Wells ends Six Nations with wooden spoon as Ramaro leads Italy to epic win Six Nations 2024

It turns out that blue walls are stronger than red walls. That’s no surprise given the pace of improvement for Italy under Gonzalo Quesada, but for Wales the reality is getting grimmer. Warren Gatland’s side are in trouble for the first time since 2003 after suffering a seventh consecutive home defeat in the Six Nations. They ended a dismal campaign with five losses from five games and just four points.

Wales’ timing was off, passes struggled to stick and attacking options were limited. Basic errors and lack of communication hampered them in every way. They are a young team, but some of the incompetence shown is understandable. George North retired from the national team in poor form and his remarkable career was not deserved, but he will not be remembered for it.

Meanwhile, Italy made history by avoiding defeat in three championship matches for the first time. They have improved since their second-round defeat to Ireland: a dramatic draw in France, a thrilling success against Scotland and now a stunning performance that silenced the Principality Stadium. There are new faces here such as Louis Lynagh and Ross Vintcent, but above all a tribute to their ruthless captain Michele Lamaro.

The first half was one-way traffic. Excellent handling on the left by Paolo Garbisi, Tommaso Menoncello and the dangerous Monty Yoan created an opportunity for him: after several short bursts, the ball fell just for Yoan to rush towards past. Everything seemed to be on track for the Italian team: passes failed and running players were readily available. All Wells showed in the first period was a couple of turnovers, while Garbisi punished the home side with a couple of penalties.

When Wales finally created some chances, winger Gareth Davies’ run stretched the Italian defence, with the home crowd rising for the first time, but an energetic Ramaro forced a turnover. Garbisi soon launched a speculative kick in midfield, with errors between Cameron Wynette and Sam Costello causing chaos in the Italian side’s attack. The hallmark of Gatland’s great teams is that they give you nothing. The current iteration, young as it may be, is adequate. Menoncello barely missed Garbisi’s lovely kick near the goal line.

North was determined not to go quietly. After an elusive run through midfield, a well-placed handball forced Italy to counterattack. But their set pieces held up. Wales gave up a penalty amid attacking chaos and Garbisi brought the ball into touch seconds later, bringing a dismal end to Wales’ first half. Granted, they have far fewer points to make up than in the first round, when they trailed Scotland 27-0. But the performance in the first half was not smooth enough, making it difficult for Wells to see any hope of a comeback.

Five minutes after half-time, Leo Dier broke through from the left and the whole crowd was on their feet. Wales set up a period attack in Italy’s 22, but Adam Beard’s penalty was Federico Ruzza’s neck snap brought a promising drive to a screeching halt.Gatland’s soldiers paid a heavy price Azzurri Counterattack and break through the home defence. Ioane’s well-timed pass allowed defender Lorenzo Pani to take advantage of the overlap and finish with a sinuous run to finish off a brilliant finish.

Quesada brought on Martin Page-Lello from the bench along with Vincent, whose stunning tackle prevented Gareth Thomas from getting close to the try line, but a lengthy TMO check confirmed prop Elio Teddy had already tried it secretly. Eventually, Wales were on the board and had a quarter of an hour to close an 11-point deficit after Costello was substituted. Will Rowlands’ cross looked to be just a consolation and then as the clock turned red Kieran Hardy’s clever kick beat Mason Grady into the space and Enter under the doorpost. Wells got the extra point, but not much else.