Wales welcome Jacques Brunel’s side to the Millennium Stadium tomorrow as they start the defence of their Championship title.
The Azzurri have named a side which features plenty of experience in the pack and a number of new faces in the back line. And after they finished last year’s campaign in fourth place, the Wales forwards coach is wary of the threat they pose, particularly up front.
“There are no guarantees of a win. We have to focus on what we can control and when we have the ball, we are in control,” said McBryde, after Wales’ Captain’s Run at the Millennium Stadium this morning.
“If we starve Italy of possession, we will limit any surprises they may have up their sleeves. I am sure Italy are confident of their ability in the scrum, that’s where their confidence lies.
“They have plenty of experience in the pack and a lot of youth behind – it will be interesting to see how they react to international rugby. Italy can be unpredictable and we’ll have to be at our best to get a result but we are confident and believe in ourselves.”
The Welsh pack tomorrow features plenty of experience with Alun Wyn Jones leading the side. Adam Jones, Richard Hibbard, Dan Lydiate and Toby Faletau also provide plenty of international knowhow.
McBryde said: “We have trained well and are paying Italy the utmost respect with the way we have gone about our preparation.
“We have battled the weather this month but we’re looking good for tomorrow and the pitch out there is like a carpet.
“We have a great deal of experience in the squad and now we have to roll up our sleeves. I expect Italy to play to their strengths with their set piece and in particular driving line outs.
“When you are reigning champions, you know every team is going to bring their A game against you – we are ready for that.”
There are still a limited number of tickets available for Wales vs Italy at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, February 1. To get your tickets go to www.wru.co.uk/tickets.
