Italy v Wales: match preview

Italy v Wales: match preview

Read a full match preview of the Six Nations game between Italy and Wales at the Stadio Flamini, Rome on Saturday Feb 26 2011, kick-off 2.30pm.

By Steve James 5:58PM GMT 25 Feb 2011

Steve's Twitter

Comments

Saturday February 26

Italy v Wales
Stadio Flaminio, Rome
Kick-off: 2.30pm
TV: BBC 2: 2pm onwards

Italy: L McLean (Treviso); A Masi (Racing Metro), G Canale (Clermont Auvergne), A Sgarbi (Treviso), M Bergamasco (Racing Metro); K Burton (Treviso), F Semenzato (Treviso); S Perugini (Aironi), L Ghiraldini (Treviso), M Castrogiovanni (Leicester), S Dellape (Racing Metro), Q Geldenhuys (Aironi), A Zanni (Treviso), R Barbieri (Treviso), S Parisse (Stade Francais, capt).
Replacements: C Festuccia (Racing Metro), A Lo Cicero (Racing Metro), V Bernabo (Treviso), M Vosawai (Treviso), P Canavosio (Aironi), L Orquera (Brive), T Benvenuti (Treviso).
Wales: L Byrne (Ospreys); M Stoddart (Scarlets), J Hook (Ospreys), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), S Williams (Ospreys); S Jones (Scarlets), M Phillips (Ospreys); P James (Ospreys), M Rees (Scarlets, capt), C Mitchell (Ospreys), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), A-W Jones (Ospreys), D Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues), R Jones (Ospreys).
Replacements: R Hibbard (Ospreys), J Yapp (Cardiff Blues), J Thomas, (Ospreys), J Turnbull (Scarlets), T Knoyle (Scarlets), R Priestland, (Scarlets), L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues).

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England).
Assistant referees: Dave Pearson (England) and John Lacey (Ireland).

Form guide: Italy LLLWLL; Wales LDLLW

Average number of caps: Italy 42.6; Wales 36

Average age: Italy 27.6; Wales: 26.9

Pack weights: Italy: 890kg; Wales 897kg

Last thee meetings

2010: Wales 33 Italy 10

2009: Italy 15 Wales 20

2008: Wales 47 Italy 8

Key clash

Sergio Parisse is always key to Italy at No 8, he is their best attacking option, go to man in the line-out and their most effective man in defence. Without a big performance from their captain Italy struggle.

Opposite number Ryan Jones doesn't always take the eye for Wales but puts in a mountain of work in it was noticable that their much improved performance against Scotland last time
Telegraph.feedsportal.com