Wales v Italy

[An Tarbh]

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Wales v Italy

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Right thought I'd get this started since Gatland plans to name the team tomorrow.

So what changes are we expecting to see from Gatland, will he give the subs who he felt impressed a start against the Azzuri?

Is this the right move to make? Does it make any sense to drop James Hook, and it would be dropping regardless of what spin they try and put on it.

What changes will Italy be looking to make following their close but ultimately no cigars against Ireland and England.

Any chance of an upset or will the Welsh momentum keep gaining speed?

Your thoughts???

 

[Sir Speedy]

An upset is on the cards, Wales haven't been brilliant, but we've shown glimpses of brilliance via Shane Williams and James Hook. I expect a Welsh win with a change at half back, Gethin instead of Duncan, Tom James to replace Roberts. And that's all I would've changed.

 

[Deano]

I expect a 10 pt loss. We have been good, but not great in our 2 games... but we are showing much better discipline and fight from behind. I hope he tries Marcato at 10, but I dont think he will change much.

 

[dullonien]

What I think the team should be - what it will might be:

01 Gethin Jenkins.
02 Mathew Rees
03 Adam Jones
04 Alun Wyn-Jones - Ian Gough
05 Ian Evans - Alun Wyn-Jones
06 Ryan Jones - Jonathan Thomas
07 Martyn Williams
08 Gareth Delve - Ryan Jones

09 Dwayne Peel
10 James Hook - Stephen Jones
11 Shane Williams
12 Gavin Henson
13 Tom Shanklin - Sonny Parker
14 Jamie Roberts
15 Lee Burne

In my opinion the half back pairings should be Peel & Hook or Phillips & Jones. I think Hook will work better off the quicker ball Peel delivers.

 

[dullonien]

Gatland has changed six for the Italy match.

In comes a completely new front row of Gethin Jenkins, Mathew Rhys and Rhys Thomas. In the backs, half back pairing Stephen Jones and Dwayne Peel takes over from Hook and Phillips. The last change comes on the wing where Mark Jones regains his place at the expense of debutant Jamie Roberts.

01 Gethin Jenkins
02 Mathew Rhys
03 Rhys Thomas
04 Ian Gough
05 Ian Evans
06 Jonathan Thomas
07 Martyn Williams
08 Ryan Jones

09 Dwayne Peel
10 Stephen Jones
11 Shane Williams
12 Gavin Henson
13 Tom Shanklin
14 Mark Jones
15 Lee Burne

16 Huw Bennett
17 Duncan Jones
18 Deiniol Jones
19 Gareth Delve
20 Mike Phillips
21 James Hook
22 Sonny Parker

 

[Sir Speedy]

Last season this would've been pretty much our strongest team.
Wales by 20+.

 

[Cymonicon]

Last season this would've been pretty much our strongest team.
Wales by 20+. [/b]

yeah true, but this year i think its a bad choice, fair enough rotating the squad for what shoulb be our easiest game, but it does seem like a few too many changes,

Also a comparatively weak front line against italy is risky.

jones and peel i think is a good move tho, and when they start losing pace, phillips is a super sub and hook can tear the italian defensive line apart at the end of the game.



wales by 15.

 

[Deano]

My Italy team

1. Castrogiovanni
2. Ghiraldini
3. Nieto
4. Dellape
5. Del Fava
6. Zanni
7. Ma Bergamasco
8. Parisse

9. Picone
10. Marcato
11. Masi
12. Mi. Bergamasco
13. Canale
14. Robertson
15. Bortolussi

16. Festuccia
17. Perugini
18. Lo Cicero
19. Sole
20. Travagli
21. Galon
22. Pratichetti

 

[Macsen]

Another heroic loss for Italy, methinks.

 

[Thingimubob]

heh - every year the wales - italy matches have always been odd for me. Basicly half my family is Italian, and they moved from Italy to Wales looking for jobs over 100 years ago, so I've always supported both. Genrally it's been Wales in rugby and Italy in football (I;ve given up watching Wales play football, they're utter rubbish, even if they did beat Norway 3 - 0) Still support Italy in rugby, apart from when the play Wales.
Am slightly worried about Rhys Thomas, he's an awesome player in the loose (he's a damn try machine for the Dragons) but he's a bit weak in scrum. Iestyn Thomas gave him massive problems last time the Dragons played the Scarlets, and he's probably going to be facing Castrogiovanni. So I'm not sure he's gonna be able to hold his own against one of the best scrummagers in the sport. Don't mind Stephen Jones coming in, it means we have a experienced player starting, with a fantastic talent on the bench. Not 100% on Peel, he was alright against Scotland, but has only just come back from injury. Tom James should be no.14, not tha Mark Jones is rubbish, it's just Tom James deserves to be given a chance to prove himself.

