake, and

:43:24. > :43:32.they are seven points behind now. First real attacking opportunity,

:43:33. > :43:42.shortened line-out. Bergamasco, Sergio Parisse midfield.

:43:43. > :43:54.And advantage again to Italy. Dan Lydiate was penalised there. Still

:43:55. > :44:02.advantage to Italy. Free play now, they have got the penalty.

:44:03. > :44:07.He was rolling, but he rolled right into the path of the scrum-half, so

:44:08. > :44:10.if it was going to be a penalty, it made the decision a lot easier. The

:44:11. > :44:21.tackle is made, he tries to roll away, he doesn't know which way to

:44:22. > :44:25.go. A bit slow. It is going to be a fairly straightforward goal for

:44:26. > :44:41.Tomaso Allan. We talked about Tommaso Allan's

:44:42. > :44:48.heritage. His uncle played for Scotland and South Africa. He was

:44:49. > :44:52.the hooker, but Tommy Allan played for under 18s, under 20s for

:44:53. > :44:55.Scotland. He was born to an Italian mother in Italy, and he is Italy's

:44:56. > :45:06.latest fly-half. That is a good response from Italy.

:45:07. > :45:20.It could have been a horrible first 15 minutes.

:45:21. > :45:37.The promise from the Italian coach that they will play more open rugby

:45:38. > :45:42.now. That is why the roof is closed today, both coaches have two agree

:45:43. > :45:46.to it and the Italian said, that is fine, we will have it closed. The

:45:47. > :45:49.weather has been dreadful for the past month, rain, rain. It is a good

:45:50. > :46:25.job the roof has been closed. They have done very well to keep

:46:26. > :46:26.that. I thought he was isolated. Wales are a bit bunched at the

:46:27. > :46:57.moment. A penalty to Italy. That is a couple

:46:58. > :47:05.of times that Mike Phillips has been caught by Parisse. He goes in, just

:47:06. > :47:10.take that step, Parisse comes around. Only three men in the ruck

:47:11. > :47:18.so it is very easy to come round. It is not a big ruck. Penalties

:47:19. > :47:25.conceded, Wales in front on that at the moment. That will give Italy

:47:26. > :47:39.midfield position. -- good Beeld position.

:47:40. > :47:48.Ghiraldini bag on his feet. We are having a vote, who you think will

:47:49. > :48:00.win the Six Nations. You can join in via Twitter or the BBC website.

:48:01. > :48:08.If you don't know what a hash tag is, we cannot help you! That is a

:48:09. > :48:20.full component of 15 players on both sides. Things not quite ticking over

:48:21. > :48:42.perfectly at the moment. We have got to be a bit more clinical.

:48:43. > :49:01.A bit of space for a moment but carried in by Allan. Telly big

:49:02. > :49:11.Faletau would be tackled. -- teleplay Faletau.

:49:12. > :49:18.It is the urgency with which they wanted the ball. Wales will be

:49:19. > :49:23.wanting to keep the tempo high. They want to stretch the Italian team. We

:49:24. > :49:27.see them trying to keep the tempo high around set piece and penalties

:49:28. > :49:33.it as it is a way of stretching Italy. A crunching tackle bad.

:49:34. > :49:57.George North uses his speed. A full brochure start by Italy, just

:49:58. > :50:11.that one mistake costing them -- a faux brochures start.

:50:12. > :50:21.That was a great tackle. Smashed two players there. A couple of good

:50:22. > :50:27.dumps in this passage of play. That is far too obvious, that play. You

:50:28. > :50:31.cannot afford to show your hand very early on. There is only one player

:50:32. > :50:38.that the ball is going to, that was Scott Williams. He read it very,

:50:39. > :50:41.very well and absolutely nailed him. The dummy runners have got to show a

:50:42. > :50:47.little bit more and then they might get the ball and take the defensive

:50:48. > :50:53.run away from the eventual ball-carrier. Wales will have an

:50:54. > :51:57.attacking line-out right on the 22. Ed every good tackle by Eduardo

:51:58. > :52:23.Gori. The Italian defence really being tested now.

:52:24. > :52:32.A very, very good defence by the Italians. I don't think they have

:52:33. > :52:42.been over the gain enough yet. The Italians really defending well. This

:52:43. > :52:54.is a strong defence. Campagnaro has been very, very strong defensively.

:52:55. > :53:01.Makes the tackle on George North. I think they have got to try and just

:53:02. > :53:06.get George North into the game a little bit. The Italian backs onto

:53:07. > :53:13.the biggest international backline and I think just a few decoys and

:53:14. > :53:18.throw the two wingers into midfield. A short defensive line-out

:53:19. > :53:25.for Italy, it has to work. It just does. That ball would have been a

:53:26. > :53:33.long time in the air for Eduardo Gori there. Ghiraldini is struggling

:53:34. > :53:48.from that hit, he was hit early on. Dangerous play from the Italians,

:53:49. > :53:56.they are trying to get Edoardo Gori into position. The thing about him,

:53:57. > :54:05.Andrew, he takes one or two steps while clearing the ball. He has got

:54:06. > :54:11.to try and clear it without taking any steps.

:54:12. > :54:24.Look at the action areas at the moment. The last couple of minutes,

:54:25. > :54:36.a bit of a stutter in the throw from Richard Hibbard.

:54:37. > :54:49.He seemed to have stepped in field a bit before, wasn't sure of his

:54:50. > :54:53.throat. A scrum to Italy. I think Ryan was saying that he was trying

:54:54. > :54:58.to keep the ball in play, keep the tempo high to keep the Italians out,

:54:59. > :55:01.but it can make mistakes and get a few penalties away. When the

:55:02. > :55:03.Italians have the ball, they are dictating the pace of the game,

:55:04. > :55:16.which Wales do not want to happen. They will be happy, 22 minutes gone

:55:17. > :55:25.and only four points behind. They will be happy. If you are joining us

:55:26. > :55:34.a little bit late, it was a freebie for Alex Cuthbert, a little mistake

:55:35. > :55:54.by Esposito on the wing. Penalty to Italy.

:55:55. > :56:05.Very difficult to call that, which one goes down first. Hence my

:56:06. > :56:09.noncommittal noise! It gives Luke McLean a chance to clear, another

:56:10. > :56:16.good clearing kick from the fullback. Australian born fullback.

:56:17. > :56:23.Very interesting game so far, a great start by Wales but Italy have

:56:24. > :56:27.been more than equal since then. I think Wales have got to commit

:56:28. > :56:35.players around the ruck area and then go wide. The Italian drift

:56:36. > :56:58.defence is coping very well. That is a white pigment in his hair,

:56:59. > :57:19.he is not prematurely grey! They had a good chance there, actually.

:57:20. > :57:23.A very canny Italian line-out. These players have seen a few line-outs

:57:24. > :57:43.and know how to disrupt. That was a beautiful kick. Well

:57:44. > :58:20.done, the Silver Fox. A good line-out by Wales. Toby

:58:21. > :58:57.Faletau is exposed. Just take a defender of him.

:58:58. > :59:09.Penalty to Wales. Yes, he went early. Just watch the replay. It is

:59:10. > :59:14.a good call, really. Whoever called it, they saw Cuthbert in the ruck.

:59:15. > :59:22.He is miles offside, absolutely miles offside. Like an American

:59:23. > :59:26.footballer. Priestland trying to kick that off the outside of the

:59:27. > :59:33.boot to give the angle. A bright enough start by Italy. Yes, besides

:59:34. > :59:37.the early try they have made a good recovery. They seem to be putting a

:59:38. > :59:41.lot of pressure on the kickers will stop the intensity of the breakdown

:59:42. > :59:45.in the tackle area has increased and they are getting a few turnovers so

:59:46. > :59:52.they need to keep up the intensity on the defence line in order to keep

:59:53. > :59:59.the Welsh attack at bay. The crowd here are trying to lift the

:00:00. > :00:09.intensity of the Welsh side. A bit of interference there. Leigh

:00:10. > :00:15.Halfpenny is Scotland forward. -- is coming forward. Parisse pushes and

:00:16. > :00:40.then steps out. Hoping not to be seen.

