Six Nations 2023: Wales aim to avoid new world low in Rome against Italy

A imaginable Wooden Spoon decider for Wales against Italy successful Rome. And the visitors are the underdogs.

But that is the world facing the visitors this Saturday successful the Eternal City.

Wales person recovered themselves battling much often than not for Six Nations trophies implicit the past 20 years.

Now they find themselves hoping to debar finishing bottommost of the table.

The tourney was expanded from the Five Nations successful 2000 to accommodate the Italians, who person since propped up the standings connected 17 occasions, compared to Scotland 4 times and Wales and France once.

It is 20 years since Wales experienced specified ignominy, erstwhile Steve Hansen was successful charge.

The imaginable remains a existent anticipation unless they tin decision the hosts astatine the Stadio Olimpico.

Avoiding a caller debased

Wales are aiming to debar a cleanable expanse of Six Nations defeats for the archetypal clip since 2003.

In the 2 decades since, Wales person won 4 Grand Slams and 5 Six Nations titles and reached 2 World Cup semi-finals, mostly during Gatland's archetypal tenure.

Now astatine the commencement of his 2nd spell successful complaint aft helium returned by taking implicit from chap New Zealander Wayne Pivac, Wales person nary points from 3 matches.

It is much than a twelvemonth since Wales won a crippled successful this tourney and they caput to Rome pursuing losses to Ireland, Scotland and England.

Three convincing defeats, nary bonus points, lone 3 tries scored and 12 conceded. The damning statistic don't lie.

A series of 12 defeats successful 15 matches has seen Wales gaffe to 10th successful the satellite rugby rankings, a lowly presumption they person held lone doubly before.

Wales volition driblet retired of the apical 10 for the archetypal clip since the rankings were introduced successful 2003 if they endure decision against Italy and could adjacent driblet arsenic debased arsenic 13th.

There person been poorer sides than this Welsh people of 2023. Some of the 1980s and 1990s squads, outpouring to mind.

But Gatland's squad volition not privation to go the lowest-placed Wales broadside since ranking records began.

Dominant Wales, but damaging defeats

Wales person dominated the head-to-head fixture against Italy with 27 wins successful 31 games, but it is often the defeats that are remembered.

There were Six Nations losses successful 2003 and 2007 astatine the aged Stadio Flaminio venue and the celebrated 2022 decision successful Cardiff.

The archetypal decision 20 years agone was marked by an infamous grin from skipper Colin Charvis - captured by the tv cameras - arsenic helium sat connected the seat aft being replaced.

It led to a Welsh paper canvass ridiculously placing him arsenic the 2nd most-hated antheral successful the satellite betwixt Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden.

Four years later, Gareth Jenkins' broadside besides fell foul of the Italians and English referee Chris White, who stopped Wales from taking a precocious line-out adjacent to the hosts' line.

White blew the last whistle contempt telling skipper Gareth Thomas and fly-half James Hook seconds beforehand they had clip to footwear the shot to the country and effort a match-winning try.

Wales person since won their past 7 matches successful Rome, but past twelvemonth came the archetypal distant triumph for Italy successful Cardiff which ended a 36-game Six Nations losing streak for the Azzurri stretching backmost to 2015.

Full-back Ange Capuozzo made the memorable interruption that led to Edoardo Padovani's last-gasp try, converted by Paulo Garbisi, which ended Italy's seven-year Six Nations losing streak and sparked chaotic celebrations. For Italy astatine least.

Gatland unbeaten record, Italy pursuit Rome win

Gatland boasted a cleanable grounds of 11 wins against Italy successful his archetypal stint successful complaint of Wales, with 10 Six Nations successes and a World Cup warm-up triumph successful 2015.

That was precisely his grounds against Scotland, though, earlier Wales suffered a grounds decision against Gregor Townsend's broadside successful February astatine Murrayfield.

Italy are chasing a archetypal location triumph successful 10 years successful the tourney with the past triumph successful Rome coming against Ireland successful March 2013, conscionable a period aft they had besides beaten France astatine the Stadio Olimpico.

• Webb backmost to commencement for Wales successful Rome
• Allan replaces Capuozzo astatine full-back for Italy

Italy present person a settled broadside with lone 1 enforced alteration from the squad that was beaten Italy with Tommaso Allan replacing the injured Capuozzo.

The Azzurri see Welsh-speaking scrum-half Stephen Varney, lad of erstwhile Neath flanker Adrian, who volition erstwhile again beryllium taking connected the onshore of his commencement aft qualifying for Italy done his grandparents.

In contrast, Gatland has not opted for immoderate consistency successful enactment with six changes for Italy, aft making 5 and 9 alterations respectively successful his erstwhile choices.

There person present been 3 antithetic half-back, beforehand enactment and backmost enactment trios successful 4 games arsenic the Wales manager struggles to find his regular starting side.

Only skipper Ken Owens, helping Josh Adams, centre Joe Hawkins and fastener Adam Beard volition person started the 4 matches.

This opposition has been evident successful the tourney due to the fact that portion some sides person mislaid 3 games, Kieran Crowley's Italy person looked much threatening and cohesive.

They were adjacent successful Rome to toppling Ireland and France, the apical 2 ranked sides successful the satellite currently. So they volition much than fancy their chances against Wales.

Off the tract issues

Problems disconnected the tract person followed Wales astir besides with Gatland pointing retired helium believes a large split wrong the Wales campy undermined their Six Nations show against England.

Wales' apical players threatened not to play successful their past crippled connected 25 February successful protestation astatine the continued fiscal uncertainty wrong Welsh rugby, earlier the broadside took the field.

Gatland revealed a beardown disagreement wrong the elder squad implicit imaginable onslaught enactment continued connected to the pitch.

Captain Owens says the determination was democratic, but admitted it had been a hugely affectional clip for the players.

The hooker insisted the Wales squad were present solely concentrating connected Rome.

Time retired of Wales mightiness besides assistance the squad from having to header with what Owens describes arsenic the "goldfish vessel of Welsh rugby".

Rather than returning to Cardiff, Gatland's broadside volition question to Nice aft their enactment successful the Italian capital.

They volition past marque their mode up to Paris for the last lucifer against France connected Saturday, 18 March.

Wales volition bash truthful relieved and possibly buoyed by a much-needed triumph implicit Italy oregon glumly staring a Six Nations cleanable expanse of defeats successful the face.

The stakes are precocious successful Rome this weekend.