 

[Sir Speedy]

The only problem I have is with Rhys Thomas at prop. he may have problems in the Italian scrum.
Otherwise it's ok. Tom James deserves a start, but this is a must-win game, he'd probably be best to start in the Summer and Autumn matches this year.

 

[_ALLE88_]

Only Wales can compete with france for 6nation... I think that italy has got maybe only one chance to win

 

[RC]

I'm not so keen on putting aside any thoughts of Italy losing, let alone losing by 20 points!
They are a dangerous team and for the past 2 years we've had terrible games against them.

 

[Lollo84]

Azzurris can beat Wales, as they do the last year in Rome.

 

[crispy]

I think Wales win but the margin will be determined by how the Welsh pack does. If Italy can challenge at the breakdown and the scrum as well as they did against England, Wales will find it hard going to produce opportunities. That said, the Welsh backs are good enough that they will score when those opportunities come.

 

[Deano]

Questi gli atleti convocati:

Mauro BERGAMASCO (Stade Francais)
Mirco BERGAMASCO (Stade Francais)
Marco BORTOLAMI (Gloucester RFC)
David BORTOLUSSI (Montpellier)
Gonzalo CANALE (Clermont-Auvergne)
Martin CASTROGIOVANNI (Leicester Tigers)
Carlo Antonio DEL FAVA (Ulster)
Santiago DELLAPE' (Biarritz Olympique)
Carlo FESTUCCIA (Racing Metro Paris)
Ezio GALON (Overmach Cariparma)
Leonardo GHIRALDINI (Cammi Calvisano)
Andrea LO CICERO (Racing Metro Paris)
Andrea MARCATO (Benetton Treviso)
Andrea MASI (Biarritz Olympique)
Carlos NIETO (Gloucester RFC)
Sergio PARISSE (Stade Francais) - capitano
Enrico PATRIZIO (Carrera Petrarca Padova)
Salvatore PERUGINI (Stade Toulousain)
Simon PICONE (Benetton Treviso)
Kaine Paul ROBERTSON (Montepaschi Viadana)
Alberto SGARBI (Benetton Treviso)
Josh SOLE (Montepaschi Viadana)
Pietro TRAVAGLI (Overmach Cariparma)
Alessandro ZANNI (Cammi Calvisano)

Bortolami is back

 

[Col]

What the hell did Hook do wrong?

I can see the point of Peel coming back, he's the best NH scrum-half when playing well but Jones has (IMO) never really ignited the International scene.

 

[dullonien]

I think it's all about building competition for places. We want 2 or more players in each position who can come into the team due to injury etc. and not weaken the side. Were getting there in most positions, numbers 3, 7, 11, 12 and 13 being the main weaker areas.

I really hope Stephen goes well against Italy, it'll be awesome to have two outside halves with such differing qualities. It should mean we could change our game plan if things aren't going to plan. Hook to open the game up, Stephen to tighten things. All good imo.

 

[Nidhogg]

Questi gli atleti convocati:

Mauro BERGAMASCO (Stade Francais)
Mirco BERGAMASCO (Stade Francais)
Marco BORTOLAMI (Gloucester RFC)
David BORTOLUSSI (Montpellier)
Gonzalo CANALE (Clermont-Auvergne)
Martin CASTROGIOVANNI (Leicester Tigers)
Carlo Antonio DEL FAVA (Ulster)
Santiago DELLAPE' (Biarritz Olympique)
Carlo FESTUCCIA (Racing Metro Paris)
Ezio GALON (Overmach Cariparma)
Leonardo GHIRALDINI (Cammi Calvisano)
Andrea LO CICERO (Racing Metro Paris)
Andrea MARCATO (Benetton Treviso)
Andrea MASI (Biarritz Olympique)
Carlos NIETO (Gloucester RFC)
Sergio PARISSE (Stade Francais) - capitano
Enrico PATRIZIO (Carrera Petrarca Padova)
Salvatore PERUGINI (Stade Toulousain)
Simon PICONE (Benetton Treviso)
Kaine Paul ROBERTSON (Montepaschi Viadana)
Alberto SGARBI (Benetton Treviso)
Josh SOLE (Montepaschi Viadana)
Pietro TRAVAGLI (Overmach Cariparma)
Alessandro ZANNI (Cammi Calvisano)

Bortolami is back[/b]

Praise the lord

 

[Stillknox]

Bad (?) news for Italy: Bortolussi has a broken shoulder. He'll be out for at least 6 weeks.

Who will be the new goalkicker ?