Wales must use shock Italy loss as much-needed wake-up call | Daniel Gallan

The defeat by the Six Nations outsiders ended campaign on a dismal note and increased the pressure on coach Wayne Pivac

Maybe this is exactly what Welsh rugby needed. Until Ange Capuozzo produced one of the most scintillating runs in Six Nations history to set up a 79th-minute try for Edoardo Padovani, Wales were winning a game they deserved to lose. In front of their fans in Cardiff, and celebrating personal milestones of Alun Wyn Jones and Dan Biggar, the team were sloppy, unimaginative and disjointed. But they were winning.

Wayne Pivac would no doubt have lamented his side’s performance but would have taken solace in the result. Good teams win ugly, or so the adage goes. And though few who have watched Wales stutter across the tournament would argue they are a good side, a win would have put them level on points with England and Scotland.