Perhaps Wales have become too accustomed to the cosy comforts of playing under their cherished roof at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Certainly, before they ran out comfortable winners at the Stadio Olimpico yesterday, they had been given a fright by Italy in the first half, when the rain was teeming down, the ball was fiendishly greasy and the home side were looking far more attuned to the type of blood-and-thunder scrap that the conditions were demanding. As the rain eased in the second half, though, Wales were able to move the ball more freely and stretch their legs to open up a clear distance between the teams, scoring tries through Jonathan Davies, Liam Williams and George North, and coming fractionally short of securing the…

Source: The Times February 06, 2017 00:03 UTC