Wales vs Italy

SATURDAY 16 MARCH 2024 | DYDD SADWRN 16 MAWRTH 2024
comes to it, we’ll be right
on point and get the win.
“We’re learning, we’re hungry
to learn and hungry to get
better - and we know we’ve
got to be better next week.”
It is a different type of
pressure for a Welsh team
that won a Grand Slam in
2019, took the title again in
2021 and reached the quarterfinals
of the World Cup only
five months ago. Cometh the
hour, cometh the heroes!
With only two wins in their
last 15 Six Nations matches,
Warren Gatland’s side are due
a break or two as they seek to
build a new team to replace
the giants of the past. A look
back at the side that played in
the final round of the 2023 Six
Nations against France shows
how dramatic a turn around
there has been in personnel.
No fewer than nine of that
matchday 23 were out of
the reckoning for this year’s
tournament. Louis Rees-
Zammit headed to American
Football, Dan Biggar, Rhys
Webb, Alun Wyn Jones and
Justin Tipuric all retired, Ken
Owens and Talupe Faletau
have been injured and Tomas
Francis has been unavailable
for the Championship
while playing in France.
Add in the fact that Liam
Williams is unavailable
while playing in France,
Gareth Anscombe has been
injured, as have Dewi Lake,
Jac Morgan, Taine Plumtree
and Christ Tshiunza, then
it is little wonder there is
such a major rebuilding
process being undertaken.
Welsh fans have been used
to judging Gatland’s success
by his team’s performances
in securing Six Nations titles
– four to date – and at the
World Cup – four successive
quarter-finals and two
Bronze Finals. Today is about
preparing a side to save face.
“It’s a massive game for us
but we’ve got to be excited
- we’ve got to embrace the
challenge. You can’t hide
away from it. I’ve never done
that and you can’t go into
your shell,” said Gatland.
“There’s going to be a lot
of external pressure and
expectation, international
rugby is always about that.
We’ve got to embrace it,
front up and make sure
we work hard to deliver a
performance at home.
“There were lots of parts
of the French game that
were reasonably good. We
were in front at 65 minutes
but, unfortunately, we
probably capitulated a little
bit in the last 15 minutes.
“We can’t hide away from how
important it is for us to win
today, you can’t not talk about
it. In the dressing room after
the French game we said we
need to be better, especially
in the big moments.”
The equation for the Italians
is a bit simpler. They just
need to keep on doing what
they’ve been doing and
new head coach Gonzalo
Quesada could be celebrating
a brilliant campaign. J
GUINNESS SIX NATIONS 2024 | WALES V ITALY | CYMRU V YR EIDAL
/WELSHRUGBYUNION 13