Women's Six Nations 2023: Italy 10-36 Wales - Visitors score five tries to finish third
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Wales finish third after a five-try win over Italy
TikTok Women's Six Nations: Italy v Wales |
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Italy (10) 10 |
Try: Madia Con: Sillari Pen: Sillari |
Wales (17) 36 |
Tries: Lewis, Tuipulotu, Harries, Callender, Lake Cons: Bevan 3, Snowsill Pen: Bevan |
Wales enjoyed their best Women's Six Nations in 14 years with a five-try victory over Italy in Parma that took them to an historic high of sixth in the world.
Wales needed a point to cement third place, but came away with the maximum.
Bethan Lewis, Sisilia Tuipulotu, Sioned Harries, Alex Callender and Kerin Lake crossed for Wales.
Veronica Madia scored Italy's try with Michela Sillari adding a conversion and penalty.
Wales had not won three matches in the championship since 2009, but the win also secured their place in the top tier of World Rugby's new global WXV competition along with England and France.
They will play the top three teams in the Pacific Four Series - which is made of up New Zealand, Australia, Canada and USA - in autumn 2023.
Italy had not lost to Wales since 2017, but endured a disappointing tournament with just the one victory over Ireland.
The first half was a scrappy, stop-start affair, with both sides struggling to keep hold of the ball.
Wales took a slender lead courtesy of a Keira Bevan penalty, but the visitors could not assert scrum dominance while there were wobbles in the line-out as Kelsey Jones struggled to find her target
The breakthrough came off the back of some poor discipline from Italy, which gifted Wales a five-metre driving line-out.
One of rugby's brightest new talents, Tuipulotu, again starred for the women in red and was almost through after a training ground move, but Italy coughed up another penalty which Bevan took quickly.
She was chopped down short of the line, but Lewis was there in support to crash over.
Bevan's conversion bounced through off the posts.
Italy hit back straight from the re-start, the Azzure exposing Wales' vulnerability out wide.
Hannah Jones did well to chop down powerful number eight Giada Franco, but there was to be no stopping Madia, who spotted a gap on the blind-side.
Sillari added the conversion, and soon brought Italy back level with a penalty.
Italy were almost in for a second, Beatrice Rigoni fell to the ground after chasing a grubber kick which brought the actions of Lisa Neumann under the spotlight.
Referee Joy Neville had a look at the replay, and found no foul play from the wing.
Wales finished the half on a high, and their forwards once again impressed as they rumbled to the line before Tuipulotu powered over for her fourth try of the campaign.
Bevan added the extras before both sides headed down the tunnel.
Women's Six Nations: Snowsill praises 'best of rest' Wales as they secure third
The second half was equally error-strewn, but no less entertaining as Italy seemed to thrive in open play.
But Wales came out the stronger and took their chance, and it once again came from a close-range line-out drive.
Jones made no mistake in finding Georgia Evans with the ball fed back to Sioned Harries who was driven over the line.
Bevan was again on target from the tee as Wales extended their lead.
The 3,213 crowd rose to their feet as Italy's captain and scrum-half Sara Barattin left the field, marking the end of an incredible 17-year international career.
But they were silenced moments later when player of the match Callender fittingly scored the try of the game.
The pacey flanker shot through a gap in the midfield before exchanging passes with Carys Williams-Morris to score her second of the campaign.
With the bonus-point and third-place wrapped up, Wales continued to assert their dominance.
They were in for a fifth with returning centre Lake latching onto a ball from Ffion Lewis to put the game to bed.
Elinor Snowsill added the conversion to round off a much-improved second half performance and the end of their campaign.
It proved a fitting send off for Wales prop Caryl Thomas, who like Barattin signed off her 17-year international career in style.
Wales head coach Ioan Cunningham said: "It was a great game, credit to Italy, they threw everything at us.
"I am so proud of our team, how they managed that arm wrestle and came out the other side.
"It was always going to be a challenge, but I think we have shown growth and development to come out here and get those five tries."
"I'm very pleased, [scoring more tries] was one target that we wanted to do after the World Cup.
"We have grown as a group and evolved our game, the challenge now is to compete with England and France for 60, 70, 80 minutes."
Italy: Vitorria Ostuni Minuzzi; Aura Muzzo, Michela Sillari, Beatrice Rigoni, Alyssa D'Inca; Veronica Madia, Sara Barattin (capt); Gaia Maris, Vittoria Vecchini, Lucia Gai, Valeria Fedrighi, Giordana Duca, Sara Tounesi, Isabella Locatelli, Giada Franco.
Replacements: Emanuela Stecca, Alice Cassaghi, Alessia Pilani, Laura Gurioli, Alissa Ranuccini, Sofia Stefan, Emma Stevanin, Beatrice Capomaggi.
Wales: Courtney Keight; Lisa Neumann, Hannah Jones (capt), Lleucu George, Carys Williams- Morris; Elinor Snowsill, Keira Bevan; Gwenllian Pyrs, Kelsey Jones, Sisilia Tuipulotu, Abbie Fleming, Georgia Evans, Bethan Lewis, Alex Callender, Sioned Harries.
Replacements: Carys Phillips, Caryl Thomas, Cerys Hale, Bryonie King, Kate Williams, Ffion Lewis, Kerin Lake, Amelia Tutt.
Match officials
Referee: Joy Neville (IRFU)
Assistants: Aurélie Groizeleau (FFR), Mary Pringle (SRU)
TMO: Ben Blain (SRU)