RBS SIX NATIONS: Wales v Italy
Venue: Millennium Stadium Date: Saturday, 20 March Kick-off: 1430 GMT
Coverage: Watch on BBC One, BBC HD channel, Red Button and BBC Sport website; full commentary on BBC Radio 5 live, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru; live text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles

Jones provided all of Wales' 12 points in Dublin last weekend

Fly-half Stephen Jones is hoping the return of three experienced stars can spark Wales to a much-needed victory over Italy on Saturday.

Wales have skipper Ryan Jones, prop Gethin Jenkins and scrum-half Mike Phillips all back from injury.

"It's fantastic to have three players of that quality coming back into the team," insisted Jones.

"They're obviously great players, got a wealth of experience and are good leaders as well.

"They're all comfortable with our style of play that the coaches want us to play because they've been involved with Warren [Gatland] from the start so they'll be looking forward to Saturday in a big way."

Jones will link up with Phillips at half-back for the first time in a Wales jersey for 12 months - his fourth scrum-half partner of the Championship.

And he is looking forward to playing with the 27-year-old, who was his Lions partner against South Africa last summer.

"I think we all know Mike's strengths," said Jones. "He's very physical, he takes on defences, he's got good service and is good athlete. Mike's certainly got his unique way of playing the game.

"We know what a threat Mike is around the fringes. He does challenge defences and we've got to make sure that if Mike is drawing people to him that there's space elsewhere and it's up to us then to find that space."

But while Wales bring back three experienced players, they have dropped 95-times capped flanker Martyn Williams and replaced him with Sam Warburton.

We just have to play smart, back ourselves, use our rugby ability and try to play with width and tempo Stephen Jones

"We all know how good Martyn is. He is a fantastic player. He's a good footballer. He's got great skills, he's a good link man. Sam is more of a modern-day number seven in the fact he fights the contact and is a strong athlete."

Jones will be hoping the new-look Wales side learn from their mistakes in the 27-12 defeat to Ireland last week and grab what the Scarlets number 10 is calling a 'must-win' game.

Reflecting on the Ireland reversal Jones said: "It's tough. It's as simple as that. We weren't clever and we weren't good on Saturday against Ireland.

"Yes, their defence was good, they managed to slow the ball down and they flooded their front line, but just from our attacking perspective we needed more variety, and hindsight we'd had done things differently.

"Saturday's defeat hurt against Ireland because in the previous games we've lost we've been there about and pretty much lost the games from our mistakes. That wasn't the case on Saturday.

"They were clinical weren't they, they took their opportunities and they boxed clever. Okay, we had a lot of possession, but what quality did we have? How did we use the possession?

"There are variables there, but we're bitterly disappointed, we can't hide from that fact. We've got a game now on Saturday and it's a must win game, it's as simple as that.

606: DEBATE What do you think of Stephen Jones' assessment?

"[Italy are] very physical. [They have] a good set piece and good centres who run very direct and very aggressively so we've got to make sure that we're defensively well organised.

"We just have to play smart, back ourselves, use our rugby ability and try to play with width and tempo.

"I say this every week, but we have to get our game-breakers into the game and have a variety in the way we play.

"After the disappointment of Ireland we must front up and we must be successful on Saturday."

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