Wales claim their opening try.

By Ian Gordon, PA Sport

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Wales gave departing coach Steve Hansen the perfect send-off with a six-try destruction of Italy in their RBS Six Nations finale in Cardiff on Saturday.

Full-back Gareth Thomas ensured his place in Welsh sporting folklore with his 34th try, breaking the record he shared with wing Ieuan Evans.

The Williams double act of Shane and Rhys worked their wing magic with a brace of tries apiece while replacement Tom Shanklin added the other as Wales avenged last year's shock defeat in Rome.

The victory ensured Wales finished fourth in the championship and allowed Hansen, returning to New Zealand to take up a coaching post with the All Blacks, to end his two-year reign in perfect style.

Hansen was cheered at the end by the 70,000 crowd at he took a bow at the Millennium Stadium, although his stay in Wales has not always been so warmly applauded.

Wales did not have to reach the heights they achieved before wilting against England last weekend before seeing off Italy and giving Hansen only his third win in 14 attempts in the championship.

Two of those have come against the Italians - the other against a poor Scotland this year - but Hansen is confident his long-term plan has established a platform on which successor Mike Ruddock can build.

And with a tad more patience and precision Wales could have sent Hansen back home on the back of an even-more convincing scoreline such was their overwhelming superiority.

Italy had arrived in Cardiff confident of scoring their first-ever away victory in the Six Nations with only the home wins of Scotland and Wales to their credit.

But although they predictably contested well up front, as an attacking force coach John Kirwan's men were as lively as a week-old cappuccino apart from centre Andrea Masi's second-half try.

The Welsh game plan was obvious from the opening minutes as they attempted to stretch the Italian defence wide at every opportunity.

But all they had to show for 25 minutes of almost total domination was two penalties from outside-half Stephen Jones before the Williams duo got to work in a devastating five-minute spell.

It was right-wing Rhys who began the rout with a 45-metre burst after taking a short pass from Iestyn Harris.

The Cardiff flier was hauled down just metres from the line by Italian full-back Gonzalo Canale but it was left-wing Shane who finished the move off.

Williams broke through two tackles and although a couple of Italians tried to smother him on the line he stretched out his right arm to grab his 14th try, although it took video referee Gregg Davies to confirm it.

The Italians were still reeling when scrum-half Gareth Cooper and full-back Gareth Thomas combined to send Rhys bursting down the right touchline.

This time the last tackle was half-hearted and the Cardiff player was able to take his Welsh try tally into double figures.

Wales should have had a third try before the interval but this time Davies rightly ruled out Mark Taylor's effort as the centre clearly lost control of the ball as he attempted to ground it.

The only disappointed Welshman in the crowd must have been the suitor whose embarrassed girlfriend refused to positively answer his very public half-time marriage proposal.

Outside-half Roland de Marigny finally opened Italy's account after the break with a penalty but it only brought an historic response from Wales.

Thomas timed his entry into the line to perfection to burst over from 25m with a couple of Italians desperately hanging onto him.

It gave him the record try count for a Welshman of 34 having only equalled the mark against England. He celebrated with his trademark 'Ayatollah' gesture.

Then Shanklin, unlucky to miss out on a starting place to Harris, rounded off a slick and stunning move just moments after replacing the Cardiff player to grab his sixth try for his country.

Masi somehow finally breached the Welsh line but any hopes of keeping the scoreline respectable were ended as Wales replied in stunning fashion as they took advantage of the tiring visitors.

Those Williams wings rounded off excellent attacking moves to complete their try doubles for the afternoon. Jones kicked all four second-half tries to finish with 14 points as Wales ended the campaign - and Hansen's reign - in emphatic fashion.

Teams

Wales: G. Thomas, R. Williams, Taylor, Harris, S. Williams, S. Jones, Cooper, D. Jones, McBryde, Jenkins, Llewellyn, Owen, Charvis, M. Williams, D. Jones.

Replacements: Shanklin for Harris (59), Sweeney for S. Jones (74), Peel for Cooper (75), B. Evans for D. Jones (79), Davies for McBryde (74), Popham for Owen (78), Sidoli for D. Jones (79).

Tries: S. Williams 2, R. Williams 2, G. Thomas, Shanklin.

Cons: S. Jones 4.

Pens: S. Jones 2.

Italy: Canale, Mazzucato, Masi, Stoica, D. Dallan, De Marigny, Griffen, Lo Cicero, Ongaro, Castrogiovanni, Dellape, Del Fava, Bortolami, Persico, De Rossi.

Replacements: Bergamasco for Mazzucato (66), Picone for Masi (75), Wakarua for D. Dallan (52), Perugini for Castrogiovanni (59), Mandelli for Del Fava (59), Orlando for Persico (12).

Tries: Masi.

Cons: Wakarua.

Pens: De Marigny.

Not Used: Festuccia.

Att: 72,500

Ref: Mark Lawrence (South Africa).