:00:41. > :00:50.This is the first real kickable penalty at 27 minutes. Discipline

:00:51. > :00:51.has been good. Maybe that is why one side has not got momentum, attacking

:00:52. > :01:06.momentum. He is practising his kicks. So far

:01:07. > :01:07.it has worked. A good conversion landed. Here he can give Wales

:01:08. > :01:23.another three points. Despite this look, the ball goes

:01:24. > :01:32.through, and Wales have ten points, and a 7-point lead.

:01:33. > :01:37.I remember the Italian fly-half slipping a couple of times and still

:01:38. > :01:53.the ball went over. Halfpenny managed it there.

:01:54. > :02:04.The kick nearly works very well for them George North coming forward.

:02:05. > :02:11.You don't want to see out of the corner of your eye George North

:02:12. > :02:15.coming in, when you are trying to catch the ball. Esposito, there is

:02:16. > :02:23.the slip. He still does exceptionally well to nail that

:02:24. > :02:36.after slipping. First knock-on. They give a cross kick from first phase.

:02:37. > :02:42.I would like to see half the -- Halfpenny.

:02:43. > :03:23.Lydiard carries it on. After an hour gone, seven points in it.

:03:24. > :03:39.Out goes the ball. Wales will have the attacking position.

:03:40. > :03:51.Good play, got him on the outside. That is the position Wales have now.

:03:52. > :03:57.It was pushing earlier that cost Italy that scrum. The Welsh forwards

:03:58. > :04:05.are deciding what to do with this line-out. They strolled forward.

:04:06. > :04:11.This time Tipuric tries to take it down.

:04:12. > :04:25.A good driver middle. They are spreading defensively. A more direct

:04:26. > :04:33.approach for Wales now. They are looking for their second try. The

:04:34. > :04:41.turnover is brilliant. I think it is the winner again.

:04:42. > :04:50.It was a great, great turnover. Our vote for who do you think will win

:04:51. > :04:59.the Six Nations on Twitter and e-mail is now closed.

:05:00. > :05:19.Italy with the penalty. McLean has that clearing kick. Nearly up to the

:05:20. > :05:26.halfway line. Just watch, Wales have got to hold 13. On that occasion,

:05:27. > :05:29.they all came in. They have got the extra man, they just have to pick

:05:30. > :05:37.the right runner. On that occasion they did. If they can hold 13, they

:05:38. > :05:38.will hold the winners as well. But Campagnaro is drifting very well,

:05:39. > :06:00.very good defensively. Edoardo Gori sends it high, Sergio

:06:01. > :06:04.Parisse trying to get there. A little knock-on there from Wales, so

:06:05. > :06:10.scrum to Italy. They are competing very well and putting pressure on

:06:11. > :06:14.the kicks, chasing absolutely everything. They are not giving the

:06:15. > :06:20.Welsh players signed on the ball, or time to take the high ball. A hefty

:06:21. > :06:24.fall for George North, but he is fine. I want to kill them until the

:06:25. > :06:30.ball goes in. Glen Jackson is with her running

:06:31. > :07:04.touch as well. Six minutes to go in this first

:07:05. > :07:09.half, and just seven points. The difference is that converted try.

:07:10. > :07:13.That was in the first format minutes of the match. Down goes the scrum

:07:14. > :07:40.again. Is this going to be a trite? It is a

:07:41. > :07:48.very well executed move. He's stood out there, purely because of that.

:07:49. > :07:50.He is not celebrating. Let's CU gets a hand on it. He doesn't think he

:07:51. > :08:03.scored. He is going back a scrum. Iain Ramage is the referee. Sergio

:08:04. > :08:09.Parisse's left hand gets to the ball. That is a knock-on.

:08:10. > :08:20.Fair play. Sergio Parisse, classy player, classy man. He walks back to

:08:21. > :08:35.the scrummage. A good move and a good position for

:08:36. > :08:49.Italy. Welsh scrum. Is their first scrum, I think.

:08:50. > :08:59.Wales just need to get that ball away. A good scrum, boys. Keep it

:09:00. > :09:04.goes, and a clearing kick from Friesland, effectively, and Esposito

:09:05. > :09:10.takes it well. Here comes the winner.

:09:11. > :09:20.A bit of a zip about this Italian side. The whistle brings them back.

:09:21. > :09:30.There is definitely more zip. Edoardo Gori is having a good game.

:09:31. > :09:33.He is very sharp. Just watch this, Zanni is unlucky Tom because the

:09:34. > :09:45.pass was on. Time out, please. Did that come off Paul James? One

:09:46. > :10:22.big hit. Castrogiovanni was enjoying the

:10:23. > :10:29.tussle. This is a nice game to lead Wales into the Championship. It is

:10:30. > :10:32.also about the points difference at the end of the Championship, and

:10:33. > :10:41.they could also that with a big win here today. -- they could bolster

:10:42. > :10:44.that. A penalty to Wales, and Castrogiovanni was the driving

:10:45. > :11:00.Mander in the front row. First two games, Paul James, next to

:11:01. > :11:08.Mac games, the Italian front row. Priestland gave that a huge boot.

:11:09. > :11:11.The last attacking opportunity for Wales. It would good the -- the good

:11:12. > :11:24.to get a try. After that mistake which allowed

:11:25. > :11:25.Wales to score the first try, Italy will be happy with the score at

:11:26. > :11:30.half-time. The line-up is a bit loose again, a

:11:31. > :11:48.bit deeper. Williams will score for Wales.

:11:49. > :11:56.Second try! Simple. The try is finished.

:11:57. > :12:02.A blow for the Italians just before half-time.

:12:03. > :12:11.Scott Williams is on form. Again, not the best line-out. It is just

:12:12. > :12:21.that angle, he drifts a little bit too early, good support by inside.

:12:22. > :12:24.Sgarbi drifts too early. He goes too early, shows too much on the inside

:12:25. > :12:30.for Jamie Roberts. Too big, the angle is too good, and then very

:12:31. > :12:33.good support by Scott Williams. It is going to be a try at the start

:12:34. > :12:37.and a try at the end of this first half, which is the difference

:12:38. > :12:43.between these two sides at the moment. The timing is rather cruel

:12:44. > :12:49.for Italy. But their defence was not up to it. Just drifted a little bit

:12:50. > :12:55.too early there, that is all he did. The angle beat him. And the

:12:56. > :13:03.conversion is good for Lee Halfpenny. Wales have two converted

:13:04. > :13:08.tries. Just watching, he goes and goes and goes too early. He is too

:13:09. > :13:13.big, too powerful, good support there by Scott Williams. Just 30

:13:14. > :13:26.seconds remaining. The Italian backline have defended

:13:27. > :13:48.well. But again, just one missed tackle.

:13:49. > :13:54.Campagnaro hangs onto it and he has got some pace. He kicks it down the

:13:55. > :13:59.field for Esposito to get there. At the touchdown from Friesland will

:14:00. > :14:01.bring this half to an end. A nice touch from Italy, they have

:14:02. > :14:07.threatened at times, but it does not come to anything. There is not much

:14:08. > :14:13.in it. Just the mistake and then that try at the end. The game has

:14:14. > :14:14.been quite even. Wales will have to pick up the tempo in the second

:14:15. > :14:26.half. That is what they want to do. They need to go wider little bit

:14:27. > :14:30.later. Very comfortable for Wales with that late try by Scott

:14:31. > :14:37.Williams. Did not take much to create a couple of tries that for

:14:38. > :14:44.Scotland's 17th. Wales lead by half-time.

