Italy 22-15 Wales: Pressure mounts on Warren Gatland after record-extending 14th consecutive defeat

Warren Gatland's presumption arsenic Wales caput manager was near hanging by a thread aft his squad mislaid 22-15 against Italy astatine Stadio Olimpico and lurched towards a 2nd successive Six Nations woody spoon.

Wales' 14th successive Test lucifer decision could beryllium the last straw for Gatland's Welsh Rugby Union bosses.

They person promised a elaborate reappraisal of Wales' Six Nations performances aft the tourney and matters are hardly apt to amended fixed that remaining fixtures are against Ireland, Scotland and England.

It was Gatland's 20th nonaccomplishment successful 26 Tests since returning for a 2nd stint astatine the helm, an eighth Six Nations reversal successful a enactment and the archetypal clip Wales person suffered back-to-back defeats against Italy.

They besides slumped to a caller satellite ranking debased of 12th, with Georgia climbing supra them pursuing their Rugby Europe Championship triumph implicit the Netherlands successful Tbilisi.

Rainswept Rome provided a suitably miserable back-drop for a Wales squad undone by Italy helping Ange Capuozzo's first-half try, positive 5 penalties and a conversion from full-back Tommaso Allan.

Wales managed an Aaron Wainwright effort and precocious punishment try, positive a Ben Thomas punishment arsenic Italy had forwards Marco Riccioni and Dino Lamb yellow-carded during the closing minutes.

There was nary reprieve for Wales, though, with lone a losing bonus-point collected and the inquest volition beryllium agelong and hard up of them resuming Six Nations enactment against Ireland successful Cardiff connected February 22.

Wales suffered a treble stroke up of the crippled with full-back Liam Williams and fastener Dafydd Jenkins some being ruled out.

Saracens subordinate Williams, who has won 93 caps, was replaced by Blair Murray, with Freddie Thomas making a archetypal Wales commencement successful the second-row aft unwellness sidelined Jenkins. Gloucester helping Josh Hathaway and Cardiff fastener Teddy Williams joined the replacements.

Wales made a agleam commencement successful dismal conditions, with scrum-half Tomos Williams' footwear into abstraction astir being gathered by helping Josh Adams earlier the shot slid distant into touch.

But Italy took the pb aft 7 minutes erstwhile Allan booted an angled 35-metre penalty, which was followed by an inevitable aerial conflict arsenic some sides employed kicking strategies, fixed the weather.

Thomas hauled Wales level done a penalty, yet not earlier the visitors saw centre Nick Tompkins depart for a caput wounded appraisal arsenic Hathaway took implicit from him.

Prop Gareth Thomas past required attraction aft taking a stroke to his knee, earlier Wales' defence was unlocked by fly-half Paolo Garbisi's deft footwear and Capuozzo finished brilliantly nether unit from a chasing Welsh defence.

Allan added the touchline conversion and Wales were successful occupation arsenic Tompkins rejoined the action, playing mode excessively laterally, portion Italy had awesome power of their basics.

Wales had a flood of problems connected the backmost of a ascendant 2nd 4th by Italy and 2 Allan penalties during a four-minute spell opened up a steadfast pb for the Azzurri.

Wales desperately needed thing earlier the interval, with Adams and hooker Evan Lloyd going adjacent but determination was nary mode done and Italy took an emphatic pb into the break.

Gatland changed the full front-row conscionable 5 minutes aft the restart and Murray provided a glimmer of anticipation erstwhile helium broke from heavy wrong his ain fractional to springiness Wales immoderate much-needed territory.

Dan Edwards besides replaced fly-half Ben Thomas midway done the 3rd 4th arsenic Gatland sought a spark of inspiration that mightiness springiness his squad an accidental to crook things around.

Allan missed 2 penalties successful speedy succession, yet Wales could find nary mode into the contest, being pinned connected the backmost ft arsenic they astir fell further down erstwhile Martin Page-Relo's long-range punishment deed the crossbar.

Adams past received a yellowish paper pursuing a head-on-head collision with Garbisi and, though Wainwright breached Italy's defence 11 minutes from clip and a punishment effort followed soon afterwards, Wales could find nary mode backmost contempt a frenzied finale.