Derwyn Jones
Wales' chances for a second successive Grand Slam were quashed in Paris last month, but with the Championship and the Triple Crown still in their grasp, Warren Gatland's squad face an almighty challenge in Italy. Former Wales lock Derwyn Jones was in Paris and he will also join S4C's presentation team in Rome on Saturday 14 March as Wales face a bloody Roman battle.
-
What happened to Wales out in France?
France showed a lot more passion during the game out in Paris, much more than Wales did. To be fair, they were under a lot of pressure to beat Wales. The French media had been putting great pressure on the coach Marc Lièvremont - and there was even speculation that his future may have been at risk had they lost the match. At the end of the game, France's reaction said it all - they were celebrating as if they'd won the World Cup.
-
So what do they have to do as they face their challenge out in Rome on 14 March?
Italy are not having a good tournament - they're still searching for their first win after three consecutive defeats. But Wales need to play the quick ball and be creative to make things even more difficult for the opposition. Wales need to be careful of the Italian scrum because this is an area that is very strong for them. Italy's forwards like to slow the ball down which puts extra pressure on the Welsh squad to play the quick ball.
-
Which players are you hoping to see in the starting line-up?
I think Warren Gatland will decide to make some changes before the next match and use some fresh players who have not played much of a part in the championship as of yet. Personally, I'd like to see Dwayne Peel and James Hook return to the starting line-up. Peel is a player of high quality and enjoys playing the quick ball, whereas Mike Phillips on the other hand can sometimes be a little slow as he brings the ball away from the ruck. With Peel and Hook in the squad, they can cause great problems to the other teams.
-
Wales haven't had great success out in Rome in past Championships, having lost two out of their last three visits to the Italian capital. Do you think the stats will affect the team?
Not at all. Wales had a different coaching team during their last visits. There's a balance within the squad of confidence and over-confidence, which is important in any squad. I don't see the statistics playing any factor on the day.
-
There has been speculation about Italian regions joining the Magners League in the future. What effect will this have on Welsh and Italian rugby in your opinion?
I think it's a good idea in principle to introduce Italian regions to play in the Magners League. But officials working for the league will have to help the clubs financially because for one thing, it will be expensive to travel back and forth to Italy - for the clubs and the supporters. It will certainly help to improve the Italian game as they play against teams of high standards week in week out, but I don't see what Welsh rugby will get out of it at the moment. I think that the Italians' standards won't be very good to begin with as they'll need time to adjust to the pressures and demands of the league.