Six Nations Rugby Preview – 4.45 pm kick off
Wales have a great chance to line themselves up at a title challenge this season. After creating a bit of history for themselves in a comeback win over France a week ago, they head into their second game as red hot favourites to take down Italy.
Wales v Italy odds*
Wales 1/14
Italy 15/2
Draw 66/1
* (betting odds taken from bet365 on February 7th, 2019 at 5:00 pm)
Table of Contents
Wales v Italy Preview
Wales opened their campaign this season in the Six Nations in some style. They found themselves 16-0 down at half time in Paris and staring defeat fully in the face. However, with help from a brace of tires by George North, Wales produced the biggest comeback in Six Nations history (as well as their own personal biggest comeback) to land a 24-19 victory.
While their second-half performance delighted and thrilled there will be questions about them down the line after their slow start. But that was some character which they showed to not let that first half performance beat them down. It should be an easier game which they get to handle this weekend though as they make the trip to Rome.
Head to head
Wales have won all ten previous Six Nations matches against Italy. So there is a clear dominance in this fixture. Last season the Welsh picked up a 38-14 win over the Italians and that was the fourth game in a row that Wales had won by at least 24 points against Italy. Wales have scored at least twenty points in each of their last five Six Nations matches in Rome.
Italy’s late rally at Murrayfield
Italy were involved in a strange game at Murrayfield against Scotland in their Six Nations 2019 opener. They were looking down an out with ten minutes to go, trailing 33-3, the Scots well out of sight by that point. But then Scotland picked up a yellow card and the Italians took full advantage of the situation.
The Azzurri ran up three tries, and easy scores they all were too, in the space of eight minutes to make the scoreline far more respectable at 33-20. The only thing they missed out on in their comeback really was a bonus point. But basically, once again, it is hard to see where a win is going to come from for Italy. The effort is there, the end product over a sustained 80 minutes of top-level rugby just isn’t.
Wales v Italy Prediction
Wales can make it two from two in this season’s championship. Wales have won by an average of 19.4 points in their five previous Six Nations trips to Italy. That average goes up to 28 points in their last three visits there. With that in mind than a Wales -18 handicap is good value at even money* (betting odds taken from bet365 on February 7th, 2019 at 5:00 pm)
