Six Nations: Relieved Jamie Roberts aiming to repay faith

Wales midfield giant Jamie Roberts has admitted that Scott Williams’ try-scoring heroics at Twickenham left him feeling “very nervous” about his chances of facing Italy today.

Roberts has overcome a knee injury and lines up in an unchanged back division as Wales aim to close in on the RBS Six Nations title and Grand Slam. It will be the Cardiff Blues centre’s 43rd cap, but despite his proven Test match pedigree he endured an anxious time until coach Warren Gatland named the team.

“Scott’s try at Twickenham was something pretty special. His all-round game was very good, and from a selection point of view I am massively pleased to get the nod this week,” 6ft 4in Roberts said. “I know I am one game away from being dropped. With Scott playing well, it puts added pressure on myself and Jon [Davies]. It is as simple as that, and I know I have to repay the faith Warren has shown in me, otherwise I won’t be playing next week.

“Playing for Wales is never a given, and I was probably more nervous before this week than I ever have been in my career. I was very nervous before team selection. That selection, that pressure for positions is certainly driving everyone on, and you need it in a successful squad.”

Wales already have the Triple Crown in their trophy cabinet, with victories at home to Italy and France next Saturday guaranteeing a second Six Nations title and Grand Slam of Gatland’s four-year reign. And if they end up sweeping the board, Roberts will hope he can celebrate a little differently than he managed after Twickenham.

He was forced off injured at half-time, being replaced by Williams, and immediately started a race against time to recover for Italy’s Millennium Stadium visit. “I had to go straight back to Cardiff with the physio Mark Davies after the game and missed the celebrations, unfortunately,” Roberts added. “It was kind of a bitter-sweet feeling to win the Triple Crown and then not to be there on the night to celebrate. I was just gutted I missed the night with the boys. I celebrated, to be honest, by having a bag of crisps on my sofa and watching TV.”

Gatland will send out the same back-line for a fourth successive Six Nations match, hoping it can continue in the attacking vein that has yielded all seven of Wales’ tournament tries so far. And given that Italy have conceded almost 40 points a time on their previous Six Nations trips to Cardiff, Roberts and company could conceivably wreak havoc. “If we can get it right, it is a very dangerous back-line to stop,” Roberts said.