:14:45. > :14:58.A blistering start for Wales. Lee Halfpenny is unflappable as usual,

:14:59. > :15:01.that the Italians are not fazed by the atmosphere here in Cardiff. They

:15:02. > :15:07.are applying a lot of pressure Thomas Scott Williams getting his

:15:08. > :15:13.seventh try for Wales. Wales lead at half-time, 17-3. The Italians have

:15:14. > :15:21.applied a lot of pressure. Wales have had 56% of the possession.

:15:22. > :15:26.Yes, I think Wales will be disappointed with the errors they

:15:27. > :15:35.have made. We have not had the tempo, we have

:15:36. > :15:38.not gone through the phases that we would have liked to this early on,

:15:39. > :15:42.but we have kept the scoreboard ticking over. Have Wales been

:15:43. > :15:50.disciplined enough for you in the first of? Italy are a strong side,

:15:51. > :15:56.difficult to play against. I am impressed from where Wales are

:15:57. > :16:10.trying to play from as well, inside their 22. But 79th and three, I

:16:11. > :16:16.would take that. -- 17-3. A bit of indecision in the Italy line-out, at

:16:17. > :16:19.the back of the line-out with the defence, just not allowing them to

:16:20. > :16:23.get enough width to deal with the big runners that are coming in on

:16:24. > :16:26.the short lines. If they can get those errors cut out of the game

:16:27. > :16:30.then they can keep applying the pressure because at the breakdown

:16:31. > :16:38.they are looking more intense than normal, putting pressure on nine and

:16:39. > :16:43.ten, so, apart from the two mistakes... It was an error that

:16:44. > :16:48.cost Italy dear in the opening moments. That is exactly what the

:16:49. > :16:53.Italians did not want, this very nervous moment. Yes, it was his

:16:54. > :16:58.first cap, he would have been nervous. He did everything right,

:16:59. > :17:03.covered his 15 in the back line. A great kick from Rhys Priestland and

:17:04. > :17:06.Cuthbert was chased down. If you look at the Italians, they should

:17:07. > :17:11.have done a better job of locking Cuthbert. They switched off. What a

:17:12. > :17:18.way to stop the international career. The Welsh did not really

:17:19. > :17:25.have numbers there, but a great option by Rhys Priestland and five

:17:26. > :17:31.points up. Your heart goes out to them in that position. It is a

:17:32. > :17:36.difficult place to be, but he has to put that to bed, it is a fast

:17:37. > :17:43.flowing game. You cannot make up for the mistake. But I think that is a

:17:44. > :17:51.reward for what Wales did. What we call finish on a positive. Phases of

:17:52. > :17:54.nothing on, it is either going to be that is the best result all end up

:17:55. > :17:59.with a line-out or turnover so it was good play from Wales. We have

:18:00. > :18:03.talked about the matchwinners in Wales' side, Jamie Roberts coming

:18:04. > :18:08.back fully fit. The site is littered with top players who can do this

:18:09. > :18:14.sort of thing. The size and strength of the back line. Jamie is such a

:18:15. > :18:21.threat. Jonathan Davies is waiting in the wings to come in. Jamie, as a

:18:22. > :18:26.forward, it takes so much stress of you. He looked very dangerous, very

:18:27. > :18:31.fit today. Fresh, he has had a breakthrough injury. It is tough for

:18:32. > :18:37.the Italian defence to break Jamie Roberts down. A big, scary man

:18:38. > :18:42.running at you at pace! It will take some stopping to get him down.

:18:43. > :18:49.Looking to the second half, if they can get a few more moving the ball

:18:50. > :18:54.away in the counterattack, twice now they have run into the best

:18:55. > :18:58.defending in Richard Hibbard, and you don't want to run into him, so

:18:59. > :19:01.if they can shift the ball on the counterattack they might get the

:19:02. > :19:08.space to get the momentum going. He had a hand in Scott Williams' try.

:19:09. > :19:13.Seven tries for Williams. He is an inform player. A bit of disruption

:19:14. > :19:18.in the line-out, Jamie is out to win. This is what we look for. Once

:19:19. > :19:28.you are through the line, playing in behind. Tipuric, Dan Lydiate in the

:19:29. > :19:38.support line. A slight misunderstanding in the Italian

:19:39. > :19:42.defence. What is interesting about Italy today, the errors they are

:19:43. > :19:46.making, they were not making those last year in the latter stages of

:19:47. > :19:55.the competition. No, they have had more time together to get a bit more

:19:56. > :20:00.understanding. It was a bit too narrow and causes problems. If they

:20:01. > :20:04.can iron out those mistakes and come out in the second half with the

:20:05. > :20:08.passion and ambition to play rugby and score points now. They are

:20:09. > :20:13.behind on the scoreboard, maybe the tactics should change a little bit

:20:14. > :20:18.and get in attack mode now. One of the integral members of the back row

:20:19. > :20:23.for Wales is Dan Lydiate. He has made the top tackle a trademark of

:20:24. > :20:29.his game! The Italians are big men, you go high and they will carry you.

:20:30. > :20:34.It is great to see Dan back in form. He really is integral to this back

:20:35. > :20:45.row. When he plays well, the rest of the aquarobics they well. -- the

:20:46. > :20:50.rest of the act row play well. They have become the trademark of his

:20:51. > :20:57.game. Does he practice on you in training? Sadly, he does! It is

:20:58. > :21:01.something that is important in the modern game, because you need to get

:21:02. > :21:06.the other guys, Justin Tipuric, Sam Warburton, in on the ball, competing

:21:07. > :21:11.hard. Dan is world class at what he does, no doubt about that. It really

:21:12. > :21:15.does make a huge difference to the balance of players around as well.

:21:16. > :21:19.Talking of world-class players, we have dimension Sergio Parisse. You

:21:20. > :21:23.said at the beginning of the match that when he is not in the Italian

:21:24. > :21:29.side, the team feels as if it has got no passion, no energy. He makes

:21:30. > :21:36.a hell of a difference when he is in the side. He makes the recovery to

:21:37. > :21:40.get the turnover from the attacking position there. They turned over the

:21:41. > :21:49.ball got clear of the line and was putting pressure on. I think that is

:21:50. > :21:56.the weakness when talking about Parisse. You can't really see a

:21:57. > :22:02.cutting edge where they will get the magic, apart from a driving

:22:03. > :22:06.line-out. For the moment, thank you very much indeed. The Six Nations is

:22:07. > :22:10.very much here, they are even talking about it in the Houses of

:22:11. > :22:16.Parliament. The championship is always special,

:22:17. > :22:25.and I think it is special for the supporters. It is great for the

:22:26. > :22:29.fans. The Six Nations has such an amazing effect on the participating

:22:30. > :22:32.countries. It is a really unique tournament in the sense that you

:22:33. > :22:36.have these high-intensity test matches. It is a tournament that is

:22:37. > :22:41.steeped in tradition. It is an exciting one, enjoyable to watch. We

:22:42. > :22:47.see all of it back home in South Africa. The games are close

:22:48. > :22:53.together, the intensity, the scrutiny, the support and heartache,

:22:54. > :22:59.it is done in a flash. For two months, all of that crammed into the

:23:00. > :23:11.time makes it so exciting. The title for the 20 RBS Six Nations goes to

:23:12. > :23:17.Wales! It is a tough one to call, because France are back to their

:23:18. > :23:21.heyday. We don't know what we will get. You have seen the power of the

:23:22. > :23:31.Welsh side and the experience they have got, and I suppose you cannot

:23:32. > :23:35.be a fool to think that France will get it wrong every year. They have a

:23:36. > :23:39.huge amount of talent. They were good in the autumn but did not get

:23:40. > :23:50.the results they wanted. The talent at their disposal is incredible. You

:23:51. > :23:53.look at Ireland's performance against the all Blacks, which was so

:23:54. > :23:59.tantalisingly close to creating history will stop if they can carry

:24:00. > :24:03.on with that form and intensity over the course of the Six Nations, they

:24:04. > :24:07.will be there or thereabouts, so it is very, very exciting.

