Italy vs Wales
This is my “live” blog of the Italy vs Wales match on Saturday. As usual, contributor Tom will be chipping in with bits that [are delimited thus].
BBC iPlayer seems to have the whole TV show today. Which means the Italy vs Wales broadcast begins with an extended preview of the England game. I faff about for a while trying to figure out exactly how much to skip, and then to get iPlayer to allow me to do so.
Craig Gower, on the sidelines, is injured and so won’t be playing for Italy today. I have to say, he doesn’t exactly have a typical Italian accent. Colin Charvis [who, to be fair, doesn’t really have a “typical” Welsh accent] thinks the Welsh team is “maturing well”, like a fine cheese. He’s stumbling over his words a bit, which is unusual for him. He also thinks the Welsh back three have “gas… coming out of their ears.” I’m not sure if that’s supposed to be a good thing or not.
Commentating today are Andrew Cotter and Jonathan Davies. This could be another dry liveblog, then. [Adding to that worrying prospect, I must confess that due to the domestic tornado wreaked by my offspring and my nephew, I missed the first 20 minutes of the game. Sadly, as it turns out, practically every interesting thing that occurred in this game, occurred in that period. I apologise to all seven of our readers for this oversight. To be honest, at the end of the day, I’m just disappointed that I didn’t go out there and execute my skillset today, y’knowrrimean.]
Hook is playing at centre today. This is the correct position for him, in my opinion. [Hmmm.] It’s Shane Williams’s 34th birthday! Happy birthday, Shane. Wayne Barnes is reffing. He is my favourite ref. [My mother would disagree with you here sir! Vehemently…] Partly because I went to school with him. Partly because I find his accent amusingly different from how it was at school. But mostly because I think he’s a good ref. I realise I’ve just lost my New Zealandish audience.
And we’re off! Wales kick off, get the ball back quickly, and monopolise the ball for the first couple of minutes. Italy give away a penalty, and Stephen Jones has a chance at goal.
Italy 0 - 3 Wales
After the kick off, Stoddart gets his first touch of the ball, and shrugs off the first Italian tackle. A few seconds later, though, he gets snaffled after a poor pass and the Italians score a breakaway try. Bergamasco shanks the kick.
Italy 5 - 3 Wales
Wales attack quickly after the restart, Hook breaks the Italian line, makes a great offload to Byrne who passes to Stoddart who scores the try. The video ref takes his sweet time awarding it, during which Jones sets up the ball for the conversion, which he fluffs.
Italy 5 - 8 Wales
Italy win the ball back immediately after the kick-off, and after a chip over the Welsh line, win a penalty. Bergamasco has a very odd run-up to his kicks. Lacking in rhythm, it seems. He makes the kick, though.
Italy 8 - 8 Wales
Immediately after the restart Wales score an excellent try.
Italy 8 - 15 Wales [Wow, that’s a lot of scoring! Why don’t I start watching this game already?]
After a slightly high tackle from Warburton, Barnes awards Italy a penalty, and then defuses the tension by telling the players to “Relax, relax, relax,” in a jaunty tone. Good stuff.
There’s a period of very sloppy back-and-forth. Then we have a rest while the birthday boy recovers from a knock. He’s alright, though. We have the first scrum of the game over 20 min in. Wales win the scrum, but concede a penalty. Then the BBC show us a close up of someone taking their shorts off. (?)
Italy attack, but lose ground in the repeated phases. The Italian attack looks quite fluid, but it’s not gaining any ground. Eventually they are awarded a penalty on the halfway line, and kick for an attacking line-out. After the line-out, they make more headway though, and make it over the try-line. It’s hard to tell whether Zanni grounds the ball though. We watch replays from several angles while we wait for the video ref’s decision. After a long wait, Barnes gets the decision, and waves off the try. [That was well played/lucky by Stoddart in stopping Zanni grounding the ball. Italian back row generally putting themselves about.] Italy have a penalty in front of the posts nonetheless, which Bergamasco slots over.
