Italians leave criticism of their Six Nations status to people 'in better-paid positions' 

Wales coach Pivac admits: It's a bitter pill to swallow for everybody, but we have to learn from this

Ange Capuozzo of Italy celebrates with fans after the game

HEAD coach Kieran Crowley said Italy had shut out noise over their Guinness Six Nations future after ending a 36-game losing streak in the tournament against Wales.

With Italy not having registered a Six Nations victory since beating Scotland at Murrayfield in 2015, their place had been questioned at length with many observers calling from promotion and relegation in the tournament and insisting Georgia would be more competitive than the Azzurri.

But those voices might be quieter from now on as Italy produced a tremendous performance - and a last-gasp winning try from winger Edoardo Padovani - to beat Wales 22-21 for a first-ever victory in Cardiff.

On the debate over Italy's Six Nations status, head coach Crowley said: "We don't listen to that noise. That's for people in better-paid positions to decide.

"We just concentrate on us playing. Probably a lot of it (criticism) might be justified with 36 games in a row, but you guys can't say that now.

"That's the pleasing thing for us. We haven't worried about anything else."

Italy led 12-7 at the break as the boots of Paolo Garbisi and Padovani rewarded a front-foot performance. But Wales scored three tries, with Josh Adams' effort 12 minutes from time handing them a 25-21 lead, and the reigning Six Nations champions looked as if they would scrape home.

But then Toulouse-bound full-back Ange Capuozzo left Welsh defenders trailing in his wake with a touchline burst, and he fed Padovani for a score which Garbisi converted to spark wild Italian celebrations.

Crowley said: "I'm just so proud of the boys. We were under a little bit of duress during the week. We had a bit of sickness, a flu bug, and we were struggling towards the end. They were out on their feet in the last 30 minutes but we just dug in.

"The positive thing about it is they kept playing and kept believing. The defence was outstanding. We must get better at our discipline and the players have really bought into that and made an improvement in that area.

"If we want to become a top team we must do this sort of thing. A result like this gives us the confidence what we are doing is working. Players have got confidence and belief and what we do.

"We've got to build on this now because one win does not make a team."

Wayne Pivac criticised Wales' "unacceptable performance" as his side finish the 2022 tournament down in fifth place, with their only victory coming against Scotland.

"It's very disappointing," said a clearly shell-shocked Pivac. "Lots has happened since last year, that's been well-documented. We came with a goal of giving ourselves an opportunity to finish third, which would have been a superb effort by the boys.

"After round one (when Wales were beaten 29-7 by Ireland in Dublin) we were building each week. But this was an unacceptable performance, which we must not let happen again.

"We had three good performances in this competition and two we weren't proud of. So it wasn't the complete competition. We'll get criticism from it - and rightly so."

Pivac had made seven changes to the side which had pushed France all the way in Cardiff eight days earlier.

That had led to claims of arrogance and underestimating Italy in some quarters and, on a day when the returning Alun Wyn Jones won his 150th cap and Dan Biggar became the seventh Welshman to win his 100th, Pivac's men floundered in the Principality Stadium.

Pivac skirted around Biggar's post-match assertion in a television interview that this was "probably the last chance for a lot of players", preferring instead to focus on the summer test awaiting in South Africa and the 2023 World Cup in France 18 months from now.

"Nothing changes in terms of where we are at and what we're working towards," Pivac said.

"Obviously that was not part of the plan to lose this game, but we'll review this game as a coaching group and see why we didn't have the energy and urgency that the Italians came with.

"If we go to the World Cup and get to the quarter-final, and onto the semi-final, everyone will be very happy.

"We're not going to lose focus in terms of what the big goal and the big picture is. It's a bitter pill to swallow for everybody, but we have to learn from this.

"I'm hoping we take a step forward in the summer against the world champions in their backyard, which is going to be a big ask, with an idea of how far we are from them just over 12 months out from the World Cup."

The only previous time Italy had avoided defeat in Cardiff was an 18-18 draw in 2006.

Wales' two previous defeats to Italy had come in Rome, in 2003 and 2007, and Pivac felt the officials played a part in an ignominious third at home.

Replacement prop Wyn Jones thought he scored a second-half try, but the officials were unconvinced he had grounded the ball under the posts.

Pivac said: "It's in the wording, isn't it? On field no-try. I thought it looked as if he got across the line.

"He's a big man and the ball's underneath him, so if it didn't touch a blade of grass I'd be very surprised.

"When you ask an inexperienced TMO (television match official) to have a look at it, but it's onfield no try, her decision was no try. But we have to be better to get across the line."