:24:08. > :24:11.Great to hear from some of the legends of the game. Lots more Six

:24:12. > :24:16.Nations action to come here on the BBC. France against England live

:24:17. > :24:21.from Paris today at 4:30pm will stop tomorrow, we are off to Ireland

:24:22. > :24:28.against Scotland, live from Dublin tomorrow at 2:30pm.

:24:29. > :24:32.At the start of this programme, we ask you who you think will win the

:24:33. > :24:37.Six Nations via Twitter, via Facebook and via the BBC sport

:24:38. > :24:43.website. The results are, England 40%, Wales 35%, Ireland 10%, 6% of

:24:44. > :24:50.you, very interesting, big France will win, Scotland 6% and Italy 2%.

:24:51. > :24:54.Let ask our guests whether they go along with that. A lot of people are

:24:55. > :24:58.looking at the fixtures when they said they fancy England to win the

:24:59. > :25:04.Six Nations and deep big match is probably England against Wales? You

:25:05. > :25:09.like to think that is going to be a decider, but between now and then we

:25:10. > :25:15.have no small matter of Ireland away, and I don't think England will

:25:16. > :25:19.find France to easily this afternoon. It is a tough call, I am

:25:20. > :25:26.not a big believer in calling it too early. But, for me, unsurprisingly I

:25:27. > :25:31.am a big fan of Wales, who I think will do really well. They are

:25:32. > :25:37.littered with world-class individuals. Do you think it will go

:25:38. > :25:43.down to that game at Twickenham? I agree with Ryan, there is too much

:25:44. > :25:50.rugby to go on. I think next week for Wales is huge. When the momentum

:25:51. > :25:56.is there, we are dangerous. What about you, Carlo? It is too early to

:25:57. > :26:01.call it. It is really tough to call, we will have to see what

:26:02. > :26:06.happens in the game. Don't forget you can contact us by

:26:07. > :26:19.the BBC sport website, via our Twitter handle, and of course by

:26:20. > :26:23.Facebook. So, here we go, then. Wales league Italy by 17 points to

:26:24. > :26:27.three. The players are out, time for the second half. Add to the match

:26:28. > :26:31.commentary team of Jonathan Davies and Andrew Cotter. -- back to the

:26:32. > :26:48.commentary team. ANDREW COTTER: Wales are off to a

:26:49. > :26:52.decent start so far. It is about building momentum, you cannot afford

:26:53. > :26:57.to make too slow a start, although Wales did last year. Going for three

:26:58. > :27:03.in a row. It has not been done. It has not been one out right three

:27:04. > :27:04.years in a row. A few side have won it twice and then tied for first

:27:05. > :27:32.place. No changes to either side at

:27:33. > :27:57.half-time. Wales with the first chance to make an assault here.

:27:58. > :28:01.That is what I would like to see, Halfpenny hitting it more. He has

:28:02. > :28:17.got great pace. Sam Warburton is waiting on the

:28:18. > :28:21.bench, still not quite match fit after that shoulder injury. It is a

:28:22. > :28:25.good back row to try to get back into form or button. Tipuric has

:28:26. > :28:50.been impressive so far. It is going to be a trifle

:28:51. > :28:57.Campagnaro! A berry, very good try! An excellent kit, excellent kick.

:28:58. > :28:59.That is exactly what they wanted. I wonder if there was a hint of a

:29:00. > :29:16.forward pass earlier on? We are going to the TMO. Ian Ramage

:29:17. > :29:21.is going to have a look at this. John Lacey has asked to see. If we

:29:22. > :29:34.look in slow motion we may see the forward pass. It is a great finish.

:29:35. > :29:41.A great finish. Nothing on from there.

:29:42. > :29:53.REFEREE: Just checking this patch. -- this pass. It is such a difficult

:29:54. > :29:59.one. I think the past has gone forward. It is forward. It is a

:30:00. > :30:11.tight one. Forward pass is much in the news at the moment. Glen Jackson

:30:12. > :30:21.is right near him. Yes, it is a forward pass. This is Campagnaro

:30:22. > :30:28.getting down there. It is his pass. REFEREE: John, are you OK with that,

:30:29. > :30:36.I have a decision for you, you may award the try.

:30:37. > :30:43.A trifle Italy -- a try for Italy, for Campagnaro. There is the

:30:44. > :30:52.turnover, Priestland. Very good play again. They go wide, it is an

:30:53. > :30:54.exceptional finish and a very, very good try by the Italians. Campagnaro

:30:55. > :31:09.has played exceptionally well. The end result has been judged by

:31:10. > :31:13.Ian Ramage not to have been a fault. A good start of the second half for

:31:14. > :31:20.Italy. Much of the news at the moment Tom the rule is, do the hands

:31:21. > :31:29.go-forward? A very good kick. The pace of Campagnaro and the control

:31:30. > :31:35.of the kicks, a very good try. A lot of people say that it should go back

:31:36. > :31:41.to being a forward pass, irrespective of the momentum

:31:42. > :31:47.carrying the ball forward. A bit of crossing interference there from

:31:48. > :31:55.Italy, so a penalty for Wales. Obstruction number one. A bit of a

:31:56. > :32:01.puppet goal for Wales. We will have the thoughts from Carlo Del Fava. It

:32:02. > :32:06.was fantastic how they got the ball in hand. In the past, you would see

:32:07. > :32:09.Italy make one pass, kick the ball down the field that would be the end

:32:10. > :32:13.of possession. It shows you their thoughts in trying to get down the

:32:14. > :32:17.pitch and score some points. A well worked try. They did everything

:32:18. > :32:29.right chip kick on the last defender. Forward pass or not? A

:32:30. > :32:32.tough one! The pause is enough! It will never be forward, I think. A

:32:33. > :33:06.chance for Lee Halfpenny. E hoax it. Nine points, it remains.

:33:07. > :33:13.A rare miss from his favoured side. He smashed that a bit, just called

:33:14. > :33:24.it. I would always be put off by the looming spectre of the Italian

:33:25. > :33:29.player hovering behind. He could be the greatest kicker. I can to

:33:30. > :33:38.debate. Lee Halfpenny has now passed James Hook, but a long way behind

:33:39. > :33:42.Jenkins. Is it worth giving book a run in this game at number ten, to

:33:43. > :34:09.see how he goes? Faletau carries the ball a lot. That

:34:10. > :34:15.is a turnover ball. Good work by the Italian defence. Just watch, where

:34:16. > :34:19.Faletau goes, Sergio Parisse also goes. Usually he carries the ball,

:34:20. > :34:25.because he has got such good feet. He can step and get through the

:34:26. > :34:28.tackle, on that occasion, it was surrounding him. Sometimes he needs

:34:29. > :34:39.a runner with him, just take a run on his shoulder, take one of the

:34:40. > :34:42.defenders away. Italy have had five missed tackles, one of them very

:34:43. > :35:05.important. This chrome wheels round. A very

:35:06. > :35:14.good scrum by Wales. Very good. The first two scrums of the match, James

:35:15. > :35:19.collapsing, really turned it round now, very dominant in the scrum. The

:35:20. > :35:25.Italian scrum is not what it once was. No, it's not. That was the

:35:26. > :35:28.platform of their game, their forward power, but that is where

:35:29. > :35:33.they are trying to change their style a bit. Edoardo Gori has a

:35:34. > :35:41.significant part to play in that, the scrum-half.