Italy 11 - 15 Wales
As they’ve been doing all match, Wales attack immediately after Italy score. A couple of times they earn overlaps, but they can’t convert them into any points. Italy win a scrum, and then a penalty. Now they attack, Semenzato sniping from a ruck, and they have a line-out about 5 yards out. The Welsh defence drives them back to the 22, and then turns the ball over. Warburton ignores the overlap, though, and kicks the ball long [or, looooong, to do justice to it] down field. [That was a monstrous kick - Henson-esque. Must mention him once a game.] Williams (who is having a very busy day) chases well, and Wales win an offensive line-out. The recycling is very slow, but it doesn’t matter, as Byrne breaks the line for a try. Which is waved off by Barnes. Did I mention he’s a terrible ref? Cotter informs us that it was the touch judge’s decision that Williams’s pass was forwards [which sadly I think is right], and my faith is restored.
A scrum collapses, and Wales are penalised. The “Italian” Luke McLean kicks for touch. Wales win the ball back, and Phillips charges into his opposite number Semenzato, knocking him flying. Ouch. Welsh penalty. [This is the best thing Phillips does all day. And since Semenzato is half his size, its not that much to be proud of.]
Italy 11 - 18 Wales
Whilst checking the spelling of “Semenzato” I inadvertently find out the final score of this match, thus removing any potential excitement for what has so far, been a fairly entertaining (if not high quality) game. Breaking news! I am an idiot. [On the plus side, the rest of this match is quite rubbish, so you didn’t spoil much for yourself.]
With less than a minute remaining, Italy fluff a line-out on their own 22, and Wales win a scrum as the clock approaches half time. Italy go offside, and Wales are awarded a penalty to close out the half:
Half time score: Italy 11 - 21 Wales
[32 point half, can’t argue with that. And I’ll take a final score of 42-22 to Wales, thank you very much.]
As well as stumbling over his words, Colin Charvis sounds a little hoarse. I’m beginning to wonder if he had a bit too much fun in Rome last night.
Half-time also sees the return of Brian Moore’s big mouth! “You just chuck it; Brian Moore’ll eat it.” Former scrum half Shane Williams passes 9 balls through the mouth to take the lead over Blair (who you will recall scored 7 last week). [Shane is the Don of oddly contrived half time entertainment. Go Shane!]
Wales attack, but Lydiate is bundled into touch 5 yards out from the line. Every time either of the commentators says “Semenzato” I think they’re saying “Symonds Yat”. I’ll leave you to google that one. Suffice to say that Wayne Barnes has heard of it [Also I have heard of it. I canoed there once. Yes, canoed.] The Welsh attack falters with a Phillips knock on.
Matthew Rees is penalised for a high tackle, but Bergamasco misses the kick. It’s the run up, you see.
For a second it looks like Masi is through for a try, but Byrne brings him down. [That is an excellent tackle. Well done Lee. Hope you don’t do something completely rubbish later to cancel out this good work…] James Hook hurts himself in a tackle on Bergamasco, and, seeing as Moore isn’t around to do it, Davies criticises Hook [correctly] for his head placement.
There’s a close-up on Luke McLean after he gathers a high ball, and I’m sad to see he’s shaved his beard off. Disappointing. [Also disappointingly “senza barbe” are Stephen Jones and Shane Williams. At least Bergamasco is keeping it vaguely piratical.] Italy have had most of the possession for the first ten mins of the second half, but now Wales have a crack. And I immediately jinx it by typing that, as Italy suddenly pinch it, break, and Sergio Parisse goes over in the corner, dragging Stephen Jones with him. Again it’s not clear from the replay whether the ball is grounded, but this time, the video ref tells Barnes to award the try. Bergamasco misses the kick because of his shoddy run-up technique.
Italy 16 - 21 Wales
Byrne gets absolutely smashed in two successive tackles. He seems still to be alive though. Tough cookie.
Italy have had 57% of the possession and 64% of the territory, this half. It sounds loud in the stadium. The Welsh defence has seemed pretty solid, though, like last week. Both tries have come from counter-attacks after mistakes in the Welsh attack. Suddenly Wales attack, Shane Williams puts a kick ahead, Hook reaches it first, but his volley bounces into touch.
