In four games' time this match will be seen as either the invaluable loosener that all champion teams should be allowed as their campaign heaves under way or the day the former champions showed their first signs of wobbling. Wales never looked in serious danger of losing but an Italy side populated overwhelmingly by players from clubs whose form is woeful yet again rose to the occasion in the Six Nations.

If they keep doing it, they will soon record only their second away win in the championship. This would be handy because this was their first of three away fixtures this year. For Wales the next date is an away fixture, too. In view of the pyrotechnics in recent fixtures between the two, Ireland-Wales in Dublin on Saturday is one of the more eagerly awaited of this year's events.

"Ireland will bring a different challenge," George North said. "Of late there have been some great games between us. I think we were structurally OK. We were in the right places at the right times; we just weren't as clinical as we were hoping to be. Our last two games against Ireland have been quite special. Notoriously last year we didn't start so well but we came out stronger in the second half. We need to tighten up our game and make sure we're the best we can be on Saturday."

This Wales-as-slow-starters theory was being bandied a lot on Saturday, by those in the Wales camp as much as by those observing them, just as it has been throughout the build-up to this year's championship. It is not entirely clear on what the theory is based other than that spectacular Irish onslaught they had to endure for the first 50 minutes of last season's opener. You might just as easily point to Wales's grand-slam campaign the year before, when they played by far their best rugby in their first game, again against Ireland.

That was when any suspicions that North was something special were confirmed. "Hopefully, we can do that again," he said of a famous win. "We've got two teams playing a similar amount of rugby – the firepower and the flair. It's going to be a good game."

North had his moments against Italy, although he was not above the usual complaint that he should have involved himself more. His opposite number, Angelo Esposito, on debut, had a horrific opening 10 minutes, in which he missed a bobbling ball to let in Alex Cuthbert for the first try in the fourth minute, then had to watch – and chase hard – as North galloped away from him a few minutes later.

The 20-year-old Esposito rode out the storm and grew into the game, much as Italy did. It is to his credit that he saw out the game "I told him in his regional dialect: 'Unlucky, but no worries!'" said Sergio Parisse, Esposito's captain, who had another superb game. "As a captain I am very proud of what the youngsters achieved. There were many expectations on them. They were facing some of the most talented backs on the international stage but they showed that they could compete at this level."

That they did, with Michele Campagnaro and Leonardo Sarto excelling on their Six Nations debuts. Campagnaro scored two tries in the second half, the second of which brought Italy to within five points with 10 minutes to play. There was more than enough life in their attacking play to suggest that these youngsters may yet take Italy into a new era. The veterans of their back division were Alberto Sgarbi and Luke McLean, 27 and 26 respectively. Campagnaro is 20 and Sarto 22. If there was a caveat, it was that Tommaso Allan did not quite convince as the answer to Italy's perennial problem at fly-half. Then again he is 20, so deserves time.

Both camps emerged from this relatively happy with where they think they are. More on where they actually are will be forthcoming next weekend. Italy travel to Paris on Sunday. There is no need to recap on where Wales are going the day before.

Wales Halfpenny; Cuthbert, S Williams, Roberts, North; Priestland, Phillips (Webb 68); James (Bevington 79), Hibbard (Owens 68), A Jones (R Jones 65), Charteris (Coombs 58), AW Jones, Lydiate (Warburton 65), Tipuric, Faletau.

Tries Cuthbert, S Williams. Cons Halfpenny 2. Pens Halfpenny 3.

Italy McLean; Esposito, Campagnaro, Sgarbi, Sarto (Iannone 77); Allan, Gori (Botes 66); Rizzo (De Marchi 56), Ghiraldini (Giazzon 58), Castrogiovanni (Cittadini 69), Geldenhuys, Bortolami (Furno 69), Zanni, Bergamasco (Minto 58), Parisse.

Tries Campagnaro 2. Con Allan. Pen Allan.

Referee John Lacey (Ireland). Attendance 66,974.