:35:42. > :35:57.They are going to destroy the Welsh scrum there. They are still resting

:35:58. > :36:10.on laurels of their previous scum. They are under penalty. Allan's kick

:36:11. > :36:13.is a good touch finder. After that try, their tails will be up. They

:36:14. > :36:19.have got good field position once again.

:36:20. > :36:31.Just a bit of a murmur around the stadium at the moment. Nine points.

:36:32. > :36:50.It has gone quiet. They wanted to see two tries to one.

:36:51. > :37:00.Handed out from Don Lacy, penalty coming to Italy. Definitely go for

:37:01. > :37:20.goal here. He won't be happy with the

:37:21. > :37:49.second-half performance. A rich source of points, a great

:37:50. > :37:54.kicker. One of the 20-year-olds in the Italian backline. There are

:37:55. > :38:02.trying to get Italy within six points.

:38:03. > :38:11.It was drifting. He has hooked a couple now. Too bad. He has got to

:38:12. > :38:17.aim for the far right. If he is going to bend it in, he have to aim

:38:18. > :38:21.at the right upright. He is aiming, not far enough right with the poll.

:38:22. > :38:28.That narrow defeat against Argentina in November, he missed four

:38:29. > :38:33.penalties, he is no Dominguez yet in that department. Half an hour to go.

:38:34. > :38:45.A couple of chances squandered with the boot by Italy.

:38:46. > :38:49.They are still bright and personally, the Italians, and they

:38:50. > :39:14.certainly have something about them today.

:39:15. > :39:25.It is a decent pace of ball for Italy. He has done well, Tommaso

:39:26. > :39:27.Allan, because I thought he was on his own. Great defence, Scott

:39:28. > :39:53.Williams. The past moves on. Leonardo Sarto, trying to get the

:39:54. > :39:54.faster winners in and up against the forwards, near the pillars of the

:39:55. > :40:11.ruck. Inside, Sato from Bortolami. They are slowly moving forward,

:40:12. > :40:19.making inroads into the Welsh defence. Here comes the noise of the

:40:20. > :40:21.Millennium Stadium, trying to wireless -- to rouse the Welsh

:40:22. > :40:44.defence. Just run out of patience. They need a spark, Wales, they need

:40:45. > :40:50.someone to either do a run, a big hit, or something, just to spark

:40:51. > :40:53.this side up. It is a bit flat in the stadium, and the Italians are

:40:54. > :40:58.playing exceptionally well, controlling the tempo of the game.

:40:59. > :41:06.Bergamasco should know better, all his experience. A penalty to Wales.

:41:07. > :41:16.The players are getting a bit of treatment as well. They do make

:41:17. > :41:20.changes and impacts from the bench. Priestland's kick this time doesn't

:41:21. > :41:25.make too much ground. Just look at the fixtures to come for both sides.

:41:26. > :41:27.Wales are playing Ireland's next, then home to France, home to

:41:28. > :41:50.England. A great ball for Faletau. That's

:41:51. > :41:57.what I mean! Just get a run on it. The ball goes to Priestland. Can

:41:58. > :42:08.Wales attack? The game opens up just a fraction.

:42:09. > :42:16.Wales have the advantage, as Ghiraldini was offside trying to

:42:17. > :42:23.take Priestland. This kit will go to McLean, but we'll come back for the

:42:24. > :42:30.penalty. One thing Priestland has got to look at, defensive line is

:42:31. > :42:34.looking exceptionally hard. Good line speed by the Italians. But Luke

:42:35. > :42:39.McLean is defending so deep man there is not a sweeper. There is an

:42:40. > :42:47.opportunity for a grubber or a chip behind the Italian defensive line.

:42:48. > :43:01.Good interception by Priestland. Well read. A lot of the big Italian

:43:02. > :43:11.players are missing out. Campagnaro has been exceptional. Benvenuti is

:43:12. > :43:17.out injured. A good position here for Wales. Still far from putting

:43:18. > :43:52.this game to bed. Priestland might go for! Rhys

:43:53. > :43:55.Priestland gets up the field. Great play from Rhys Priestland for a

:43:56. > :44:08.moment. He was Phil Bennett for a moment. Once he fenced, he was in.

:44:09. > :44:15.McLean hangs on him exceptionally well. Inside ball.

:44:16. > :44:40.A change made by Italy, Alberto De Marchi has come on in the front

:44:41. > :45:06.row. He is a loose-head prop. A couple of tackles being missed by

:45:07. > :45:07.Italy now. Not enough space there. Wales straight onto the attack

:45:08. > :45:26.again. Adam Jones comes into play

:45:27. > :45:30.scrum-half. Lydiate is the link. Cuthbert slid the tackle again, keep

:45:31. > :45:42.it alive, and George North tries to get in, but Ghiraldini... Hibberd

:45:43. > :45:53.and Ghiraldini have enjoyed their meeting today. Penalty to Italy.

:45:54. > :45:56.Wales off their feet. Starting to fall off tackles now,

:45:57. > :46:07.opportunities... Tipuric, this is it. Desperate tackle.

:46:08. > :46:20.Cuthbert just gets inside, Parisse just gets to him.

:46:21. > :46:28.Italy need some good field position. Italy about to make another change,

:46:29. > :46:40.Ghiraldini is going to go off. He has done well, really. He took a big

:46:41. > :46:46.hit. Davide Giazzon is coming on for Ghiraldini, who took some kids from

:46:47. > :46:51.Richard Hibbard in particular. Wales are waiting to make a change as

:46:52. > :47:10.well. Interesting to see who comes off. Bergamasco goes off. Combs is

:47:11. > :47:22.coming on for Charteris in the second row. I like Minto. Francesco

:47:23. > :47:28.Minto on in the back for Italy. There is a Alberto De Marchi. Just

:47:29. > :47:37.sensed that fresh legs were required.

:47:38. > :47:45.Certainly a lot sharper, aren't they, the Italians? After that very

:47:46. > :47:51.hard start to the championship, away to France is their next match. This

:47:52. > :47:52.game is certainly far from beyond them at the moment, nine points the

:47:53. > :48:22.difference. Not the prettiest pasta Priestland.

:48:23. > :48:47.-- the prettiest pass to Priestland. The touch judge is coming in to have

:48:48. > :48:52.a word, I think he was looking at the challenge by Paul James earlier

:48:53. > :48:58.in the move. A reminder of the other fixtures coming up as well this

:48:59. > :49:04.weekend... France against England, of course. It big game, that is. For

:49:05. > :49:12.30 PM, straight after this, really. Then Ireland play Scotland tomorrow

:49:13. > :49:18.at 2:30pm, also on BBC One HD. That chat there was, I think Paul James

:49:19. > :49:32.will be brought forward for that. Paul James said, I just stood my

:49:33. > :49:38.ground. That is not a penalty. That is a pathetic penalty by an

:49:39. > :49:46.assistant referee who wants to come on just to be seen on television. It

:49:47. > :49:55.was Francisco Pastrana on the far side who came in. You have got to

:49:56. > :50:01.expect to get run around and take the hit. It is a poor decision. That

:50:02. > :50:06.is a great kick. It is a big decision now when you look at the

:50:07. > :50:10.position. Looking at the replay, Paul James did not have time to get

:50:11. > :50:23.out of the way, did not raise his arm. But the replacement hooker,

:50:24. > :50:30.Giazzon, has the ball, and Italy have this great position. Great

:50:31. > :50:43.take! Wonderful take with the right hand by Perry said. -- by Parisse.

