Lee Byrne was the man of the match, his two tries were matched by the magnificent Shane Williams, but Byrne’s coolness under the high ball and pinpoint kicking display won him the accolade.
Italy came out with their attacking intentions clear to see but were nervy in the opening minutes and they soon fell behind when Stephen Jones slotted a three-pointer. It was the first of his 18 points with the boot. He was flawless all day, kicking three conversions and four penalties before being leaving the field to rapturous applause with 13 minutes to play. James Hook was the popular replacement and he did his job in scoring the first of his two conversion’s within seconds of coming on.
It was the introduction on Mike Phillips that sparked Wales’s second half performance. The feisty Osprey sliced the Italian defence to shreds with his first touch of the ball, so very nearly scoring a try from seventy metres out.
On the wing, Williams showed his class. His pace, power, and overall work rate all contributing. He weighed in with a brace. His second try was a moment of sheer brilliance and will grace highlight reels in years to come. Warren Gatland’s side now top the RBS Six Nations table with three wins from three, and have Ireland next in the hunt for the Triple Crown.
