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Warren Gatland insists it’s business as usual for him as Wales continue to lose and fall further down the world rankings. Some coaches may have read the room and offered to resign after a 14th successive defeat led to a further drop in the rankings to 12th, a record low. But despite a deserved 22-15 defeat to Italy in Rome, Gatland was again talking about “working hard” and “staying tight” - just as he has been doing for almost 500 days since he last won a game of rugby.

Omer Riza praised Rubin Colwill after Cardiff City banished the ghost of FA Cups past with a 4-2 win over Stoke to reach the fifth round for the first time in 11 years. Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath and midfielder Colwill were the heroes after an enthralling cup tie, which ended 3-3 after 120 minutes. The Bluebirds made it fourth time lucky at the bet365 Stadium as they finally got one over the Potters in the competition.

First the good news – Wales are chasing a ninth consecutive win in Rome and Italy have only once made it back-to-back home wins in the Six Nations. Then comes the bad news.

Omer Riza insists Cardiff City will give the FA Cup their full respect and attention when they visit Stoke City on Saturday. The Bluebirds manager is unlikely to be judged on the length of any Cup run when owner Vincent Tan makes a call at the end of the season as to whether Riza stays in charge or not.

Wales face Italy in Rome this weekend - looking for their first win after a difficult start to the Guinness Six Nations Championship. The match at Stadio Olimpico will be important for both teams, as Italy will be aiming to win back-to-back matches against Wales for the first time in their history.

Warren Gatland is banking on Taulupe’s 100+ cap experience providing his young Welsh side with a real boost in confidence as they seek to beat Italy in Rome in Round 2 of the Guinness Six Nations championship. The 34-year-old Cardiff Rugby No 8 has returned from his latest injury misery to pick up his 105th cap at Stadio Olimpico at the weekend in a vital clash for both nations.

America, and viewers across the world, will gather for the Super Bowl on Sunday. Twm Owen looks back 50 years to when an American Football game was the biggest show in one Welsh town. You would expect the history of American football in Wales to start in the 1980s when William ‘the Refrigerator’ Perry of the Chicago Bears became a household name and amateurs from Cardiff to Swansea and Caernarfon to Prestatyn took to the gridiron.

Taulupe Faletau will play his first game for Wales since the 2023 Rugby World Cup after being named on Thursday in the starting line up for their vital Six Nations clash with Italy in Rome on Saturday. In a boost for beleaguered Wales coach Warren Gatland, Faletau's selection is one of two changes to the side that was heavily beaten in Paris last Friday in the opening game of this year’s tournament. Wales are on a run of 13 defeats and were they to extend that beyond this weekend, it would make Gatland’s position begin to look untenable as well as see the side slip below Georgia to 12th in the world rankings.

There are some words in sport that can really hurt. One of them was uttered by a French rugby pundit last Friday night, moments after Wales had succumbed to a 43-0 defeat in their opening Six Nations match against France.

Welsh golfer Darcey Harry starts her professional career on the Ladies European Tour this week – with the AIG Women’s Open in Wales as her number one target for the season. The event will be at her home club, Royal Porthcawl, at the end of July, and will be the biggest female sporting event ever held in Wales with the world’s top stars descending on the South Wales coast for the first men’s or women’s Major held in Wales.