With the rain pouring down in Rome, it was always going to be a game decided in the close quarters, and the 24-year-old proved himself up to the task.
Cannone, who plays his club rugby for Benetton, topped Italy's rankings for carries (12), metres carried (105) and successful tackles (17), as well as joint-top for dominant tackles.
The Azzurri were forced to make 145 tackles to the visitors' 91, but with Cannone's significant contribution to the defensive effort, locked Wales out to great effect.
In a pre-match poll of asking fans to predict the winner of this match, 66% opted for the home side, and it was a result that rarely looked in doubt.
“We knew that the weather would be very rainy," said Cannone post-match, "so our job had to be to put a lot of pressure on them and make them play in their half with kicks. These were the keys to today's victory.
“Now we can celebrate a bit. We have a week of rest ahead of us but we're already looking forward to the next match. We respected our game plan, there were some ups and downs but I think the final result [says it all]. This was a great crowd at the Olimpico. We felt it from the first to the last minute."
The victory marked a significant milestone for Italy: both back-to-back wins against Wales and consecutive wins at the Stadio Olimpico for the first time ever. (It also extended Wales' losing streak to 14 matches.)
Italy's disciplined performance and strategic kicking game proved decisive in the rainy conditions, while Wales' inability to capitalise on their chances and their persistent errors ultimately cost them the match - with Cannone steering his team forwards every step of the way on his 25th appearance for his country.
