Six Nations 2017: Updated Table, Results and Round 2 Fixtures
Wales grabbed their first win of the 2017 Six Nations on Sunday, beating Italy 33-7 in Rome.
The Azzurri were the better team during the first half but crumbled after the break, while Wales improved dramatically and made the most of their chances.
Wales will host defending champions England in Round 2, while Italy host Ireland, who suffered an upset at the hands of Scotland on Saturday.
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Here's a look at the Six Nations standings:
| 1. | Wales | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33:7 | 4 |
| 2. | Scotland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27:22 | 4 |
| 3. | England | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19:16 | 4 |
| 4. | France | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:19 | 1 |
| 5. | Ireland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:27 | 1 |
| 6. | Italy | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7:33 | 0 |
The schedule for Round 2:
| Saturday, Feb. 11 | 2:25 p.m. | Italy | Ireland |
| Saturday, Feb. 11 | 4:50 p.m. | Wales | England |
| Sunday, Feb. 12 | 3 p.m. | France | Scotland |
Recap, Preview
Wales were far from their best on Sunday and trailed the hosts 7-3 entering half-time, but stand-in head coach Rob Howley's troops got the job done.
Edoardo Gori opened the scoring after 29 minutes, and per Rugby World, it was his first try in a Six Nations match:
Carlo Canna added the conversion to make the score 7-0, and while Leigh Halfpenny reduced the deficit minutes later with a penalty goal, Italy navigated the first half rather easily.
The Welsh fans were anything but happy, and Welsh Girl Problems summed things up like this:
The visitors improved after the break, however, and Halfpenny reduced the deficit to a single point after just six minutes. Wales patiently prodded away in the Italy half and dominated the set pieces, forcing the hosts into making mistakes.
Halfpenny kept up his strong form with two more penalties in quick succession, and per the Six Nations' official Twitter account, his accuracy was on point:
Andrea Lovotti was sin-binned after an hour of play, all but dooming the hosts' chances of grabbing a win. Jonathan Davies scored Wales' first try just a minute later, and Halfpenny's conversion stretched the lead to 12 points.
Liam Williams added a try of his own, and George North's try put the final score on the board. The Welsh came close to adding a bonus point in the final minutes, but TMO Rowan Kitt disagreed.
The victory should give Wales the confidence they need when they host rivals England in Week 2. The defending champions were far from convincing in their win against France but remain the favourites for this year's title.
Per the team's official Twitter account, head coach Eddie Jones was blunt in his assessment of the first half against Les Bleus:
England have the uncanny ability to stay alive in matches after slow starts, something that was once again evident at Twickenham Stadium. Wales did a superb job in the second half on Sunday, but England will present a whole different challenge than Italy did.
The Azzurri will face Ireland in Round 2 in what should be a similar match. France are set to take on Scotland, who started the Six Nations with a surprise win over the Irish.
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