Wales Run In Five Tries To See Off Italy

WALES 44, ITALY 20
This defeat made it 12 in a row in the championship for the Azzurri to put more pressure on under-fire Kiwi coach Brad Johnstone.
Wales got off to a flying start when a brilliant break and pass from Andy Marinos released Craig Morgan on the left wing.
As he crossed half-way, Morgan kicked past the last defender, pinned back his ears and raced ahead of the chasing pack to reach the ball first to grab his first international try.
Stephen Jones knocked over the conversion, as he did with all five tries, and Wales were ahead after only two minutes.
Ramiro Pez accepted a wide angled penalty a few mintues later, but Wales built on their lead when Dafydd James capitalised on a touchline gallop by Nathan Budgett to bag try number two after 10 minutes.
Jones increased the lead to 17-3 with a pnealty, but the Italians battled back into contention withe a close range try from No 8 Carlo Checchinato which Pez improved.
Wales were guilty of sleeping on the job in the build up to the break and Gert Peens, the South African-born full back, marked his debut with a monster penalty off the half-way line to cut the gap to one score.
Jones steadied the ship for Wales with a second penalty just before the break and was soon back in the thick of the action in the second half.
Man of the match Craig Morgan launched a thrilling counter attack fron inside the Welsh half and Jones acted as the link to allow first-half replacement Rhys Williams to show off his running skills to race 40 metres for a great try.
The Italian cause was dealt a further blow when back row man Aaron Persico was sent to the sin bin after 50 minutes and while he was off Wales scored two more tries.
The first came from a scrum 10 metres out. James was brought in from the blindside wing to make the first charge and then Quinnell was released in a gap to claim his 10th try for Wales.
Jones added the conversion and then hit the mark again when Marinos popped up in the right place to score his side’s fifth try.
But with a record score beckoning, Wales were guilty of going off the boil in the final quarter and the only other points the crowd of 58,269 witnessed were provided by the Italians when Francesco Mazzariol grabbed an opportunist try which Peens converted.
Scorers: Wales: Tries: Craig Morgan, Dafydd James, Rhys Williams, Scott Quinnell, Andy Marinos; Cons: Stephen Jones 5; Pens: Stephen Jones 3.
Italy: Tries: Carlo Checchinato, FrancEsco Mazzariol; Cons: Ramiro Pez, Gert Peens; Pens: Ramiro Pez, Gert Peens.
WALES: Kevin Morgan (Swansea); Dafydd James (Bridgend), Tom Shanklin (Saracens), Andy Marinos (Newport), Craig Morgan (Cardiff); Stephen Jones (Llanelli), Rob Howley (Cardiff); Iestyn Thomas (Ebbw Vale), Robin McBryde (Llanelli), Chris Anthony (Newport), Ian Gough (Newport), Andy Moore (Swansea), Nathan Budgett (Bridgend), Martyn Williams (Cardiff), Scott Quinnell (Llanelli, captain)
Replacements: Barry Williams (Neath) for McBryde 60; Spencer John (Cardiff) for Anthony 77; Chris Wyatt (Llanelli) for Gough 52; Brett Sinkinson (Neath) 63 for Quinnell; Dwayne Peel (Llanelli) for Howley 52; Iestyn Harris (Cardiff) for Morgan 59; Rhys Williams (Cardiff) for Shanklin 23.
ITALY: Gert Peens (Piacenza); Roberto Pedrazzi (Viadana), Mirko Bergamasco (Padova), Cristian Stoica (Castres), Nicola Mazzucato (Treviso); Ramiro Pez (Rotherham), Alessandro Troncon (Montferrand); Giampiero de Carli (Calvisano), Alessandro Moscardi (Benetton Treviso, captain), Salvatore Perugini (L’Aquila), Marco Bortolami (Padova), Mark Giacheri (Sale Sharks), Aaron Persico (Viadana), Mauro Bergamasco (Benetton Treviso), Carlo Checchinato (Benetton Treviso).
Replacements: Frederico Pucciarello (Gloucester) for Perugini 69; Andrea Lo Cicero (Toulouse) for De Carli 48; Andrea Benatti (Viadana) for Pedrazzi 67; Matt Phillips (Viadana) for Bortolami 60; Francesco Mazzariol (Benneton Treviso) for Mirco Bergamasco 65; Giovanni Raineri (Roma) forPez 64.
Yellow Card: Aaron Persico 50.
Referee: Chris White (Eng)
Lloyds TSB Man of the Match: Craig Morgan (Wales