Deep in the bowels of Stradey Park on Saturday, the Wales management and players rehearsed their story. Perhaps they were saying, put the emphasis on the positive: we defeated a team who had beaten France, Scotland and Ireland in recent matches. It was a symbolic moment because Wales's performance on the field bore all the elements of a rehearsal with the emphasis on the pre-ordained rather than the instinctive.

Wales contended that victory over the improving Italians should not be scoffed at, but as the hosts of next year's World Cup they should be setting their sights higher.

Italy harried, spoiled and conceded penalties with abandon. Content with denying Wales territory, they spurned overlaps for the safety of the touchlines. It was only when the Welsh forwards got on top in the second half that the Italians started to pass the ball. When they did so, the succeeded in putting players into space.

The Welsh had no answer to Italy's rugby league swarm defence in midfield and they failed to get the ball wide. The difference between the sides in the end was a Neil Jenkins penalty, Wales's new game turning out to be old hat. Had Italy bristled with positive intent from the outset, they would surely have won. The teams shared four tries, but whereas Italy created their scores, Wales were awarded a dubious penalty try after eight successive five-yard scrums had come to nothing and the wing Gareth Thomas fashioned an unlikely 70-yard individual try three minutes from the end.

Italy would have scored a try at the end of a sterile first half but for a marginal forward pass. Marcello Cuttitta weaved infield after a bold counter-attack and his pass to Diego Dominguez created a threeman overlap, but the referee Steve Lander blew for a scrum.

Twice, Italy were 10 points behind in the second half and responded immediately. After Wales's penalty try, Cuttitta and Dominquez combined again for the centre Cristian Stoica to outpace Scott Gibbs in an attack which bore the imprimatur of the French. After Thomas's salvo, Pilat was denied a try after Thomas held up the full-back on the line, but Italy drove a maul from the line-out and the flanker forced his way over. Italy had claimed a similar try in the opening minute of the second half, only for Lander to deny them.

SCORERS: Wales: Tries: Penalty, G Thomas. Conversions: Jenkins 2. Penalties: Jenkins 3. Italy: Tries: Stoica, Sgorlon. Conversions: Dominguez 2. Penalties: Dominguez 2.

WALES: Jenkins (Pontypridd); Evans (Bath), Bateman (Richmond), Gibbs (Swansea), G Thomas (Cardiff); A Thomas (Swansea), Howley (Cardiff), capt); Lewis (Cardiff), B Williams (Richmond), Young (Cardiff), Llewellyn (Harlequins), Voyle (Llanelli), Appleyard (Swansea), M Williams (Pontypridd) Quinnell (Richmond). Replacements: Humphreys (Cardiff) for Williams, 70 mins; Charvis (Swansea) for M Williams, 70 mins.

ITALY: Pilat; Vaccari, Stoica, Martin, Marcello Cuttitta; Dominguez, Troncon; Massimo Cuttitta, Orlandi, Castellani, Cristofoletto, Croci, Giovanelli (capt), Sgorlon, Gardner. Referee: S Lander (RFU)