FT: Wales 18-18 Italy

80 mins: Italian number eight Josh Sole snatches the line-out and and Italy boot a resultant penalty into touch to earn the visitors a draw.

79 mins: Matthew Watkins launches a kick to Mark Jones, which Ezio Galon runs into touch to give Wales a line-out 30m out in the last minute of the match.

78 mins: Man-of-the-match Mirco Bergamasco knocks on in the tackle to give Wales a scrum just inside their own half.

77 mins: Wales hurl themselves at the Italian defence but captain Michael Owen knocks the ball on.

75 mins: Italy are penalised for offside, and Stephen Jones, from halfway, kicks the penalty to touch.

74 mins: Jonathan Thomas comes on for his first Six Nations outing of the season for Wales, replacing lock Rob Sidoli.

72 mins: This time it is Italy who are penalised for a forward pass, Paul Griffen the culprit, while Alessandro Zanni comes on for Sergio Parisse in the Italian back row.

70 mins: Italy are penalised for having men in front of the ball, while Wales lose their own line-out as the tension rises in Cardiff. Hooker Mefin Davies comes on for the hosts.

67 mins: Another promising attack comes to nothing as referee Joel Jutge calls Wales back for a forward pass from Michael Phillips.

66 mins: Another half-break from Shane Williams ends with a knock-on from Lee Byrne as Wales are again frustrated in their attempts to break down the Italian defence.

65 mins: Wales launch another offensive but Italian flanker Maurizio Zaffiri forces Hal Luscombe to concede a penalty for holding on to the ball.

62 mins: Shane Williams jumps over a ruck to launch Wales forward but the move breaks down again as errors increasingly take hold of both sides.

59 mins: Italy concede a penalty at a scrum 40m out, and Stephen Jones brings the scores level with a confident kick.
Wales 18-18 Italy

58 mins: Italy fly-half Ramiro Pez is hobbling with a leg injury that is already strapped up, while scrum-half Paul Griffen receives treatment for a knock.

56 mins: Mirco Bergamasco makes another break through the middle as Italy grow in confidence, while Wales bring on prop Gethin Jones for Duncan Jones.

54 mins: Italy waste a good drop-goal opportunity as Cristian Stoica pulls his attempt wide.

53 mins: Wales are grateful for a knock-on by Shane Williams as Lee Byrne concedes a penalty at the resulting ruck, giving the visitors an attacking scrum instead.

51 mins: Wales bring on the in-form Alix Popham for Colin Charvis in the back row.

49 mins: Italy, who have already brought on Cristian Stoica at full-back, replace lock Santiago Dellape with Carlo Antonio Del Fava.

48 mins: Wales are penalised for not being 10m away as they chase a poor box-kick from Michael Phillips, but Ramiro Pez is unable to capitalise further as he boots his kick at goal wide.

46 mins: Bergamasco is taken out by Lee Byrne after the Italian centre kicks through, and Ramiro Pez is on target to put Italy into the lead for the first time.
Wales 15-18 Italy

44 mins: Shane Williams takes a quick tap penalty for Wales but full-back Lee Byrne knocks on after a thumping tackle from Mirco Bergamasco.

42 mins: Matthew Watkins is penalised for hanging onto Italian wing Pablo Canavasio but Ramiro Pez draws his kick wide of the posts, to the relief of the majority in the Millennium Stadium.

1429: Stephen Jones kicks off the second half.

HT: Wales 15-15 Italy

First half action:

39 mins: Some dancing feet from Shane Williams and a charge from Rob Sidoli put Wales back on the offensive, but a long pass from Matthew Watkins is intercepted by wing Pablo Canavosio, who sprints 70m to score. Ramiro Pez adds the conversion to level the scores at half-time.
Wales 15-15 Italy

35 mins: Replacement prop Martin Castrogiovanni prevents a third Wales try as he wins a turnover within yards of the Italian line, allowing the visitors to clear.

33 mins: Flanker Martyn Williams concedes a penalty at an Italian ruck in front of the Wales posts and Ramiro Pez reduces the gap to seven points with an easy kick.
Wales 15-8 Italy

31 mins: Ramiro Pez attempts to cut the deficit with a penalty but slices his long-range effort wide.

29 mins: Hal Luscombe pounces on a loose ball and kicks ahead to the Italian line, but Mirco Bergamasco recovers just in time to flick the ball away from the Wales centre's grasp.

