Wayne Pivac determined to avoid repeat of ‘unacceptable performance’ by Wales

Wayne Pivac criticised Wales’ “unacceptable performance” as Italy ended a 36-game Six Nations losing streak by winning 22-21 in Cardiff.

Edoardo Padovani’s last-minute try gave Italy a sensational victory, their first ever on Welsh soil.

But while Italy savoured a first Six Nations success since 2015, the inquest in Wales is likely to be long and hard, with Pivac’s side going from champions to also-rans in the space of 12 months.

Wales will finish the 2022 tournament down in fifth place, with their only victory coming against Scotland.

“It’s very disappointing,” said a clearly shell-shocked Pivac. “Lots has happened since last year, that’s been well-documented.

“We came with a goal of giving ourselves an opportunity to finish third, which would have been a superb effort by the boys.

“After round one (when Wales were beaten 29-7 by Ireland in Dublin) we were building each week. But this was an unacceptable performance, which we must not let happen again.

“We had three good performances in this competition and two we weren’t proud of. So it wasn’t the complete competition. We’ll get criticism from it – and rightly so.”

Pivac had made seven changes to the side which had pushed France all the way in Cardiff eight days earlier.

That had led to claims of arrogance and underestimating Italy in some quarters and, on a day when the returning Alun Wyn Jones won his 150th cap and Dan Biggar became the seventh Welshman to win his 100th, Pivac’s men floundered in the Principality Stadium.

Tries from Owen Watkin, Dewi Lake and Josh Adams looked to have got Wales over the line as a 21-15 lead was claimed in the final 12 minutes.

This was an unacceptable performance, which we must not let happen again.- Wales head coach Wayne Pivac

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