Italy 9-26 Wales

Wales maintained hope of retaining their Six Nations title with a clinical victory over Italy in rain-sodden Rome. Three Leigh Halfpenny penalties, to two from Kris Burton, gave the visitors a 9-6 interval lead. Converted tries from Jonathan Davies and Alex Cuthbert and a further Halfpenny kick put Wales in command at 26-9 on the hour. They kept the hosts at bay with some comfort in a scrappy final quarter to record a sixth consecutive win over the Azzurri. It was also a fourth successive away ctory for Wales in the Championship - a feat they last achieved in 1979. $render("advert","advert-companion","21560113"); $render("advert-post-script-load"); Six Nations: Jonathan Davies scores try for Wales against Italy require( { baseUrl: "http://static.bbci.co.uk/sport/ui/3.0.5/js/desktop/" }, ["empswitch"], function(empswitch) { empswitch.init(); } ); A fifth - against Scotland at Murrayfield in a fortnight - would see them welcome England to Cardiff on the final day with a possible title still in their sights. But for now they can reflect on a satisfying afternoon in Rome where their scrummaging prowess and efficient finishing from limited opportunities paved the way for victory. With rain falling incessantly all morning, any hopes of an attractive spectacle had disappeared before kick-off. A slow-paced game full of scrums and territorial kicking should have suited the hosts, but it was Wales who prospered in the set-piece battle. The visitors' dominant scrum earned three successive penalties in the 13th, 15th and 18th minutes as veteran Italian prop Andrea Lo Cicero, equalling Alessandro Troncon's Italian record of 101 caps, endured a torrid time. Halfpenny punished the second and third offences by kicking Wales into a 9-3 lead after 20 minutes. His opening penalty, after Italy had fallen offside in midfield trying to repel a Wales attack, was swiftly cancelled out by Burton in the 10th minute before Wales took command. But their dominance failed to yield further reward as Italy - without talismanic number eight Sergio Parisse - ended the first half only three points adrift. Burton, under pressure from Dan Biggar, was off target with a drop-goal attempt after Cuthbert had spilled a catch forward to give Italy a scrum five metres out.