25 mins: Italy are forced to make a change to their front row as prop Carlos Nieto is carried off with a twisted knee and replaced by Martin Castrogiovanni.

TRY 24 mins: Mike Phillips takes a quick tap penalty and Stephen Jones spins out of two tackles to force his way over. Jones adds the conversion via an upright.
Wales 15-5 Italy

22 mins: Wales appear certain to score a second try as Martyn Williams escapes to within a metre of the Italian line, but Ian Gough knocks on his pass with the line beckoning.

21 mins: Michael Phillips and Colin Charvis combine to send lock Ian Gough charging over the gain line as Wales start to find gaps int eh italian defence.

20 mins: Dwayne Peel has suffered a badly jarred shoulder, and will take no further part in the match.

TRY 15 mins: Italy make immediate amends when they exploit an overlap for full-back Ezio Galon to cross, and is adjudged to have touched the ball down just before the dead-ball line, after lengthy consideration by the TV referee. Ramiro Pez misses the conversion.
Wales 8-5 Italy

14 mins: A let-off for Wales as a superb break from Italy centre Mirco Bergamasco releases wing Pablo Canavosio for the right corner, but Hal Luscombe's tackle forces him into touch.

TRY 10 mins: A superb kick to touch from a penalty by Stephen Jones sets up a catch-and-drive line-out move. The ball is moved wide and Matthew Watkins, Hal Luscombe and Shane Williams - with the final pass - send Mark Jones over in the right corner. Jones pulls the conversion wide.
Wales 8-0 Italy

8 mins: Wales suffer a major blow as scrum-half Dwayne Peel is forced off after injuring his shoulder trying to tackle Italy full-back Ezio Galon. Michael Phillips enters the fray.

6 mins: Wales concede a free-kick at a line-out, Italy opt for a scrum but a knock-on halts their progress. Fly-half Ramiro Pez then attempts an ambitious drop-goal from long range but it falls short.

PENALTY 4 mins: Italy are penalised at the first scrummage, on their own 22, and Stephen Jones kicks Wales into an early lead.8 mins:

2 mins: A probing kick from Stephen Jones into the Italian 22 is fumbled by Italy centre Gonzalo Canale, allowing Wales to exert some early pressure.

1330: Italy fly-kick Ramiro Pez kicks off, Wales captain Michael Owen collects it, and fly-half Stephen Jones clears to touch.

1328: Welsh opera star Katherine Jenkins leads the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad fy Nhadau.

1326: The Italians belt out a rousing edition of Inno di Marmeli, their national anthem.

1324: Wales' boxing world champion Joe Calzaghe receives a rousing ovation as he brings his super middleweight world title belts onto the pitch to show an appreciative crowd.

1320: Despite plenty of rain in Cardiff this week, the roof of the Millennium Stadium has been closed and conditions are perfect as kick-off approaches.

1315 GMT: Italy are forced into a late change with hooker Fabio Ongaro going down with tonsillitis, replaced by Carlo Festuccia in the starting XV. Ongaro drops to the bench.

Wales return to the Millennium Stadium desperate to recover from the battering they took in Ireland a fortnight ago.

Caretaker coach Scott Johnson has made just one change to the starting XV, fit-again wing Shane Williams replacing Dafydd James, while Alix Popham and Nicky Robinson come onto the bench.

Italy have beaten Wales just once, in Rome in 2003, and have never won a match away from home in the championship.

Flanker Mauro Bergamasco is out injured, Maurizio Zaffiri taking over in the back row, while Ezio Galan comes in at full-back and Santiago Dellape returns to the second row.

Wales: L Byrne; M Jones, H Luscombe, M Watkins, S Williams; S Jones, D Peel; D Jones, R Thomas, A Jones, I Gough, R Sidoli, C Charvis, M Williams, M Owen (capt).
Replacements: M Davies, G Jenkins, J Thomas, A Popham, M Phillips, N Robinson, G Henson.

Italy: E Galon; P Canavosio, G Canale, Mirco Bergamasco, L Nitoglia; R Pez, P Griffen; S Perugini, C Festuccia, C Nieto, S Dellape, M Bortolami (capt), S Parisse, M Zaffiri, J Sole.
Replacements: F Ongaro, A Lo Cicero, M Castrogiovanni, C Del Fava, A Zanni, S Picone, C Stoica.

Referee: Joel Jutge (France).

Touch judges: Donal Courtney (Ireland), Robert Dickson (Scotland); TV: Eric Darriere (France).