try-scoring record as Wales signed off their RBS Six Nations campaign with a 44-10 win over Italy in Cardiff.
Gareth Thomas broke the Welsh all-time try-scoring record as Wales signed off their RBS Six Nations campaign and the coaching era of Steve Hansen by thrashing Italy 44-10 in Cardiff
Hansen's last match before returning home to New Zealand to join the All Blacks coaching staff was also statistically his biggest win over a major nation.
Thomas broke Ieuan Evans' try-scoring record with his 34th try in a match lit up by the skills of man of the match Iestyn Harris who helped wings Rhys and Shane Williams each score two tries.
The self-effacing Hansen was keen to deflect any praise to his team. "It's not about one person, it's about the whole and we've been a pretty tight group over the last couple of years," he said.
"They (Italy) are in a similar boat to us. They beat us last year and so it was important for us."
Hansen reiterated that he was returning to New Zealand to be with his teenage daughters after a reign in Wales which has left observers divided about the health of the team he leaves behind. "It's for family reasons that I'm going home, it's for no other reason and I knew the job I had to do when I came here and I think I've done it."
Harris paid tribute to the coach. "Steve has done a lot for us over the last couple of years and we really wanted to send him off with a good win and we needed it ourselves as well. But it's nice for us to get a win under his belt in his last game."
Wales were led on to the Millennium Stadium turf by Gareth Llewellyn who was winning his 87th cap, equalling Neil Jenkins' Wales caps record and they were soon in front.
Gareth Cooper's winding run earned a Welsh penalty in front of the posts and flyhalf Stephen Jones's kick was good for the game's first points.
Jones put the Welsh 6-0 up five minutes later after good work from Dafydd Jones.
After Stephen Jones had pulled another kick wide, Wales began to open up the field with good passing but the move broke down when Robin McBryde's pass went forward.
Wales scored the first try of the game when they switched possession around before Harris found Shane Williams with a long pass and Williams ignored two teammates but just managed to get the ball down despite the attentions of three Italian players. Jones missed the conversion.
The red shirts were camped virtually permanently on the Italian goalline and it was inevitable that Wales would score their second try which came when Gareth Cooper and Gareth Thomas combined to allow Rhys Williams to go over in the corner, but again Jones spurned the conversion.
Mark Taylor should have notched up Wales' third try but had the ball knocked out of his hands by Gonzalo Canale's tackle. Just after the second half began, Italy got on the scoreboard when Rhys Williams was penalised, allowing Roland de Marigny to stroke the ball through the posts. De Marigny was wide with another attempt within minutes and Jones and the Italian kicker exchanged misses.
With half an hour remaining, Thomas broke Ieuan Evans' Welsh try-scoring record with his 34th try and Jones finally made a conversion.
Fresh from his introduction from the bench, Tom Shanklin picked up a pass to sprint over for another try.
Then against the run of play, Andrea Masi crossed for only Italy's second try in this season's RBS Six Nations.
The tries began to tumble in for the Welsh, with Shane Williams crossing after some impressive backline play and Jones took the extra points. Rhys Williams scored another Welsh try and made it 44-10 after Michael Owen threw an american football-style pass to stretch a move to the right wing.
AFP - 2004.