‘A match against Italy is no longer an easy victory,’ admitted Peel.
‘Their club performances in Europe this season have shown that they’re improving all the time and we must make sure that we’re 100 per cent focused on the task ahead.
‘They are big side and like to tackle so we’re expecting a tough time.’
Peel has been in fine form for the Scarlets this season and he his hoping to take his performance with Llanelli into Saturday’s game against Italy where he will pair up with Iestyn Harris.
‘I’ve been playing well and I’m looking forward to playing with Iestyn,’ said Peel.
‘He’s a class player and has got a good rugby brain so hopefully we can forge a good relationship.’
Meanwhile Wales captain Colin Charvis has refused to see this game as a battle for fifth and sixth place.
‘We’ve been training well all week and everything has run a lot smoother than normal,’ said Charvis.
‘And if we put in the type of performance that our training efforts deserve then we can win the game.
‘We don’t see this as a battle for fifth and sixth, and the importance of this game should not be magnified.
‘You’ve got to concentrate on the here and now and it’s important to get a win in our first game to set up our campaign.’
Coach Steve Hansen has admitted that he faced some, ‘very tough decisions’, when deciding his side to play Italy on Saturday.
‘It was a tough call in midfield,’ admitted Hansen.
‘Matthew Watkins has been playing well and Mark Taylor is a quality player but in the end I went for Leigh Davies and Tom Shanklin.’
Wales: R Williams; M Jones, L Davies, T Shanklin, Gareth Thomas; I Harris, D Peel; I Thomas, M Davies, B Evans, R Sidoli, S Williams, M Owen, M Williams, C Charvis (capt).
Replacements (from): G Williams, G Jenkins, D Jones, Gavin Thomas, G Cooper, C Sweeney, M Watkins, G Llewellyn, K Morgan.
Italy: Paolo Vaccari; Mauro Begamasco, Cristian Stoica, Giovanni Raineri, Denis Dallen; Diego Dominguez, Alessandro Troncon (cap); Matthew Phillips, Aaron Persico, Andrea De Rossi, Marco Bortolomi, Christian Bezzi, Ramiro Martinez, Carlo Festuccia, Giampiero De Carli
Replacements: Andrea Moretti, Salvatore Perugini, Mark Giacheri, Scott Palmer, Juan Manuel Quierolo, Ramiro Pez
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HANSEN TURNS TO HARRIS
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