For those inclined to argue that this was the wildest and most thrilling edition of the Six Nations, what better proof could be offered in support of such fluorescent claims than the rare sight of Wales winning a game of rugby? Crazy days indeed.
And in the case of the Welsh, there have been too many of them. No fewer than 1,099 had passed since they last sampled victory in this tournament and the majority of those have been spent in brainless pursuit of solutions to mindless problems.
But here was a momentary reprieve from the gloom and, possibly, some vindication for the methods of head coach, Steve Tandy, who has presumably spent chunks of the past eight months privately cursing his luck for landing this gig in one of the filthiest eras of Welsh rugby history.
To Tandy, this was therefore an evening inconsequential to the standings on the table but one of great importance to his tenure nonetheless. Will it be a springboard to better times? Or something more fleeting? Given the cultural weight attached to rugby in these parts, and the shameless way it has been allowed to rot by chancers in its ruling class, let’s hope for the former.
But at the very least, this was a stirring result and an occasion of thrilling sport, given Wales’s initial dominance over a side that had beaten England a week earlier.
To frame that another way, Tandy’s side were exceptional until they weren’t, manifested in a late wobble that might have been more dramatic had a couple of tight video calls gone in Italy’s favour.
Wales won a match in the Six Nations for the first time in 1,099 days as they beat Italy
Welsh head coach Steve Tandy is hoping that the win can now be a springboard to better times
Alas, Wales had built enough of a lead to ride out the second-half storm, with Aaron Wainwright exceptional at No8 for reasons beyond two first-half tries. Further scores from Dewi Lake and Dan Edwards, fused with flawless kicking by Edwards, the effervescence of Ellis Mee and the sheer force of the Welsh pack meant the result was secured by the 47th minute, at which point they were 31-0 ahead.
They had been so good that the frailties that followed could be easily forgiven. With it, they avoided a 26th defeat in 28 internationals and had their first Six Nations win since March 2023. Sure, they left with a wooden spoon but one with fewer splinters than there might have been. That will have to serve as progress.
Wales captain Lake said: ‘The win means everything to the players. The last few weeks our performances have built and we’ve grown as a group from Scotland, to Ireland and now to this week when we gave our best performance.
‘Everything you do is for days like today and moments like this in the jersey in front of all these fans who have supported us through tough times.’
For a man wedded to the idea of building upon defensive foundations, Tandy will see this as valuable, not least because it showed his side can do more than dig in and tackle. Those latter elements belatedly shone in defeat against the Irish last week, but here Wales finally showed some promise on the front foot, too.
To illustrate, let’s go back to the numbers. Prior to this engagement, Wales had returned the dismal figure of seven tries in four, but they had four in 43 minutes on Saturday.
The first came when Wainwright arrived from deep, hit Tomos Williams’ off-load at full speed and burst through Italian cover as if Giacomo Nicotera was constructed from paper. He crossed under the posts and a rare party was stirring under the roof.
Until then, the Welsh lineout had been a troubled entity. Some good, some woeful. But the one that set that Wainwright train in motion was well constructed and the same applied for the second, also finished by the No8.
The game saw initial clear domination from Wales against a side that had beaten England just a week earlier
Aaron Wainwright was exceptional for reasons beyond two first-half tries for the Welsh
As with the first, Edwards converted the extras, and did so again when Lake took the score to a silly place. The Italians? They were nowhere, lost from the moment Paolo Garbisi scuffed an easy penalty at 0-0; Mee was a particular menace on the wing and Rhys Carre was imperious at loose-head – he wouldn’t go on to score a fourth try in four games, but he was a monstrous force in the collisions.
Into the second-half and Edwards raced over to secure the bonus point, a try he then converted to reach 28-0, before his 40m drop goal added some extra comfort.
This being Wales, that was not the end of it, of course. Hooker Tommaso Di Bartolomeo pulled a try back through a fairly placid Welsh defence that was rolled over in the maul after a lineout, and a second followed from Tommaso Allan.
Naturally, the final 15 minutes became a wild examination of Welsh nerve and video angles.
First, Monty Ioane crossed in the corner, only to have the score disallowed on review when it became apparent that Mee had nudged the Italian’s left knee into touch a fraction before the ball was grounded. Then, Leonardo Marin had one wiped off through the same video safety net.
By the time the Italians got one to count, through Garbisi, it was too late to change anything and Wales had won a match. Bonkers indeed.