Symonds Yat repays Phillips for the earlier big hit by knocking him back in the tackle. He is also still only half the big Welshman’s size, so it’s somewhat more of an achievement. Bradley Davies comes in at the side and Italy strangely (or confidently) kick for touch. They win the line-out, and Barnes penalises the Welsh for not waiting for the line-out jumper to land before their drive. Italy elect to take the scrum, but the Welsh scrum, which has looked shaky up to now, holds, and then Wales are awarded a penalty. [At some point around about now, Lee Byrne kicks straight into touch when outside his 22. Much as I must mention Henson at least once every game, Byrne it seems, must have at least one brainfart when kicking from hand. What is wrong with him? (WYWG: I actually didn’t bother documenting this because I thought it was too regular an occurrence these days for it to be notable. Remember when Guscott called Byrne the “best full back in the world”? <sigh>) ]
15 mins left. Orquera comes on for the “Italian” [K]ris Burton [Really though, given Howarth, Sinkinson, Copsey, Cockbain, Moon, Charvis, etc, etc - this is pot/kettle territory. (WYWG: I was actually thinking of Howarth as I wrote that. Good old Howarth.) ] I can guarantee you Davies is going to make a mockery of that man’s name when he attempts to pronounce it.
Italy dominate another scrum, and this time Orquera decides to go for goal. Close, but no cigar. Wales are defending well, but don’t seem all that interested in doing anything else. Davies has berated them repeatedly for being too casual. It’s been all Italy this half. 72% territory now.
Stephen Jones turns the ball over with a superb tackle [a SUPERB tackle, on Parisse, the world’s best No.8 and Italian captain, one of those tackles that can change the momentum of a whole game, lift the crowd, lift your team-mates…], but Mike Phillips is determined not to let Wales have an attack, and immediately has an attempted kick charged down. [My eyes, my eyes… I cannot bear to watch the decline of Phillips any more. What has happened to him? Having been relatively sanguine (unlike Jiffy) about Wales’s lack of nous/application/professionalism thus far, I go absolutely postal (insofar as you can whilst remaining on your sofa) at Phillips over this error. I am chastised by eldest daughter for both volume and language choices. What she doesn’t understand though, is that Phillips has just been so, so poor all game, and that was simply the pee-pee icing on a poo-poo cake. Yeah, I said it.]
In pretty much the first Welsh attack of the half, James Hook scores a drop goal. [Interestingly, both Jones and Hook were “in the pocket” there, and Hook took charge. Well, interesting to me… (WYWG: Also interestingly, as they were setting up, Davies said repeatedly that the ball must go to Hook, without explaining why that were the case.) ]
Italy 16 - 24 Wales
Italy attack, but Stoddart makes a great tackle on Bergamasco near the sideline.
The Italian broadcasters award Man of the Match to Symonds Yat. Davies would have awarded it to one of Parisse, Warburton, Rees, or Castrogiovanni [Decisive!]. All good choices, in my opinion.
Aaand that’s it.
Final Score: Italy 16 - 24 Wales
[So that’s an 8 point second half, following the 32 point first half. I really did miss the good part of this game.]
The Italian attack looked good all game, and both commentators complimented it repeatedly, but it resulted in zero tries. I can’t decide if it’s just that the Italian attack is less potent that it seems, or if it’s a testament to the strength of the Welsh defence [Hard to forget though, much as I would like to, that the English put 50 points on this lot a fortnight ago. As per the Scotland game, a 20 minute performance from Wales. Only this time, I didn’t see the 20 minutes in question… (WYWG: It wasn’t as convincing a display as the scoreline would suggest.) ]
Just so we don’t forget what’s really important, though, the BBC again close the show with a montage of England footage.
Conclusion: Italy are still missing something [A Dominguez-style reliable goal-kicker I’d suggest.] Wales can technically still win the tournament! But are unlikely [can I get an airquotes “unlikely”?] to, unless they suddenly become a lot more ruthless and clinical. And, you know, England lose a game.
[Conclusionissimo: I will risk repetition to say that Phillips and Byrne must be dropped. We also need an offensive strategy that isn’t simply “give it to Shane”. Also, I need to plan my child-distraction strategies (what some call “parenting” I believe) better on match-days. Or buy another telly. And some headphones. And a swear box.]
