Wales salvage pride with victory over Italy

Lleucu George, Carys Phillips and Alisha Butchers celebrate victory

Women's Six Nations: Wales v Italy

Wales (5) 22

Tries: Phillips, Pyrs, Tuipulotu Cons: Bevan, George Pen: Bevan

Italy (10) 20

Tries: Minuzzi, Granzotto, Stevanin Con: Rigoni Pen: Rigoni

Wales edged a dramatic contest against Italy to salvage some pride from their Women's Six Nations campaign.

Sisilia Tuipulotu crossed to level the scores in the dying minutes, with Lleucu George slotting over the winning kick.

Wales’ other front-rowers, Carys Phillips and Gwenllian Pyrs, were also on the scoresheet in a performance of grit and determination at Principality Stadium.

But it was not enough to avoid finishing bottom of the table.

Italy scored through Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi, Francesca Granzotto and Emma Stevanin.

Record crowd

Wales had not beaten Italy at home since 2012, but here they did so in front of a record home crowd of 10,592.

They asserted early scrum dominance and won a penalty which was kicked to the corner by George.

The five-metre driving line-out was well defended, but Wales kept asking questions with a series of pick-and-gos.

Tuipulotu came within inches of scoring; the ball was then recycled out to Abbie Fleming who was stripped of the ball by Beatrice Rigoni as she reached for the line.

It was a spell of play which summed up Wales’ campaign as they again left their opposition’s 22 empty-handed.

Italy then had a sniff of Wales’ tryline, but it was the hosts’ turn to celebrate their defensive effort as they launched another attack, sparked by Phillips’ superb charge down the line.

Another Wales line-out came on the five-metre line and this time Phillips threw a short ball to Alisha Butchers before taking it back and charging over the line.

It was nothing less than Wales deserved in the opening 15 minutes.

But no sooner had home fans finished celebrating than Italy got back on level terms as Wales were caught napping.

Hannah Bluck, making her first appearance this campaign, took the restart in the midfield but lost possession which allowed Minuzzi to run in an easy try.

Rigoni converted from the touchline to give Italy the lead.

The tempo fizzled off as errors crept in, but Wales continued to boss the scrum.

At the same time their line-out fell apart as Phillips struggled to find her target with a series of wayward throws.

Wales conceded a harsh penalty on the stroke of half-time which Rigoni slotted over to give her side a five-point lead heading down the tunnel.

Italy made a change at half-time, bringing on prop Lucia Gai to win her 100th cap.

But personal landmark celebrations were put on hold as Wales won an early line out, and there was no mistake this time.

The ball came out cleanly and Wales showed good patience as they edged towards the line, with player of the match Pyrs emerging from the bottom of the pile.

Bevan added the extras to put Wales back in front.

Wales were then on the front foot as George began to find her 50:22 range. They won a penalty and despite needing a four-try bonus-point victory, they decided to go for posts, with Bevan obliging.

Italy showed more willingness to throw the ball around and got their just rewards, the replacement Granzotto scoring on the overlap with her first touch of the ball.

With the scores level, Wales' forwards carried well and released pacy back-rower Butchers who broke the line but could not find Alex Callender in support.

Wales continued to press, but their attack was lateral and easily defended which allowed Rigoni again to steal back possession.

In contrast, Italy looked dangerous, in particular their backline, and Stevanin was over in the corner 10 minutes from time.

Wales did have one more opportunity and threw everything at Italy as the clock edged ever closer to the red, and the crowd thought Georgia Evans had scored but play was agonisingly was brought back for an infringement.

Late drama

Referee Aimee Barrett-Theron then engaged in a lengthy conversation with the TMO as Wales protested the ball had been knocked on by an Italian player.

But Barrett-Theron had blown up early which meant Wales had to launch an attack from a five-metre scrum.

Feeling the injustice, Wales bulldozed their way to the line and Tuipulotu drove over.

George then won it for Wales with the conversion, putting aside any demons from the opening round in which she missed a kick which would have drawn the match with Scotland.

There was to be one last twist as Italy won a penalty 40 metres out, but it was reversed for a high tackle on Kelsey Jones as home fans breathed a huge sigh of relief, and Stevanin made her way to the sin-bin.

Head coach Ioan Cunningham was clearly in tears at the final whistle as the Wales players celebrated wildly on the pitch.