A former Wales star has set Warren Gatland’s side a key 15 minute test ahead of Saturday’s “cup final” clash with Italy.
Alix Popham, who received 33 caps and featured against England during Gatland’s 2008 Grand Slam winning campaign, also pinpointed a key weakness from Wales’s Parisien put-down last Friday.
Despite Wales being nilled and conceding 43 points to France, Popham remains optimistic about Wales’s chances of bouncing back against Italy on Saturday.
Speaking to the People’s Channel, Popham said: “It could have been a lot worse on Friday. We were nilled but our scrum was solid, our first up defence was better.
Wales’ Dafydd Jenkins reacts following the Guinness Men’s Six Nations match at the Stade de France in Paris
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Former Wales international Alix Popham training at his home in Newport, South WalesPA“Where we struggled, and I think every team would struggle, is that loose, broken play when Dupont can do what he wants, and you don’t know what he’s going to do. It wasn’t as bad as the scoreline reflected.”
Turning his attention to Saturday, Popham added: “This is the optimist in me, I always think Wales have got a chance. At the moment, we’re underdogs, and I always liked being the underdog.
“It’s up to us now, on Saturday with Italy, who performed well against Scotland and beat us last year, to put in a performance and the result will take care of itself.
“I don’t think we can think about winning. We’ve got to win the first five minutes, win the first 10 minutes, win the first 15 minutes. Build it like that. If we get that right, we’ll be in with a shout come the end.”
Popham, who also discussed rugby’s ongoing struggle with traumatic brain injuries, highlighted how Wales’s starting XV should look to win one-on-one battles against their Italian counterparts, with nine head-to-head victories likely proving enough to seal victory.
However, the former former Newport, Leeds, Llanelli Scarlets and Brive back-rower also pinpointed a major weakness from Wales’s opening round battering.
“We wasted a lot of possession with kicks that weren’t anything kicks against France,” Popham said. “It was just down their throat and nobody was competing for the ball.
“I think if we are going to kick we’ve got to make sure they’re competitive so there’s a 50/50 chance of getting the ball back when the defensive line is not organised.”
Wales, who go into the match in Rome on a record-breaking 13-match losing streak, made 26 kicks in play on Friday, just two less than France.
However, Gatland’s side made an average of just 24 metres per kick, compared to 34 metres for France.
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Jac Morgan and Gareth Thomas
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Antoine Dupont making a break against Wales in Paris
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Despite broader statistics putting Wales fairly close to the French on paper, the inability to make Toulouse’s totemic full-back Thomas Ramos turn or make kicks contestable limited Wales’ ability to get a foothold in the game.
Wales were also found wanting when it came to beating defenders, offloading, missed tackles and discipline.
Concerns about kicking could see Gatland change his starting stand-off.
Cardiff fly-half Ben Thomas was given the nod in the coveted 10 jersey last Friday but was soon shifted to 12 following an injury in midfield.
Uncapped 21-year-old Dan Edwards took to the turf at the Stade de France, having edged out veteran fly-halfs to make the Welsh squad.
Gatland only picked Thomas and Edwards to cover 10 in his 2025 Six Nations squad, leaving out veteran Gareth Anscombe and Scarlets star Ioan Lloyd.
Despite concern about who will start at stand-off against Italy, Welsh captain Jac Morgan appeared to put in another strong showing in Paris.
Discussing the 25-year-old’s performance, Popham said: “I thought Jac Morgan had a huge game on Friday. He carries hard, tackles, competed at the breakdown very well.”
Popham also complimented the efforts of Ospreys loosehead prop Gareth Thomas.
“I wouldn’t have taken him off,” the 45-year-old said. “He was coming out the line, putting a lot of pressure on France, stopping people behind the gain line, tackling them around the shins, their ankles.
“It’s a difficult tackle to do at speed but he did it so well and after he went off, we were still tackling them but they were two metres over the gain line.”
Wales go into Saturday’s clash with Italy with immense pressure from disappointed fans back home.
Cardiff was last left bouncing in a capped test match when Wales sealed top spot in Pool C of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Following quarter-final heartbreak against Argentina, Wales entered the rugby doldrums.
Alix Popham received 33 caps for WalesGETTY
Wales head coach Warren Gatland ahead of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations match at the Stade de France in Paris
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Wales lost to Italy 21-24 in Cardiff in the 2024 Six Nations, receiving the wooden spoon for the first time in 21 years.
However, Wales remain unbeaten in Rome since Popham featured in a controversial 23-20 loss at the Stadio Flaminio in 2007.
Looking ahead to Saturday, Welsh wing Josh Adams told reporters: “It’s huge, isn’t it? We said that in the changing rooms after the (France) game.
“We understand the run we’ve been on. It’s 13 (losses) now. We want that to stop, obviously, and we are working tirelessly to do that.
“It is a big game for us, and we understand that. Not many people have given us any hope in this campaign, and we are going to try and use that to our advantage.”
Following Wales’s defeat in Paris, Gatland also admitted: “Next week becomes pretty important for us. We can’t hide away from that. We need to get the monkey off our back.”
Despite overseeing Wales’s losing streak, Gatland remains the most successful coach to grace the Principality Stadium.
The 61-year-old Kiwi coached Wales to three Grand Slam championships and twice took the nation to the Rugby World Cup semi-finals.
Gatland was forced to change his personnel following a shocking injury to Ospreys centre Owen Watkin, with Dragons back-rower Aaron Wainwright also picking up a knock.
Scarlets loose forward Taine Plumtree and Sale Sharks tighthead prop WillGriff John were both called up to bolster the squad during their Nice meet-up.