Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones is confident his side will get even better throughout the 2020 Guinness Six Nations, after beating Italy 42-0 in their first match of this year’s Championship.
The hosts never looked to be threatened in Cardiff, with three Dan Biggar penalties edging them in front before Josh Adams grabbed two tries in the corner, the second of which set up by a wonderful through the legs pass from Biggar.
The second period saw another three scores, as Nick Tompkins burst through to grab a debut try before George North touched down in the dying stages to secure the bonus point.
Adams then wrapped up the scoring after the hooter to complete his hat-trick, as Wayne Pivac’s first competitive match in charge ended in a convincing victory, but Jones still thought there was room for improvement.
Exquisite footwork
Quick turn of pace = Dream debut for Nick Tompkins. #WALvITA pic.twitter.com/h6uLOHyLHS
— Welsh Rugby Union
(@WelshRugbyUnion) February 1, 2020
“We were conscious of a very strong, exciting Italian side that was coming here, we knew a bit about them but not a lot, but credit to them especially in the first 20 minutes of the second half,†the 34-year-old said.
“We were a bit flat when we came out for the second half if we are honest, but finished in the vain that we wanted to.
“It’s a foundation for a new regime, there’s still four games left in the competition and we’ll go one at a time. There’s probably elements of discipline that we have to look at as well, but it’s a start.
“There’s a few guys that are side lined at present, but hopefully the squad is only going to get stronger when those boys are up and running.â€
Try as Italy might, they rarely threatened the Wales try line at Principality Stadium, with their new era, spearheaded by interim coach Franco Smith and new captain Luca Bigi, got off to the worst possible start.
The visitors struggled to keep hold of the ball throughout the match, often gifting Wales possession, and Bigi was adamant that this is something they need to address before playing France in Paris in Round Two.
“It was tough, we knew it was going to be a tough game. I think we played well, we created a lot but we didn’t finalise it, so we have to work on that,†the 28-year-old said.
“Our set piece wasn’t going that well, we conceded two turnovers from lineouts so we have to be focused on every lineout and every scrum to create for our backs.â€
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Source: 6 Nations