Italians face injury blows amid rumours of unrest

Italy suffered a cruel double setback yesterday when their fly-half Diego Dominguez and veteran winger Paolo Vaccari both pulled out of Saturday's Six Nations match against Wales in Cardiff.

Dominguez, the second highest points scorer in test rugby history with 946, behind Wales' Neil Jenkins (1,070), took a knock playing for Stade Français against Dax at the weekend and a subsequent scan ruled him out.

By an odd quirk Dominguez, who has 69 caps, was rumoured to be the ringleader of an alleged mutiny recently to depose the coach Brad Johnstone, under whose guidance Italy have won just one of their 12 Six Nations games to date, but yesterday the grizzled New Zealander was confirmed in his job until the end of the current tournament in April.

Dominguez, who has scored all Italy's 24 points this season, is likely to be replaced by Rotherham's Ramiro Pez or Andrea Scanavacca. Johnstone has also lost the Sicilian loose forward Salvatore Garozzo.

No such problems for Wales' caretaker coach Steve Hansen – another whose position will be reviewed after the present campaign and who needs a couple of victories to be in with a chance of being offered the job on a more permanent basis. Hansen, though, was able to recall a couple of key players, Llanelli's lock Chris Wyatt, who missed the defeat against France because he was suffering from an ankle injury, and Iestyn Thomas, who has recovered from a broken toe picked up during the Test against Tonga at the Millennium Stadium last November.

However, other than these two, Hansen has stuck to the tried and tested. "I was not looking to go outside the squad for this match," he said. "That would be too much like a knee jerk reaction.

"But Chris Wyatt is in fine fettle and he has been working hard. Iestyn Thomas has been playing good football and deserves his place in the squad. It is tough on Duncan Jones, but Spencer John covers both sides of the front row and we need someone who can do that."