A loss in Rome would drop Wales to 12th in the World Rugby rankings
Ex-players turned pundits are expected, even encouraged, to indulge in a little hyperbole. That’s the game after the game. Viewed from the outside, Dan Biggar’s assertion thatwhen asked about Biggar’s comment, and he has the decisive Grand Slam games of 2008, 2012 and 2019, not to mention the World Cup semi-final of 2011 and quarter-finals of 2015 and 2019 as fairly compelling evidence to the contrary.
Yet it’s a measure of Wales’ decline that a round two victory over Italy would be interpreted as some form of salvation, if born out of desperation. The selection of Taulupe Faletau for his first game in a Welsh jersey since the World Cup in 2023 has a hint of that too, for he has only played four rugby matches in the intervening period.
Now injury to Owen Watkin has obliged Gatland to blood Scarlets centre Eddie James in his first ever start in the red jersey alongside Nick Tompkins in a second change from last week. Halfback has been another revolving door, although last week’s new pairing of Tomos Williams and Ben Thomas has been retained.
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