Italia 30 - Galles 22
E' finita in un autentico trionfo, as the Italians say. Yes, indeed, Italy 30 - Wales 22 was the final scoreline yesterday as the Azzurri won only their second Six Nations rugby match ever when they defeated Wales in the Stadio Flaminio under the Rome sun. For the record, the last time Italy enjoyed a Six Nations win was against Scotland in 2000. Yesterday, the outstanding fly-half Diego Dominguez scored 15 points, and tries from Giampiero De Carli, Carlo Festuccia and Matthew Phillips were simply too much for a Welsh side which looked extremely uninspired.
Later today Ireland face Scotland in Murryfield, and the Rainy Day team will be in the Stadio Flaminio next Saturday to witness the clash of the Irish and the Italians. Blogging HQ will alternate between The Drunken Ship in the Campo de' Fiori and The Fiddlers' Elbow on the Via dell Olmata.
Diarist of the day: Captain Robert Falcon Scott, 16 February 1912"12.5m. Lunch Temp.+6.1?; Supper Temp. .+7?. A rather trying position. Evans has nearly broken down in the brain, we think. He is absolutely changed from his normal self-reliant self. This morning and this afternoon he stopped the march on some trivial excuse. We are on short rations, but not very short, food spins out until tomorrow night. We cannot be more than 10 or 12 miles from the depot, but the weather is all against us. After lunch we were enveloped in a snow sheet, land just looming. Memory should hold the events of a very troubled march, with more troubles ahead. Perhaps all will be well if we can get to our depot tomorrow fairly early, but it is anxious work with the sick man. But it's no use meeting troubles halfway, and our sleep is all too short to write more."
