SHAUN Edwards was delighted to see Wales run amok in Rome but has warned that it would be madness to repeat the expansive approach against the big guns at the World Cup.

Sam Warburton & Co rank in eight tries against Italy with seven of their scores coming in a staggering second half.

It was their biggest win and biggest points tally against the Azzurri and the stunning scores by the captain and Scott Williams will live long in the memory.

Wales have frequently been accused of being crash ball merchants at the expense of football talent but defence coach Edwards says that pragmatism is needed on the Test scene.

"You've got to understand that when you play a game of rugby the defence controls what the attack does," said the rugby league great.

"If the defence is not very good you can attack like that but does anyone really think we can play like that against South Africa? Throw it around everywhere against them and we'd lost by 20 points."

Edwards, who expressed his frustration at the way that the

"Our fitness levels were a great advantage," he said. "Italy were trying to slow the game down at every opportunity, walking to lineouts and scrums, but we knew that they'd drop off in the second half.

"We'd like to have been more accurate in the first half but in the end we won by 40 points away from home so you can't be critical of the players in any shape or form.

"We've made positive steps (as the tournament has progressed) and we are just regretting the 40 minutes against England but it's been a really good effort to win four out of five in one of the best Six Nations for many a year.

"To have three teams having the chance of winning it on the last day is incredible and is a great advert for the competition."

Wales now finish the domestic season before the reconvene for their summer training camps and World Cup warm-ups against Ireland, home and away, and Italy.

Edwards is hopeful that they will once again reap the rewards of perfect preparation, saying: "We'd like to think we'll be on an even higher plateau.

"The World Cup is the only time that we compete on an even level with the southern hemisphere teams because they are together for four months every year.

"I don't want to tempt fate but it's tended to be the case that the longer we've been together, the better we've got. I'd like to think that will be the case this time but there are obviously no guarantees."