CHRIS KIRWAN SAYS: Winning is not enough in Rome (From South Wales Argus)

CHRIS KIRWAN SAYS: Winning is not enough in Rome

9:10am Thursday 21st February 2013 in Sport

WINNING was all that mattered for Wales in Paris but the same doesn’t apply in Rome on Saturday.

After eight Test defeats on the spin Rob Howley’s side just needed to be toasting success in the Stade de France.

It was hardly the most accomplished performance but they got the job done and thanks to that there is the hope that they will play with renewed confidence and vigour this weekend.

The Welsh public want a title showdown with England. Is it just a case of just negotiating potentially tricky trips to Rome and Edinburgh and getting ready to potentially scupper a Grand Slam for Stuart Lancaster’s boys?

I’d say not. There needs to be a bit more swagger from Wales, they will stick to their physical, route one game plan but must add a bit of flair.

Hopefully that will come now that the players are buoyed by their hard-earned success in France.

The games in Italy and Scotland will be no cakewalk but, with confidence restored, a pair of grinding successes won’t quite fit the bill given the tools at Wales’ disposal.

In the moments after the game in the Stade de France the players were swift to say that win was a starting block for Wales, that there was plenty more to come.

If they can boss their next two fixtures from the off then there will be genuine belief that Wales have turned the corner following their horror autumn.