Italy captain Marco Bortolami believes his side's dramatic 23-20 Six Nations win over Wales was just reward for their determination to prove themselves as a real force in world rugby.
Mauro Bergamasco's late try secured victory as Italy recorded an unprecedented second win in a Six Nations campaign and left Wales, Grand Slam winners two years ago, reflecting on a fourth straight defeat and the possibility of ending up with the wooden spoon.
"It's been a beautiful year and all the hard work we have put in is now paying off," Bortolami said. "We will enjoy this moment, but we won't get carried away. We have a young squad and these victories have been an important part of our development. We want to go forward from here and there's room for improvement, but the performances have been very encouraging."
The match ended in controversy after Wales declined an opportunity to kick what could have been a score-leveling penalty when they were told by referee Chris White that there were still 10 seconds left to play.
Instead they went for touch, hoping to win the game from there, but White blew the final whistle before play could resume.
Welsh winger Shane Williams, who scored one of his team's two tries, was dumbfounded by the decision.
"We asked the referee how long was left and he said 10 seconds, and we told him we were kicking to touch. He said OK," said Williams. "You can tell by our faces that we are gutted, but we can't complain -- that's rugby, Italy played really well."
Wales coach Gareth Jenkins insisted his team were desperate to bounce back in their final match next Saturday at home to world champions England.
"We could end up bottom of the group, but we shouldn't despair," he said. "There is good rugby in us."
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