Gethin looks for inside knowledge

Jenkins and his fellow Welsh teammates struggled last time out to contain France’s dominant forwards during the RBS Six Nations defeat. With Wales now ready to face an ever-improving Italian pack, Jenkins plans on turning to teammate Mefin Davies to give him the low-down on his Gloucester colleague.

The British Lion hardman said: “With Mefin now playing alongside him, I’m sure he will pass on a few handy hints and tips for me.

“He’s told me one or two things about Nieto in the scrum already which I’ve taken on board and will hope to use anymore he can give me. Every little thing helps and it can make all the difference on the day.”

Nieto is expected to replace injured Leicester Tigers strongman Martin Castrogiovanni when the Italians name their side later today for the Rome showdown. After pushing England close and fresh from their 37-17 win against Scotland last time out, the buoyant Azzurri will be in confident mood at the Stadio Flaminio.

It’s no great surprise to see Jenkins expecting another barrage of pressure in the front row as the Italians target their first back-to-back wins since joining the championship seven years ago.

He added, “Their confidence will have been boosted by winning an away game at Murrayfield and impressing many against England.

“They once again showed they are not a side to be taken lightly and they will want to turn us over. Their forwards seem to improve every year and their pack is now pretty good so it’s going to be tough without doubt.”