Wales v Italy: It is redemption day for Wales and their acting head coach Scott Johnson. Last year's grand slam appears a distant dream and defeat this afternoon to Italy, who have yet to record a Six Nations victory outside Rome, would be the trigger for vexed clubs to call the Welsh Rugby Union to account for its handling of an affair which has not reflected well on anyone, with winners becoming sinners in the eyes of many.
Johnson took over last month when Mike Ruddock was asked to stand down by the Welsh Rugby Union. The Australian's first match in charge, against Ireland in Dublin two weeks ago, not only resulted in a heavy defeat but exposed weaknesses in a team ravaged by injury.
Wales lacked a ball-carrying presence in the backrow and played behind the gainline. The Wales wing Shane Williams, the only new face in the starting line-up after missing the Dublin drubbing through injury, this week described Johnson as being "like one of the lads," which may explain why a guileless and ultimately timid performance was received more with approbation than reprobation.
To have tinkered with his backrow would have meant dropping at least one of three established names: Michael Owen, the captain in the absence of the injured Gareth Thomas, Colin Charvis and Martyn Williams.
Johnson confined his changes to dropping Dafydd James for Williams and removing Gareth Delve from the bench. He described some of the survivors as being on their last look-out, but with Italy's strength lying at forward, even in the absence of the injured flanker Mauro Bergamasco, Wales will have to deliver quick, clean phase ball to scrumhalf Dwayne Peel if they are to exploit their greater invention and wit behind. Wales no longer have a balanced backrow and the dumping of Delve, who was brought into the squad this season by Ruddock, is hard to understand. The question is whether Italy are resourceful enough to take advantage of Wales's introspection.
It will be the first home match since Ruddock's departure and Johnson yesterday told supporters the team needed them more than ever. But while he has been presented with the option of taking up a position with the Wallabies, players, fans and the WRU have nowhere else to go. Victory today will merely give them time. The real battles will follow.
WALES: Byrne; M Jones, Luscombe, Watkins, S Williams; S Jones, Peel; D Jones, R Thomas, A Jones, Gough, Sidoli, Charvis, M Williams, Owen (capt). Replacements: Davies, Jenkins, J Thomas, Popham, Phillips, Robinson, Henson.
ITALY: E Galon; Canavosio, Canale, Bergamasco, Nitoglia; Pez, Griffen; Perugini, Ongaro, Nieto, Dellape, Bortolami (capt), Parisse, Zaffiri, Sole Replacements: Festuccia, Lo Cicero, Castrogiovanni, Del Fava, Zanni, Picone, C Stoica.
Guardian Service
