WALES eased into second place in the Six Nations championship after defeating Italy at the Millennium Stadium yesterday and gained the all-important bonus point.

But this was a disjointed match that a new-look Wales had threatened to race away with after they eased into a 14-point lead within 10 minutes.

Despite the early Welsh lead, a dogged Italy refused to buckle and scored a try of their own to keep the match balanced for a while.