Italy were made to pay for not converting kicks at goal as Wales dug deep and held on for what was a comfortable victory in the end. Moving them up to second in the table.
Italy’s Gonzalo Canale scored the opening try, with Morgan Stoddart levelling and Sam Warburton getting Wales’ second. As Wales went in leading 21-11 at half-time.
Stephen Jones kicked eight points and Hook a late vital drop-goal, but Mirco Bergamasco missed three shots at goal. Parisse scored in the second period for Italy but they could not close the gap and so Wales ran out winners with the final score of:
Italy 16-24 Wales
Scorers
Italy
Tries: Canale, Parisse Pens: Bergamasco 2
Wales
Tries: Stoddart, Warburton Con: Jones Pens: Jones 3 Drop-goal: Hook
Teams
Italy: Luke McLean, Andrea Masi, Gonzalo Canale, Alberto Sgarbi, Mirco Bergamasco; Kristopher Burton, Fabio Semenzato; Salvatore Perugini, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Martin Castrogiovanni, Santiago Dellape, Quintin Geldenhuys, Alessandro Zanni, Robert Barbieri, Sergio Parisse (capt).
Replacements: Andrea Lo Cicero (for Perugini, 40; Perugini for Castrogivanni, 71), Valerio Bernabo (for Dellape 52), Manoa Vosawai (for Barbieri, 72), Pablo Canavosio (for Semenzato, 71), Luciano Orquera (for Burton, 67), Tommaso Benvenuti (for Masi, 74).
Unused: Carlo Festuccia.
Wales: Lee Byrne; Morgan Stoddart, James Hook, Jamie Roberts, Shane Williams; Stephen Jones, Mike Phillips; Paul James, Matthew Rees (capt), Craig Mitchell, Bradley Davies, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton, Ryan Jones.
Replacements: Richard Hibbard (for Rees, 78).
Unused: John Yapp, Jonathan Thomas, Josh Turnbull, Tavis Knoyle, Rhys Priestland, Leigh Halfpenny.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (IRFU).
Touch judges: Dave Pearson (RFU) & John Lacey (RFU).
TV: Iain Ramage (SRU)