Wales and Lions legend Graham Price gives his thoughts on the result and performance against Italy
This was a game that Wales needed to win in order to maintain our level of progress. The response to all the recent adversities mattered most.
Over the past few seasons, Welsh rugby has been through much turbulence because of coaching changes, young players being blooded earlier than expected, and a squad learning how to carry the weight of the red jersey again.
Against Italy, what we saw was a side beginning to understand exactly what that responsibility means.
Italy arrived with genuine confidence. Anyone who has watched them progress over the past couple of championships knows they are no longer the easy fixture they once were. Their attacking structure is sharp, their backs play with ambition and their forwards no longer take a backward step.
For significant periods of this match, they asked serious questions of Wales.
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But the difference, and it was a crucial one, lay in how Wales answered those questions. We have had a reputation for being slow starters, even during the times of our greatest success, but the Welsh pack set the tone early. There was a clear intent at the breakdown, where the contest was aggressive throughout. Wales targeted the Italian ball carriers, slowing possession and forcing the visitors to play from less comfortable positions.
It was not always pretty, but international rugby quite often isn’t when the stakes are high.
The scrum in particular offered encouragement. In recent years it has frequently been an area of concern, but on Saturday it provided the platform Wales needed. Stability up front allowed the half-backs to manage territory and apply pressure in the right areas of the field.
And pressure, as every forward knows, eventually produces mistakes.
What pleased Welsh supporters most was the composure when opportunities appeared. Too often in the past Wales have built pressure only to squander it through impatience or indiscipline.
The attack was not over ambitious, but it was effective. Direct carrying through the midfield created space wider out, and when the moment came Wales were ready to strike.
Yet there was also a sense throughout that Wales had another gear if they needed it.
Again, defensively, the organisation was impressive.
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One of the most encouraging aspects from a Welsh viewpoint was the contribution of the younger players. Welsh rugby has spent the last couple of years talking about transition, about building the next generation of internationals. Ellis Mee, Ben Carter, Eddie James, Dan Edwards and Alex Mann man have now arrived. Matches like this show why that process matters.
You could see the hunger in the way they chased kicks, fought for turnovers and carried into contact. International rugby is a brutal examination, and these players have had to learn what it demands quickly.
Of course, there are still areas Wales will want to sharpen up. We had difficulties in the lineout and there were phases where our attack became a little predictable. Against stronger opposition those details can become costly.
The key difference was composure. When chances appeared in the opposition 22, Wales were clinical enough to convert pressure into points.
That ability and the calmness to finish opportunities under pressure often separates winning teams from nearly teams.
But progress in Test rugby is rarely perfect.
What matters is the direction of travel. On this evidence Wales are moving in the right way. That is what we have achieved in this year’s tournament.
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Momentum in rugby is a funny thing, sometimes it begins with a single tackle or carry and suddenly the whole perspective of the match can change.
I believe that moment came when Aaron Wainwright scored his first try, or rather the manner in which he scored it so soon after the kick off. No one was going to stop him.
But, perhaps the most telling moment came late in the game when Italy mounted one final surge. The Welsh defence was stretched and momentum briefly swung towards the visitors.
In years gone by that might have been the point where doubts crept in and we started to lose our composure and discipline.
Instead, Wales held firm. The tackles were made, the ball was turned over, and the pressure released with a clearing kick that brought a roar from the stands that brought the house down.
It was the reaction that resulted from the appreciation of a team rediscovering its resilience.
Anyone who has experienced a full Principality Stadium during the Six Nations knows it becomes more than just a venue. It’s more like a force of nature.
When Wales began to string phases together and push Italy back, the noise lifted the team to another level.
This performance did not solve every challenge facing Welsh rugby. What this match demonstrated, however, is that the core values of the game in Wales – commitment, pride in wearing the national jersey, and a determination not to yield under pressure – remain intact.
Those are values that have long been associated with Welsh rugby, and it has often been highlighted how crucial they are to the national identity of the game.
Rugby in Wales has always been about more than results. It is about identity, the belief that when players pull on the red jersey they represent communities, history and expectation in equal measure.
In the long run, that foundation is what victories are built upon.
Welsh rugby has faced a period of uncertainty in recent years, and every performance has been judged against that backdrop.
Of course, there’s still work to be done. The attack, the set pieces and discipline will always be talking points. Against stronger sides later in the year, Wales will need to show even more progress.
But rugby seasons are rarely about perfection. They’re about building momentum, learning lessons and finding belief.
This victory over Italy felt like a step in that direction.
For Wales, the important thing wasn’t simply that they won it was how they grew into the contest, handled adversity and showed the kind of grit that supporters expect.
If that spirit continues through the rest of the year, Welsh fans might allow themselves a little optimism.
And in Welsh rugby, optimism can be a powerful thing indeed.
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