ITALY produced a hugely impressive defensive display to claim an historic first Six Nations U20 win over Wales.

The 18-7 triumph ended a run of 20 straight defeats in the tournament, in wet and windy conditions at Colwyn Bay.

The visitors' towering pack saw them build an eight-point lead heading into the interval at Stadiwm Zip World, but an early second-half try from Tommy Rogers gave the hosts hope of bouncing back.

However, despite two yellow cards during the second half, the Italians went on to extend their lead thanks to a try from hooker Matteo Luccardi and the boot of outside-half Antonio Rizzi.

Despite enjoying long periods of possession during stages of the contest, the home side were left frustrated by some costly handling errors and the formidable defence from the away side, who have progressed significantly in recent weeks and were good value for their success.

They will need to regroup quickly as they welcome a strong French side to the Bay facility on Friday (8.15pm) as they look to get their stuttering campaign back on track.

Captain Will Jones, said: “The more leaders and talkers we can have, on the pitch and in the squad, the better.

"Italy are probably one of the most physical teams in the tournament. They like to come off the line and smash someone. We did not shut them down early and let them dictate the play which was disappointing, and it is now up to the squad to bounce back at the earliest opportunity next week.”