Italy v Wales, Six Nations Championship, March 14
Wales out to redress the balance in Rome
John Griffiths
March 9, 2009
Wales' Gareth Thomas protests to referee Chris White following the controversial end to their clash with Italy, Italy v Wales, Six Nations, Flaminio Stadium, Rome, Italy, March 10, 2007
Wales' Gareth Thomas protests to referee Chris White following the controversial end to their clash with Italy in Rome in 2007 © Getty Images
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This weekend's Six Nations clash between Wales and Italy at the Stadio Flaminio in Rome will be the 16th Test meeting between the two sides.

Wales make ten changes and a three-quarter line positional adjustment from the side that started against France. It is the first time since going in to the Irish match in 2001 that they have made so many switches for successive Six Nations matches in the same Championship season.

Wales lead the all-time series, that began in 1994, by 12 wins to two and there was a draw at Cardiff in 2006. The series of Rome matches between the sides in the Six Nations is balanced at two wins apiece.

Wales set the records for the highest score, biggest winning margin and most tries in the series with their 60-21 win in Treviso in 1999 when they scored seven tries. They equalled the margin in their 47-8 Cardiff win last season.

The best Italian performance of the series was in the 2003 Six Nations when they defeated Wales for the first time - 30-22 in Rome, scoring three tries.

The highest individual contribution to a match in the series is 30 points by Neil Jenkins in the friendly played in Treviso in 1999. Diego Dominguez scored 18 (five penalty goals and a dropped goal) to establish the Italian record in Rome in 2001.

Gareth Thomas created the record for most tries in a match. He crossed four times for Wales in Treviso in 1999. No Italian player has scored more than one try in a match.

Thomas scored the most overall tries in the matches. The Welsh record cap-holder crossed eight times in ten appearances in the series. Shane Williams needs one more to catch him. Neil Jenkins is the leading points scorer with 128 for Wales in his six appearances between 1994 and 2001.

Diego Dominguez, who appeared in eight of the matches, holds the Italian scoring record with 112 points. The late Ivan Francescato and Carlo Checchinato, the current Italian team manager, each scored two tries in the matches.

Alessandro Troncon and Martyn Williams made most appearances in the matches playing eleven times each.

Italy v Wales Six Nations results:
2000 Wales 47-16 (Cardiff)
2001 Wales 33-23 (Rome)
2002 Wales 44-20 (Cardiff)
2003 Italy 30-22 (Rome)
2004 Wales 44-10 (Cardiff)
2005 Wales 38-8 (Rome)
2006 Drawn 18-18 (Cardiff)
2007 Italy 23-20 (Rome)
2008 Wales 47-8 (Cardiff)

  • Click here for Italy's complete Test record in Statsguru

  • Click here for Wales' complete Test record in Statsguru

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