Lee Byrne scored a try in each half while Shane Williams scored his 38th and 39th Test tries to move within one of Gareth Thomas’ Wales record.

Fly-half Stephen Jones supplemented it all with 18 points from a faultless kicking display.

Wales only led 13-8 at the interval but the turnaround was sparked by Tom Shanklin’s intercept try just after the restart.

Italy, who had troubled Wales early on and scored through Martin Castrogiovanni, then crumbled.

The Azzurri were typically physical in the opening exchanges but two careless errors allowed Wales to open a 6-0 lead.

Jones had to dust himself down to slot the first penalty, conceded at the breakdown by Santiago Dellape, after collecting a knee in the head from Italian lock Carlo Del Fava.

Andrea Masi attempted a crazy chip inside his own 22 and when Gavin Henson gathered it, Mauro Bergamasco and Andrea Masi dived over the top and conceded the penalty, which Jones gratefully accepted.

Then it was Wales’ turn to gift points away. Matthew Rees had already lost one lineout when, just five metres from his own line, the hooker missed jumper Ian Gough and Italian prop Castrogiovanni powered over for the try. Marcato’s conversion attempt hit the post.

Italy winger Ezio Galon then  sliced through the Welsh defence with a great angled run into the 22 and when he spun the pass to Gonzalo Canale the centre only had to catch the ball to score - but he dropped it.

Wales were bossing the possession stats and finally managed to make it pay. Williams beat one man and then offloaded to Rees, who charged through one tackle but was stopped short of the line.

When Italy were penalised for offside, Williams took the quick tap and the ball was spread wide from Gavin Henson to Byrne who scored in the corner.

Jones landed a magnificent conversion from the right touchline to open Wales a 13-5 lead.

Marcato’s long-range penalty hit the post but the Azzurri kept the pressure on and, as the clock ticked into injury time, Wales conceded a penalty which Marcato landed to close the deficit to five points.

Wales were were gifted the ideal start to the second period when Masi attempted a long miss-pass which Shanklin picked off and sprinted 40 metres to score under the posts.

The Italians conceded two more penalties in quick succession, which Jones converted, as Wales pulled clear.

To make matters worse for the Azzurri, Mirco Bergamasco was sin-binned after referee Dave Pearson lost patience with Italy’s constant infringing.

And it proved costly as Wales notched up 10 points in his absence. Jones burst into a gap and delivered a perfectly-delayed pass for Williams to scamper down the right touchline and score.

Byrne capped a man-of-the-match performance with his second try. He burst through Canale’s attempted tackle and sprinted home from inside his own half. James Hook, on for Jones, slotted the conversion.

Wales surged forward in waves. Sonny Parker, Henson’s replacement, sent Williams away and the diminutive winger danced around a handful of Italian defenders to score again and Hook converted.