WALES are two from two on their travels in the Six Nations but are yet to hit their straps after spluttering to a 26-15 victory against Italy.
Tries by wing Josh Adams and centre Owen Watkin helped earn the spoils in Rome to notch a record-equalling 11th successive Test win, matching the run set between 1907 and 1910.
But, just like in Paris when they relied on a second half comeback and a French implosion, there is much work to be done ahead of the round three clash with England in Cardiff.
Head coach Warren Gatland, with one eye on the World Cup, made 10 changes to the side that beat Les Bleus, hoping to be given a selection headache for Principality Stadium.
Yet after a week-long training camp in Nice, Wales failed to hit the heights and send a message to their title rivals.
Italy have gone an entire World Cup cycle without victory in the Six Nations and their visitors failed to put them to the sword with a sky-high error count as inaccuracy ruled for the second week on the spin.
There was little flair on display at the Stadio Olimpico with Gatland’s men not coming close to a bonus point.
They will need to be better against England, much better, and if they are then nobody will care a jot about spluttering to victory in Paris and Rome.
Wales were given a settler straight from the kick-off when a jackal by Dragons hooker Elliot Dee earned a penalty that Dan Biggar slotted.
The fly-half repeated the trick in the 15th minute after a strong scrum and in the 19th minute after an offside as Gatland’s men looked to build the scoreboard pressure and make Italy chase the game, something they are never comfortable doing.
Wales had a golden opportunity to stretch further clear when a Biggar claim of a high ball allowed them to hammer away in the 22 for 17 phases but the Azzurri held firm, forcing their visitors to settle for another three-pointer from a penalty for offside.
The 12-0 lead after half an hour was pleasing but opportunities had been missed, and Italy grasped their approaching half-time.
A penalty – earned after a shocker of a kick by wing Josh Adams – was kicked to the corner and while Wales stopped the lineout drive, they couldn’t deny the power runners with flanker Braam Steyn going over for a try that Tommaso Allan converted.
They almost went to their changing room just two points down only for Allan to strike the left post with a penalty with the final kick after lock Adam Beard took out his rival at a lineout.
Gatland would have demanded a rapid start to the second half but instead openside Thomas Young, with a breakdown offence, gifted Allan an easier chance that he took to make it 12-10 three minutes after the resumption.
Wales hadn’t improved, leading to captain Alun Wyn Jones to be called from the bench with half an hour remaining, something that wouldn’t have been in the plan with the England encounter next up.
Perhaps by coincidence, a try swiftly followed with Liam Williams putting wing Josh Adams over down the left after a missed tackle by full-back Jayden Hayward.
Biggar converted to make it 19-10 before being replaced by Gareth Anscombe as Wales looked to break free approaching the hour.
Yet they were unable to up the tempo and a bonus point looked a long way off entering the final quarter.
A second try almost came in farcical circumstances when Dee went on the charge after claiming the loose ball from his own botched lineout, then captain Jonathan Davies kicked ahead and went over the line after the cover made a mess of the grubber.
However, the TMO deemed that the centre had knocked on in the process of scoring and Wales were denied the killer blow.
That came in the 70th minute when, while playing with penalty advantage after a lineout drive was illegally stopped, Anscombe chipped over the top for centre Owen Watkin to score.
Wales had 10 left to grab two more but instead it was Italy who grabbed their second try when Allan exploited poor defence by Young to give right wing Edoardo Padovani a run-in to make it 26-15.
That was the final score with Wasps flanker Young denied the chance to make up for his error when his strong finish was chalked off because of a forward pass in the build-up.
There were long faces as Wales trooped off at full-time; a chance to make a statement was missed but a win’s a win.
Italy: J Hayward; E Padovani, M Campagnaro, L Morisi, A Esposito; T Allan (I McKinley 47), G Palazzan (E Gori 59)i; N Quaglio (C Traore 50), L Ghiraldini (L Bigi 59), S Ferrari (T Pasquali 60), D Sisi, D Budd, S Negri (M Barbini 57), A Steyn, S Parisse (captain).
Scores: tries – A Steyn, E Padovani; conversion – T Allan; penalty – T Allan.
Wales: L Williams (H Amos 66); J Holmes, J Davies (captain), O Watkin, J Adams; D Biggar (G Anscombe 54), A Davies (G Davies 62); N Smith (W Jones 62), E Dee (R Elias 66), S Lee (D Lewis 50), J Ball (AW Jones 50), A Beard, A Wainwright, T Young, J Navidi (R Moriarty 66).
Scorers: tries – J Adams, O Watkin; conversions – D Biggar 2; penalties – D Biggar (4).
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France).
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