Wales host Italy to avoid third straight Six Nations Wooden Spoon
Wales welcome Italy to Cardiff Arms Park on Sunday in desperate search of their first victory of the Women’s Six Nations campaign to avoid a third consecutive Wooden Spoon.
Despite demonstrating remarkable resilience against the tournament’s heavyweights, Sean Lynn’s team have yet to register a win this season.
The hosts currently sit at the bottom of the table and face serious pressure to salvage pride in front of a passionate home crowd.
Conversely, their opponents arrive in the Welsh capital buoyed by a championship victory already safely secured.
The Azzurri recently became the first team in nearly a decade to cross the whitewash five times against England, injecting immense confidence into their ranks.
Record finish in sight for the visitors
A triumph in Cardiff could see the touring side claim third place overall, marking their most successful championship finish in seven years.
However, that historic placement also relies on Ireland failing to defeat Scotland in Dublin earlier on Super Sunday.
Later in the afternoon, England and France will bring the curtain down on the tournament when they contest a winner-takes-all clash for the Grand Slam in Bordeaux.
Singleton returns as Fedrighi bows out
The home side have made just one alteration to their starting XV, with winger Seren Singleton preferred to Hannah Dallavalle.
The returning back made her debut against Scotland in the opening round and featured against both France and England before missing the clash with Ireland.
Meanwhile, the Italian management have opted for four starting changes to their lineup for this crucial encounter.
Francesca Granzotto gets the nod out wide, while Gaia Maris reclaims her familiar spot in the front row.
The fixture will be a highly emotional occasion for Valeria Fedrighi, who is retiring from international rugby following an illustrious career.
The veteran lock steps away from the sport having amassed 72 caps across 10 Six Nations campaigns and three World Cups.
Coaches demand physicality and focus
The Welsh head coach emphasised the need for a complete performance to end a difficult campaign on a positive note.
“We have made real strides with our performance in each game and we know we have to do that again in the final game.”
Lynn acknowledged that while progress is evident, his squad must maintain unbroken concentration for the entire contest.
“We know we have moved the dial with our performances, but we have to be an 80-minute team at Test match level.”
In the opposition camp, Alessandra Frangipani expects a gruelling forward battle against a robust home pack.
“It won’t be an easy challenge because we know Wales are a very intense team, especially in the set-pieces like the scrum, lineout, and drive, where they know how to put opponents under significant pressure.”
The Italian lock remains highly confident that the visitors can handle the anticipated physical onslaught.
“We certainly expect a very physical game, especially up front, but we have all the cards in hand to try and put them in difficulty.”