:50:44. > :51:01.Coming in field a bit gives options to Italy, a bit more space.

:51:02. > :51:15.One on one, Esposito takes it. It goes into touch now. Very, very good

:51:16. > :51:19.plate. Esposito has played well since his early mistake. You think

:51:20. > :51:27.of that try, the difference nine points at the moment into the final

:51:28. > :51:32.20 minutes. 17 - three at half-time, you could think the

:51:33. > :51:33.Italians would be onto a beating but they have played exceptionally well

:51:34. > :51:54.in the second half. A chance to counterattack. Esposito

:51:55. > :52:58.fumbled but it went backwards. I think he has got to get higher

:52:59. > :53:02.trajectory on those kicks. The chase has been so good from the Italians

:53:03. > :53:05.today. You have got to give a little bit on the length to make sure you

:53:06. > :53:19.get the height. A couple of mis-kicks from Allan,

:53:20. > :53:25.penalty to Wales. When you get those penalties and convergence, you have

:53:26. > :53:39.got to really take them. -- and conversions.

:53:40. > :53:42.He has played well after the mistake in the first couple of minutes,

:53:43. > :54:25.Esposito. They look tired, the Welsh players,

:54:26. > :54:29.to be honest. They pride themselves on their fitness, Wales, but a

:54:30. > :55:03.couple of players perhaps not match sharp, coming back from injury.

:55:04. > :55:22.Still isolated. Faletau is there again. Here comes Sam. Lydiard going

:55:23. > :55:30.off, do you think? -- Lydiate coming off? He has not featured since the

:55:31. > :55:36.December test matches but Sam Warburton is back with us, on four

:55:37. > :55:42.Dan Lydiate. And with all of the political situation in regional and

:55:43. > :55:52.union Rugby, support for Sam Warburton is clear. Rhodri Jones is

:55:53. > :56:01.on as well in the front row, on four Adam Jones. A very talented young

:56:02. > :56:03.prop, Rhodri Jones. Sam Warburton was out for a while with that

:56:04. > :56:14.shoulder problem. You just feel they need to get

:56:15. > :56:17.something here now. A bit of breathing space again. 15 minutes to

:56:18. > :56:35.go, just nine points in it. That is the difference, when they do

:56:36. > :56:39.pick the tempo up, they look far more dangerous, don't they?

:56:40. > :56:46.Accidental destruction, so Italy will have the scrum. Just that

:56:47. > :56:57.little extra gear, it does seem to be available to Wales.

:56:58. > :57:05.Ryan Jones, what do you make of this? We have seen two things at

:57:06. > :57:09.play that I think some of the Wales' second-half, a fantastic

:57:10. > :57:17.cake, pressure from the penalty, two wonderful phases and then followed

:57:18. > :57:23.by a mistake. We have not kept sustained pressure so that we can

:57:24. > :57:27.use our big runners and maintain the gain line, stringed phase after

:57:28. > :57:36.phase and stress the Italian team. We are looking to create a mismatch

:57:37. > :57:40.in defence, but, again, we have not been able to manufacture that with

:57:41. > :57:44.another phases. I have not seen George North or Cuthbert enough with

:57:45. > :57:53.the ball in hand. I agree with you there. When George has had the ball

:57:54. > :57:57.he has done very, very well. We need to come away from areas of the field

:57:58. > :58:04.like this with points now. A penalty to Wales, and this may mentally put

:58:05. > :58:11.the game to bed. Tobias boaters, fresh on the field at scrum-half,

:58:12. > :58:28.but Italy not driving straight -- Tobias Botes.

:58:29. > :58:32.The interpretation of that scrum was a penalty to Wales. Very, very

:58:33. > :59:20.difficult job, isn't it? That one fizzes through and Wales

:59:21. > :59:24.reached 20 points. It is all about the victory for Wales to get them

:59:25. > :59:29.going, and that is what they are heading towards. A replacement now

:59:30. > :59:37.as Ken Owens comes on for Richard Hibbard.

:59:38. > :59:52.Italy get us going again. A good take.

:59:53. > :59:56.Why do you have to kick the ball 20 yard in the air to get possession

:59:57. > :00:17.when you have already got it? That was a better kick, a very, very

:00:18. > :00:27.good kick. Wales enter the Italian 22.

:00:28. > :00:38.The penalty just gives them a bit more confidence. A couple of changes

:00:39. > :00:42.waiting for Italy. On come Joshua Furno and Lorenzo Cheetah Dini --

:00:43. > :00:50.Lorenzo Cittadini. Furno is coming on for Berta Lani --

:00:51. > :01:17.Bert Alami. The bench is almost empty. Still on

:01:18. > :01:23.there is Sergio Parisse. And Allan sends towards Halfpenny.

:01:24. > :01:36.Good play. He gets the ball away to Roberts. Good to see them... Oh,

:01:37. > :01:40.no! Interception! It is going to be a run for the line. It is going to

:01:41. > :01:49.be a dry, and it is Campagnaro again. Under the post. It will be

:01:50. > :01:56.seven points, and the game is to -- is still alive. You can see from

:01:57. > :02:04.here, up in the commentary position, you could see it straightaway, the

:02:05. > :02:09.interception was on. He didn't luck. He didn't look. It was a long pass,

:02:10. > :02:13.and he knew, as soon as he threw the ball, Leigh Halfpenny knew that

:02:14. > :02:24.Campagnaro is in. No-one was going to get anywhere near this kit. Two

:02:25. > :02:28.tries for 20-year-old Campagnaro. He tried -- scored a try on his first

:02:29. > :02:34.game against Argentina, as well. There is real hope for Italy, under

:02:35. > :02:44.Jacques Brunel. This is worrying for Wales. Still ten minutes to go. Just

:02:45. > :02:52.five points in it, with the conversion of Tomaso Allan. . Italy

:02:53. > :03:01.have only ones swing away at the Six Nations, beating Scotland. He did

:03:02. > :03:11.that very well. Leigh Halfpenny knew as soon see to it that it was an

:03:12. > :03:18.intercept. -- as soon as he threw it. A big ten minutes, this. The

:03:19. > :03:32.Italians are really confident. What a result of this might be for

:03:33. > :03:36.Italy if they pull something out. This will be the greatest result in

:03:37. > :03:40.their history, even with wins against France and Ireland last

:03:41. > :03:46.year, they were at home. This is at home -- away against the defending

:03:47. > :03:52.champions. They have got to play now, Wales, in the right areas. It

:03:53. > :04:07.is out, says the referee Tom but they get it back. Alun Wyn Jones.

:04:08. > :04:23.A penalty. Taken quickly by Rhys Webb. A good tap and go by Rhys

:04:24. > :04:33.Webb. He is on his own. Scott Williams get there. Priestland and

:04:34. > :04:42.Wales coming forward now. I thought they had won that game with the

:04:43. > :04:48.penalty. Watch where Luke McLean is defending, in the line, so they have

:04:49. > :04:51.dropped the wing back and dropped the scrum-half back, but they are a

:04:52. > :04:54.space behind the defensive line for Wales, they can exploit that.

:04:55. > :05:13.Priestland again. All the way back that penalty. It is

:05:14. > :05:20.a long advantage. To kick it, kick for goal, eight points. Got to kick

:05:21. > :05:33.for goal. Is going to be a proper goal. It is close, Carlo Del Fava?

:05:34. > :05:37.Yes, they are facing a few points. A fantastic try from Campagnaro,

:05:38. > :05:40.opportunistic. He used this page to get over the line. The whole

:05:41. > :05:44.afternoon he has been threatening to do something come he has been

:05:45. > :05:49.patient with the ball in hand and he really deserved an outcome there.

