Wales inspired by bonus-point mentality to top Six Nations Championship after Italy win

Wales just missed out on scoring a bonus point in the first round of the Six Nations championship but their thirst for one helped put them on top of the table on Sunday.

For the first time this season, the tournament is employing a bonus-point system that operates in professional competitions across Europe and the southern hemisphere.

At the end of the opening weekend, Wales topped the table on points difference after a 33-7 victory against lowly Italy, while the other weekend’s winners, England and Scotland, scraped narrow wins.

That would have been the likely outcome even without a bonus-point system, but Wales coach Rob Howley said after the win in Rome that the incentive of a bonus for scoring four tries had put his players in a particularly aggressive mindset from the start.

Captain Alun Wyn Jones opted for an attacking lineout three times in a row before Italy’s stout defence finally persuaded him to give the ball to goalkicking maestro Leigh Halfpenny, who kicked four straight penalties to calm the visitors’ nerves.

Having finally scored a try after an hour, Wales could have locked down the match, especially with a slippery ball and an Italian captain, Sergio Parisse, always threatening to bust through the Welsh line.