Player Ratings: Italy

OPINION: Italy player ratings: Was this a coming-of-age moment for the Azzurri? The Italians took to the field with hopes higher than the Leaning Tower of Pisa and successfully faced down a lame duck Wales’ side 22- 15 in torrid conditions in Rome.

Here’s how we rated the players:

1. Danilo Fischetti – 8
Scrummaged effectively against Wales tighthead Henry Thomas [and Keiron Assiratti when he came on], providing a solid platform. Showed the engine to contribute in open play, tackling Welshmen like it was going out of fashion.

2. Giacomo Nicotera – 8
Accurate at the lineout and busy around the park, like a cunning fox from a Tuscan fable. Kept things ticking over with minimal fuss and won three turnovers into the bargain.

3. Simone Ferrari – 7
Handled his set-piece duties well enough, without ever quite roaring into life in open play. Solid, if unspectacular.

4. Niccolò Cannone – 7.5
Strong in the tight exchanges, never flinched when Wales brought physicality. A dependable presence from start to finish.

5. Federico Ruzza – 7.5
Showed his usual athleticism in the lineout and in the loose. Remains a key forward for Italy in this damp tussle.

6. Sebastian Negri – 8
Drove into contact like a knight from an old Lombard tale, fearless and determined. Provided momentum with his direct running and dominant tackles.

7. Michele Lamaro (c) – 7.5
Tireless in defence, leading from the front. A captain’s knock that showcased bravery in the trenches and a constant rallying of his teammates. Wasn’t shy about letting the Welsh lads know when they’d made mistakes either.

8. Lorenzo Cannone – 9
Carried well and scrapped for every inch. Combined effectively with Lamaro and Negri in a robust back-row effort. Lead pretty much every Italian player stat relevant to a No. 8.

9. Martin Page-Relo – 8
Service was tidy under significant pressure from Wales in slippery conditions. His 50:22 in the 26th minute was highlight reel stuff. Very nearly slotted a 55-metre monster kick but for a crossbar that refused to cooperate and his box kicking was for the most part spot on.

10. Paolo Garbisi – 8
A couple of iffy moments under the high ball but guided play cleverly with a mix of passing and kicking. Always looking for gaps, his grubber through for Capuozzo’s try was sublime.

11. Monty Ioane – 5.5
Kept the Welsh backs on their toes, even if some of his defensive decisions [not calling a mark in his 22 in the first quarter for example] did quite add up. Far from the ideal conditions for the fleet-footed winger.

12. Tommaso Menoncello – 6
The ball didn’t often make it past the halfback for understandable reasons. Offered a physical route through midfield when he got near the ball, matching Wales’s centres hit for hit.

13. Juan Ignacio Brex – 5
Didn’t see much ball to be fair but missed too many tackles to score any higher.

14. Ange Capuozzo – 8
Not an afternoon for fullbacks but whenever he got the ball, you sensed something special might happen. A try-scorer and a constant danger, other than one spill he played the conditions well.

15. Tommaso Allan – 5.5
Safe under the high ball and positioned himself well defensively. The normally accurate Allan picked a poor time to start missing kicks, and his inaccuracy effectively kept Wales in this one when it may have been wrapped up inside 60 minutes.

REPLACEMENTS

16. Gianmarco Lucchesi – 6
Kept the lineout steady, brief but purposeful shift.

17. Luca Rizzoli – 6
Brought fresh legs in the loose in his short time on the pitch.

18. Marco Riccioni – 6
Hungry for contact, kept the Welsh defence honest and maintained Italy’s slim set-piece dominance.

19. Dino Lamb – 4
His yellow card handed Wales a late lifeline that Italian nerves could have done without.

20. Manuel Zuliani – 5
A short and remarkable cameo.

21. Ross Vintcent – 6
The Exeter Chief injected some serious pace into the back row but fell short of stealing the show.

22. Alessandro Garbisi – NA
Paolo’s baby brother was not on long enough to rate.

23. Jacopo Trulla – 6
Solid cameo, slotted into the back line smoothly.