:05:50. > :06:00.Bergamasco is back on, because Alessandro Zanni is... That this is

:06:01. > :06:13.to take Wales beyond a converted score clear. Leigh Halfpenny, he has

:06:14. > :06:18.missed just one. An important kick, this.

:06:19. > :06:32.This could take the game away from the Italians.

:06:33. > :06:40.It is low and it is through. Good from Leigh Halfpenny. It may be good

:06:41. > :06:43.enough. When a kick is needed to be slotted, you need a guy with the

:06:44. > :06:52.high percentage success rate. That is what he has done.

:06:53. > :07:01.Sergio Parisse's side still believe they can make a comeback.

:07:02. > :07:11.They just need to hang on and Wales will have a winning start to the

:07:12. > :07:19.Championship. Priestland sends it long, down the middle, but McLean is

:07:20. > :07:44.there. The chase is very good. Very quickly, Botes, then Bergamasco.

:07:45. > :07:56.The match is slipping away from Italy now. Eight points.

:07:57. > :08:07.Still therefore Italy, and inside their own half. Five minutes

:08:08. > :08:08.remaining. Sergio Parisse off-loaded to Luke McLean. The getaway to

:08:09. > :08:57.Tommaso Allan. The blue shirts swarming around

:08:58. > :09:15.Tipuric. He takes a step and then slices it. George North is offside.

:09:16. > :09:30.He is going for the ball. If you are going to put your foot there, you

:09:31. > :09:39.might expect that. Tommaso Iannone coming on for Leonardo Sarto. On the

:09:40. > :09:44.Italian wing. 3.5 minutes remaining, eight points. Mr line-out as well.

:09:45. > :10:00.Wales have it. Missed by Scott Williams, and

:10:01. > :10:39.Tipuric is there. More strains of bread of heaven

:10:40. > :10:40.around the Millennium Stadium. A couple of minutes remaining, and

:10:41. > :10:59.longer it goes from Priestland. Move now, quickly! Back into Alun

:11:00. > :11:11.Wyn Jones. Leigh Halfpenny tries to stab it through. Fallacy and comes

:11:12. > :11:16.-- Faletau and Coombs link. Crossfield kick from Priestland to

:11:17. > :11:22.Campagnaro, calls for the mark. Two minutes to go. Man of the match? My

:11:23. > :11:27.man of the match is the guy on the ball, Michele Campagnaro, I think

:11:28. > :11:32.defensively he has been superb, the drift defence, and now he has gone

:11:33. > :11:42.down with cramp, but he scored two lovely tries. He is my RBS man of

:11:43. > :11:44.the match. A couple of tries for him, and that interception was his

:11:45. > :12:14.second one. Nearly 67,000 people in here today.

:12:15. > :12:18.A decent showing, to say the least. Tipuric takes it down and is heading

:12:19. > :12:24.towards the final minute, eatery is on its way for Wales, but a lot to

:12:25. > :12:38.be said for Italy's performance today, and what might have been.

:12:39. > :13:00.I think you at right. There have been far too many mistakes. They

:13:01. > :13:03.have not built the phases and build the pressure to create

:13:04. > :13:04.opportunities, and they will have to do a lot better against Ireland next

:13:05. > :13:23.week. What we make of this performance?

:13:24. > :13:27.Not just for Wales, but for Italy as well? I think the Italians have

:13:28. > :13:32.played exceptionally well. There is definite tempo and pace and various

:13:33. > :13:36.creativity in the midfield. They missed those crucial kicks which

:13:37. > :13:41.could have put them closer into the tie, but they will be happy with the

:13:42. > :13:46.result is not the performance. I think it has been a sluggish

:13:47. > :13:51.performance for Wales, they have not created a lot of opportunities. They

:13:52. > :13:56.have played very similarly to how they have played in previous years.

:13:57. > :14:00.It is up to the teams to try to beat them, knowing that they are playing

:14:01. > :14:04.like that. I would like to see them be more creative. If they cut the

:14:05. > :14:13.mistake that, Wales will improve. Two tries apiece. The scrum goes

:14:14. > :14:18.down again. That might be an end of things now. The clock goes round.

:14:19. > :14:23.John Lacey is getting some instructions there. They are going

:14:24. > :14:49.to have this scrum. Advantage to Italy. They have the

:14:50. > :15:05.penalty, and away he goes, their captain. Carried on now by Minto.

:15:06. > :15:13.The crash ball is just about repelled by the Welsh defence.

:15:14. > :15:45.Wales keep it alive. They want to take a little bit more from this

:15:46. > :15:51.game. Jamie Roberts is down injured at the moment in this final passage

:15:52. > :15:55.of play. And the ball goes loose, but then a little tap on from George

:15:56. > :16:00.North, and that will be the end of things. A look at the clock, a blast

:16:01. > :16:05.on the whistle from John Lacey, and a victory to open the defence of

:16:06. > :16:13.their Six Nations campaign for Wales, but again, not the whole

:16:14. > :16:17.story. But it is a win. You have to get off to a good start, and that

:16:18. > :16:23.means winning. They will not be happy with their performance, it was

:16:24. > :16:28.a bit sluggish. A bit scrappy. Just far too many mistakes, which did not

:16:29. > :16:36.give them momentum and build pressure. But, a good win for Wales

:16:37. > :16:42.to start. But they know there is a big, did test in Dublin next week

:16:43. > :16:46.for them, and they will have to raise their game. If Cali and, a

:16:47. > :16:51.very, very good performance and I think they have improved on that

:16:52. > :16:58.informant is from last year -- the Italians, a very good performance.

:16:59. > :17:06.Italy away to France, and then to Scotland. Wales away to Ireland and

:17:07. > :17:12.then home to friends. -- home to France. We did think at half-time

:17:13. > :17:17.that Wales were going to move away. I think the first try at half-time

:17:18. > :17:23.would have been crucial, especially if Wales had got it. But that try

:17:24. > :17:29.got them back into the game and they hung on in there, as they always,

:17:30. > :17:35.always do, the Italians. So, there we are, a couple of tries in the

:17:36. > :17:43.first half for Wales, two in the second half, it was close.

:17:44. > :17:51.So, Wales get the win, in a different atmosphere to last year.

:17:52. > :17:54.It is a win, that is the most important thing, as Jonathan says,

:17:55. > :17:59.but knowing Warren Gatland and about squad, and how tight it is, what

:18:00. > :18:04.will be the general assessment? The boys will be highly critical of it

:18:05. > :18:08.now. As they are, win or lose. We came into this competition with the

:18:09. > :18:12.goal of winning five from five. One down, did it off, that is the

:18:13. > :18:19.positive, the only statistic that counts. We have certainly got to up

:18:20. > :18:22.the game, up the tempo and be more clinical next week. Let's hear from

:18:23. > :18:28.the man of the match, Michele Campagnaro.

:18:29. > :18:34.Many congratulations on your man of the match reward, two tries today.

:18:35. > :18:44.Do you feel it is a match you could have one? Yes, it is a dream for my

:18:45. > :18:51.whole life for me, so I am very happy. I don't know, my English is a

:18:52. > :18:56.little bad, sorry. You are doing very well so far. Italy did not have

:18:57. > :19:05.the best autumn, will this give you faith going into the rest of the

:19:06. > :19:12.campaign? Years, it was a difficult match, Wales is a big team and I

:19:13. > :19:19.hope we improve and we are better next time. All the very best of

:19:20. > :19:24.luck. Thank you. Jamie Roberts joins me now. A

:19:25. > :19:30.hard-fought victory, I guess relief is the overwhelming emotion?

