Italy vs Wales LIVE: Six Nations latest score and updates

Italy again steal Welsh ball as they first force the lineout drive towards the touchline and then pounce on Lloyd Williams’ fumble as the ball is rolled towards the scrum-half’s feet. Another penalty their way, and again they look to the corner for a second score.

Wales just about manage to defend the Italian maul even as it pivots dangerously around to the right. Sebastian Negri’s 15th carry of the afternoon is typically forceful but Italy are otherwise unable to punch a hole, and Carlo Canna’s cross-kick is hoisted in hope rather than expectation. It finds grass rather than Italian hands, and then the touchline.

Another opportunity for Italy, though, as Negri is taken high by Willis Halaholo. Kicked down to about ten metres from the Welsh line.

Good again from Italy with Sebastian Negri’s large frame taking three defenders with him and allowing Maxime Mbanda to pick and go into the space they leave, a clever offload from the floor by Mbanda and a chip ahead from the catcher, but Louis Rees-Zammit is plenty quick enough to get back and cover the space.

A loose kick from Wales and Maxime Mbanda leaps to claim it, and that’s an outstanding tackle from Liam Williams! Jonathan Davies slices his attempted chip horifically, and Mbanda superbly grabs it, and sets about covering the 45 metres to the line. He’s got some toe, clearly, as Elliot Dee toils in chasing back, but not enough to out-pace Williams, who scythes him down.

Mbanda forces an offload that probably didn’t need to come, Italy knock-on, and that’s another chance gone.

“Mark!” cries Liam Williams as a long punt by Italy drifts slightly further than he was anticipating. An impressive take leaping backwards, arm stretched high above his head. He kicks into the Italy half, and the 10-minute timer ticks towards zero, enabling the sin-binned Marco Riccioni to return, along with the most unfortunate Monty Ioane.

Franco Smith’s mouth is hidden by his mask but his opinion is clear as he drops his head, surrender cobras with hands on top of head and eyes closed. His side have had a tough afternoon, but much of it has been self-inflicted.

Monty Ioane is sacrificed for a second time to enable Italy to have a full front-row complement for a scrum.

Up leaps Louis Rees-Zammit to snatch it and away! he! goes!

Carlo Canna’s hopeful miss ball finds only the Welsh wing’s hands, and such is his speed that even with 80 metres to cover and his back to the Italian line the defence has no hope. Their chases are perfunctory, Rees-Zammit’s ease up to fourth gear most impressive, and his score beneath the posts most simple.

Marcello Violi replaces Varney and is the man to try and dictate the Italian attack inside the 22. Left and right they go but little progress is made, and that is not where you want to throw an aimless wide pass…

That was a lovely little swivel pass from Navidi. The Welsh back row has again been excellent this afternoon. They have been the standout unit of this Six Nations, arguably, and the trio that started today combine so well.

Now, an opening for Italy? Stephen Varney’s box kick is delightfully lifted into the corner with Liam Williams shallow in the backfield, perhaps given the scoreline presuming that sort of kick was unlikely. Better still for Italy, the ball took a Welsh fingernail with it as it flew through Roman air – their lineout it will be.

And Sheedy sashays in! His forwards do the dirty work to gather momentum and then Sheedy calls his own number, lovely hands from Josh Navidi to draw the defence on to him and then find his fly-half injecting himself into the gap the eager Italians leave. A first try for his country for Sheedy, and an extra two in the points column for him as he adds a simple conversion.

Italy are therefore short of a bit of forward timber as they try to construct the right defensive structure to stall the Welsh maul, which rather blows through the under-resourced Italian seven. Justin Tipuric breaks away and nearly manages to writhe his leg free and advance onwards, but it will be a Wales penalty as their attempt to go wide comes to nothing.

Callum Sheedy taps it quickly and hands it back to the bigger blokes to rumble once more.

Marco Riccioni is the man in question and his elbow has made contact with Willis Halaholo’s neck. It isn’t direct, so TMO Tom Foley and Wayne Barnes agree a yellow card is the right sanction. Riccioni admits culpability and apologises to Halaholo, and Italy lose their replacement tighthead for ten minutes.

You cannot fault Italy’s ambition, though the required accuracy continues to be lacking. Danilo Fischetti has shown real zeal in the loose today and his jinking feet and deft hands nearly set Federico Mori away with a subtle offload, but Mori can’t quite gather the pass cleanly.

Wales clear long, and we have a TMO check for an Italian carrier’s extended arm.

More changes for both sides and a chance, perhaps, for a farewell for Jake Ball in Welsh red as he replaces his captain Alun Wyn Jones. He returns to Australia later this year.

Paolo Garbisi appears to be limping, slightly, as Federico Mori arrives, with Carlo Canna shifting in one with the young fly-half’s day done.

Has Josh Adams squeezed over? No! This is a tight one. It’s a bit higgledy-piggledy from Wales to get the ball to their wing as Callum Sheedy’s floated pass just about evades two would-be interceptors and finds Liam Williams, and with the gas-men Louis Rees-Zammit and Adams outside of him a try is the likeliest outcome.

If Adams grounds the ball having been fed by his wing colleague, that would be the result, but he fails to get the ball against the grass as he slides over the line, and by the time he does eventually place it down, a boot has made contact with touch in-goal. No try.

Changes for both sides as Italy bring on a group of forwards including Marco Riccioni and Marco Lazzaroni, and Wales introduce numbers 20 through 22 – Aaron Wainwright on for Taulupe Faletau, Lloyd Williams for Gareth Davies and Callum Sheedy for Dan Biggar.

A penalty for Wales is kicked into the Italy 22 and Elliot Dee’s first act after replacing Ken Owens will be to throw it.

What a try! A moment of individual magic from Monty Ioane, confronted by four bodies as Stephen Varney pops a pass to him down a narrow blindside, chipping over them and then out-gunning Louis Rees-Zammit on the turn to be first to the bounching ball. He gathers and survives Liam Williams’ attempt to shunt him out of play to score a try that looked like it might prove elusive for Italy this afternoon.

Paolo Garbisi adds a most impressive touchline conversion.

Dan Biggar shakes his head in disgust as a rare tactical kick for territory floats about half-a-yard too far as he looks for a sunlit patch of Italian grass close to the touchline. Italy will have a lineout inside the Wales half.

Nifty from Italy around the ruck, Stephen Varney faking involvement at the base to move out and allow Monty Ioane to flick the ball up to him, Ioane quickly retreating and then charging on to Varney’s blind return inside ball. It was a play Leicester used to utilise a lot with Jonny May and Ben Youngs and Ioane nearly manages to muscle through around the fringes.

That is as bright as Italy’s attack gets in this movement, though, and a fumble ends it. Welsh scrum.