WALES 43 ITALY 12

(at the National Ground, Cardiff).

This was not one of the eight international matches played between the countries, but preceded them and was a full international in every way, except that Wales did not grant tries.

Centre Scott Gibbs at last scored a try for his country, only to find that it would not count officially. Wales wore green jerseys and scored six other tries, the pick of them being by the lone replacement, Cardiff full back Mike Rayer, who came on for centre Roger Bidgood and weaved his way through in the closing minutes.

It would have been the first match played by Wales under the law change giving five points for tries instead of four, but instead, that was to be the match against Australia a month later. However, as no try was scored by Wales in the Australian match, it February 1993 against England at Cardiff that skipper Ieuan Evans became the first five-point try-scorer for Wales.