Wales are dire
Many people expected a response from Wales after their dismal defeat in Paris. I did not, but it's a shame that i was right. This team has some components for success but is still a long way off where they need to be. Against Italy, nothing worked. The kicking game was bad but what else can you expect when an inexperienced inside centre is playing at fly-half? The forward pack was unable to gain any ground through the middle but there was no other structure from which to play. Everything needs to improve: players, coaching and overall union structure all need to be reviewed ruthlessly now.
Gatland's position is surely untenable
As I said in my previous point, every part of Welsh rugby must be reviewed ruthlessly. One thing that shouldn't need a review is the decision on whether or not to keep Warren Gatland. His CV is impressive and he has been an incredible servant to Welsh rugby but it is well past the time to move on. He was originally brought in as a stop-gap for the 2023 World Cup and it should've been left at that. Wales do lack top quality players but Gatland is also hurting the team. He has made baffling omissions to his squad and bemusing selections with the players who made it. Furthermore, it has been highlighted consistently that Wales are poorly coached right now and Gatland has to take responsibility. Wales will not turn the corner quickly but you cannot convince me that even the WRU aren't capable of finding a better candidate.
Italy can win in different ways
Rain is rare in Rome, but so are Italian Six Nations wins against Wales in Rome. On Saturday, both of those things happened. Italy have a team built to play exciting, attacking rugby combined with a smart kicking game but on Saturday they had to do things a bit differently. As captain Michel Lamaro said, it wasn't how they planned to play but they got the job done anyway. That is the sign of a good team, to be able to win in different conditions and adapt when necessary. This Italian side proved that they can do that. One thing that might need to be looked at is ruthlessness. With the score at 22-15, and the clock in the red, Italy won a penalty in the Welsh half which Tomasso Allen could have very easily converted to deny Wales a bonus point. Instead, Italy kicked the balll out to end the game. It could be argued that they were just playing things safe but it when watching it seemed a lot more lke Italy were just (understandably) overjoyed to win at home. As they get more accustomed to winning these big games, they will surely develop a more merciless edge in these moments.
Italy are established as a proper Six Nations team
This win means that Italy have earned three wins and one draw from their last five Six Nations games. That is the record of a team to be taken seriously. They are now definitely a better team than Wales and are capable of beating the other teams on the right day. This Italian side should be an example to Wales of what happens when you get your pathways right. They now have to back this result up with at least one more in this tournament to earn the respect that they already deserve, It seems to be taking a while to shake the stigma of Italian rugby for this team but their improvement is undeniable to those who are willing to see it. This is a well-coached group of talented players and I am excited to see where it goes next.
The case for changing the Six Nations just got a whole lot stronger
With this loss to Italy, Wales have fallen to 12th in the World rankings and 7th in Europe. This is due to Georgia beating the Netherlands in the Rugby Europe Championship. It has been pointed out that Georgia have a much easier fixture list as a way to downplay their achievements. I will admit, this makes me irrationally angry as it sums up everything I deem to be wrong with World rugby. Okay, maybe not everything as there's a lot wrong with it but it does encapsulate a huge problem. For year now, Georgia has been practically begging for the chance to consistently play "tier 1" nations on a regular basis. Ideally in a reformed Six Nations but also just generally. Too often these pleas are ignored. It's not like they aren't good enough. In recent years, despite limited opportunities, Georgia has registered wins over Wales, Australia, Italy and Japan. The likes of Portugal, Spain and Romania have all also proved to be capable of competing in Europe. Surely it would benefit the game to include them. It's not like Wales are too gopd at the moment.
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