:19:31. > :19:33.Obviously a win is what international rugby is about but we

:19:34. > :19:38.certainly made it hard for ourselves. Italy scored with an

:19:39. > :19:43.interception and a turnover, so we have to tighten those mistakes in

:19:44. > :19:48.our game. If we do that against Ireland next week, we will lose the

:19:49. > :19:52.match. Focus on retaining the ball and no silly mistakes. Ryan Jones

:19:53. > :19:57.made the comment in the commentary that there is not sustained

:19:58. > :20:03.pressure? That is true, we go through the phases, attacking well,

:20:04. > :20:10.then silly turnovers, maybe" we. Everyone is guilty of it. We have to

:20:11. > :20:14.look at ourselves in training this week. We showed some good rugby at

:20:15. > :20:18.crimes. The first batch is hard on the legs and we want to take our

:20:19. > :20:27.hard work into the games. Good luck.

:20:28. > :20:33.Almost endorsing what Ryan said. Michele Campagnaro is the man of the

:20:34. > :20:39.match, he said that probably 20 minutes before it was announced. It

:20:40. > :20:43.is great to see the youngsters taking the bull by the horns,

:20:44. > :20:48.playing and just enjoying themselves. It looked like he was

:20:49. > :20:53.having fun. Fantastic, honestly. He was not overruled, up against

:20:54. > :21:04.world-class players. He was outstanding. The passion with the

:21:05. > :21:09.ball in hand, as well. His first try, was it a forward pass, wasn't

:21:10. > :21:17.it? For me, I think, looking at this, it is a forward pass.

:21:18. > :21:31.He showed great speed as well. Great deals and a great finish. Wales

:21:32. > :21:35.might get criticised because they did not play well but you have to

:21:36. > :21:42.take your hat off in that second half. You thought the players were

:21:43. > :21:47.sluggish today? I think Wales made several mistakes that they need to

:21:48. > :21:51.eradicate from the game. You don't want to make those errors, as Jamie

:21:52. > :21:55.alluded to, next week. I agree with Martin that Italy played some great

:21:56. > :22:02.stuff there. They made the right decision at the right times and got

:22:03. > :22:06.the rewards at times. Really, we should not be surprised, Carlow,

:22:07. > :22:09.about the Italian side, given what they did to France and Ireland in

:22:10. > :22:14.the last weekend of the Six Nations last year. This is a good side now.

:22:15. > :22:23.I think the coach has really put his mark on the team now. The style of

:22:24. > :22:26.rugby has got a bit more work to it but considering what happened last

:22:27. > :22:30.year against France, they played the first game all guns blazing, but a

:22:31. > :22:36.bit stuck, but the next week did not follow that up with your something

:22:37. > :22:40.they need to do this weekend. We have got some reaction here. This is

:22:41. > :22:47.what happened when Campagnaro scored. A little celebration in the

:22:48. > :22:55.corner. You should have seen him on the first try! He went mad! You

:22:56. > :22:59.don't see Wales making those errors. If they can cut out the silly

:23:00. > :23:01.penalties that they give away, relieve the pressure, which was

:23:02. > :23:09.ultimately the difference between the bars and Italians, -- between

:23:10. > :23:18.the Welsh and Italians, they will be disappointed. Turning a 5-point try

:23:19. > :23:24.into a 7-point try, it keeps you a little bit in front. Under pressure,

:23:25. > :23:29.dived in to clean out, penalty. As a player, it takes so much pressure

:23:30. > :23:37.off you. If they can cut the silly errors, this is the 50-50 chances,

:23:38. > :23:43.sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn't. Warren Gatland

:23:44. > :23:46.will be analysing that on Monday but a Jacques Brunel will also be

:23:47. > :23:53.analysing it to see how they could have won today. Yes, the silly chip

:23:54. > :23:57.kick, loses possession and all of a sudden you have two covered the ball

:23:58. > :24:02.again with four minutes to go. To keep the flow going of the game you

:24:03. > :24:06.have got to keep hold of the ball. We always knew that Italy are a team

:24:07. > :24:10.that you ideally don't want in contention at the 60 minute mark

:24:11. > :24:14.because they did, they are heavy, and, like most teams, if you are in

:24:15. > :24:19.contention you will find a little bit extra. They really were playing.

:24:20. > :24:23.They were dominant in the second half for large patches. They were

:24:24. > :24:29.unlucky at times, as well. Wales will take a lot of confidence, it is

:24:30. > :24:33.a big step up in national rugby from week in, week out. International

:24:34. > :24:40.rugby is physically hard. Wales looked quite tired to me, quite

:24:41. > :24:44.flat. A few of the guys are perhaps not at match sharpness so hopefully

:24:45. > :24:50.they have the rest of the week... Is that a Lions angered the? Is there a

:24:51. > :24:54.danger of that in this tournament? I don't think it is a Lions hangover.

:24:55. > :25:00.It is a step up from the club game, they are finding their feet. They

:25:01. > :25:07.got up to speed in the second half. Let's hear from the Wales coach.

:25:08. > :25:14.Relief must be the overwhelming emotion? Not so much relief, I

:25:15. > :25:25.thought some positives in terms of attack. Italy were adopted, they

:25:26. > :25:33.competed hard all day -- they were dogged. We kept them in the game.

:25:34. > :25:35.Defensively we bought the structure was pretty good, we maybe could have

:25:36. > :25:42.competed hard with the breakdown, created a few opportunities. They

:25:43. > :25:44.made it tough for us. What's your heart in your mouth or did you feel

:25:45. > :25:51.Wales would come through in the end? I think about the past, when we

:25:52. > :25:55.have come under pressure like that and have not had the composure to

:25:56. > :26:02.finish off, we had the strength to do that today. It was a tough game,

:26:03. > :26:05.a great first tournament. As defending champions, every team is

:26:06. > :26:13.going to come at us and make it tough. Speaking to the guys at

:26:14. > :26:18.half-time, they were frustrated. The Italians were going down with

:26:19. > :26:22.injuries and stuff, that was difficult in terms of keeping

:26:23. > :26:28.momentum and keeping the tempo of the game up. Just keep playing. It

:26:29. > :26:32.was a bit stop start. But that is what you have to deal with. A big

:26:33. > :26:37.one against Ireland next week. What specifically would you work on this

:26:38. > :26:41.be? Just tidying up a few things in terms of being more accurate, do

:26:42. > :26:49.some work at the breakdown. I thought, lines of support running

:26:50. > :26:54.were fantastic. We had got really good support on the inside so we

:26:55. > :26:57.probably missed a couple of chances, but just another week together will

:26:58. > :27:02.be good. All the best of luck with it.

:27:03. > :27:06.Let's take a quick look at the RBS Six Nations table as it stands,

:27:07. > :27:10.obviously only one game played and Wales top it. We have England and

:27:11. > :27:21.France coming up. It is a tough Six Nations for Wales

:27:22. > :27:23.this year, they are next at the Aviva Stadium and then click on in

:27:24. > :27:34.March. We have two huge away fixtures, they

:27:35. > :27:39.know what it takes to go to the Aviva and took an away. In amongst

:27:40. > :27:45.that, we have got France at home on a Friday night. They could come to

:27:46. > :27:50.us on the back of two victories. It is all up in the air at the moment,

:27:51. > :27:55.only one game in. It is going to be dictated over the next three or four

:27:56. > :28:02.games. Wales are notorious at slow start. The important thing is to win

:28:03. > :28:09.will stop. I don't think there were any significant injuries. Sometimes

:28:10. > :28:16.those poor games get a reaction from you. Thank you very much indeed. It

:28:17. > :28:23.has been great having you all in the studio. Follow, your hamstring is

:28:24. > :28:28.fit and ready to go? Yes, four months time I should be back. There

:28:29. > :28:32.is a lot of Twitter action for your beard, people like it!

:28:33. > :28:34.Wales have got off to a winning start, but they will have to

:28:35. > :28:40.improve. Goodbye for now.