Italy are the top carrying team in the Six Nations - but that's a knock-on and we have our first scrum just inside the Italian half.

Wales have the heavier pack... can they use that to their advantage?

Wales have never finished the championship without a win - can they avoid that unwanted piece of history today?

We're under way in Parma.

Italy: Minuzzi; Muzzo, Sillari, Mannini, D'Incá; Madia, Stefan; Turani, Vecchini, Tounesi, Duca, Veronese, Sgorbini, Giordano (capt).

Wales: Joyce-Butchers; Neumann, H Jones (capt), Keight, Cox; George, Bevan; G Pyrs, K Jones, Rose, Fleming, Crabb, Williams, Lewis, Evans.

Referee: Sara Cox (England)

It's only natural that we have a moment's silence for Pope Francis.

His funeral took place in Rome yesterday, forcing this game to be switched to this morning.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Wing Carys Cox insists Wales' players are fully behind Sean Lynn despite his miserable start as head coach.

Lynn won back-to-back Premiership titles with Gloucester-Hartpury before taking over Wales in March.

But he is still waiting for his first Test victory, with Wales bottom of the Six Nations and fighting to avoid a winless campaign with only a trip to Italy to come.

Lynn insists he needs more time to change things around for the World Cup later this year as he attempts to bring in a more expansive game.

"Everyone has completely bought into what he is doing," said Cox.

"Sean has been brilliant, especially with the culture and atmosphere in the camp. Everyone is really enjoying being in the environment.

"No-one should expect results to happen straight away under a new coach. But we're confident that with a little more time with him, performances are going to come over the coming months and then the World Cup."

Elinor Snowsill
Former Wales fly-half on BBC Radio Wales

I think there'll be a lot of tries to be honest.

Both teams have quite high missed tackle rates across the tournament, but also like to play attacking rugby.

Wales more in the Italians' half, Italy will attack from anywhere, we saw it against France last week, and they were actually beating France at half time and put in a really good 60-minute performance against them.

The tournament has completely been thrown open, Italy beat Scotland, Scotland beat Ireland.

There's not much consistency in performances across the teams which means it's very exciting and anything can happen on the day so I'm really looking forward to it today.

Janet Ebenezer
BBC Wales reporter in Parma

We've been staying in the same hotel as the Italian team overlooking Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.

The players looked pretty relaxed at breakfast this morning - safe to say their plates were piled twice as high as mine!

Carb-loading for what’s set to be an exciting game here in Parma.

Caryl Thomas
Former Wales prop on BBC Radio Wales

The last time we were here it was a great, convincing win for Wales.

It's a big opportunity for us not to have that kind of record (Wooden Spoon). You want the positive kind of record.

So there's an added incentive to get the win today, and the performance, I think.

Ceri Coleman-Phillips
BBC Sport Wales rugby reporter at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi

It's a very sparse crowd here at the stadium.

There were over 21,000 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, I think they'd do well to count 2,000 here today.

Disappointing, but understandable given this is a nation in mourning after Pope Francis' death.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Wales head coach Sean Lynn has warned World Cup places are on the line for his players over the next three games.

With his side bottom of the Six Nations and winless before the final game of the tournament against Italy on Sunday, Lynn pulled no punches over what is at stake in Parma.

And, with this summer's forthcoming World Cup, he was not afraid to shake up what has been a long-settled squad if they do not show an immediate response to four defeats in a row.

"These are pressure moments, this is where I'm going and I want to see if these individuals can handle it because I've got a World Cup coming up," said Lynn.

"There are World Cup places on the line over the next three games - away to Italy and the tour to Australia - and World Cup selection is not at all done.

"Sunday is like cup rugby. I'm looking for a response because the World Cup is all about pressure moments and you have to enjoy that and embrace it."

Told you he'd been in a bullish mood.

James Hook
Former Wales fly-half on BBC One Wales

"It sounds like the players have had a bit of a rocket this week from Sean Lynn.

"They were sloppy at times last week against Ireland.

"They were falling off tackles, the kick-chase wasn't good and they were conceding tries.

"They just need to shore up things that they can control."

It's fair to say Ceri that it has been pretty steadily and gradually downhill since the peak for Wales.

Wales have won just five of their 19 Tests since that win here in Parma two years ago - and only one in nine in the Six Nations.

Captain Hannah Jones said this week that it was the "million dollar question" as to what has gone wrong.

Wales desperately need to rediscover that form of 2023.

Ceri Coleman-Phillips
BBC Sport Wales reporter at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi

I've got happy memories of this stadium.

I was in Parma for the finale of the 2023 Women's Six Nations where Wales celebrated a thrilling five-try victory over Italy.

It was their best campaign since 2009 and rocketed them up to sixth in the world rankings.

Two years on, Wales have failed to reach the same heights as they've had struggles both on and off the field.

They have a new coach in Sean Lynn, but even he hasn't been able to find a winning formula after just four games in charge.

He called the Ireland defeat "unacceptable" and will be looking for a response today with the threat of World Cup selection on the line.

Image source, Getty Images

• Italy haven't won at home in the Women's Six Nations since 2023 (v Ireland), with their last two victories both coming on the road. The Azzurre's run of five straight home defeats is their longest such run in the championship.
• Wales have won three of their last four round-five games in the championship
• Italy have made the most carries (555) and tackles (704) of any side in this tournament. Wales have made the fewest carries (388) and the fourth-most tackles (582).
• Wales' Georgia Evans has completed the most tackles of any player in the 2025 Six Nations (76), while Italy's Sara Tounesi (11), Beatrice Veronese (9), and Alyssa D'Incà (9) have made the most dominant tackles of any players.
• Wales have been successful from seven of their nine place-kick attempts in this year's championship (78%) — the best success rate of any side in 2025. Italy, by contrast, have the lowest success rate (36%).

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Wales captain Hannah Jones said: "We've reflected on Ireland and we're disappointed as a team that we lost by that margin.

"Our discipline wasn't the best, the set piece, we're normally better in that area.

"Italy like to play a running game, they don't kick that often so we're definitely going to have to work hard, we have to turn up in all areas, do our individual roles to come together as a squad.

"We've talked about the journey and where we'd like to head going into a World Cup. I think having a win on the weekend will definitely give us confidence going to Australia [for a two-game summer tour].

"We have had small wins during the campaign so it's not all doom and gloom."

Image source, Getty Images

Italy full-back Ostuni Minuzzi was a try-scorer in Cardiff last year.

"We were disappointed with the match against Wales last year and since then we've taken a new course with a new coach," she said.

"We are looking ahead to this match without thinking about what happened in the past. We've talked about last year and put that behind us and this Sunday we want to show what we are capable of.

"They've [Wales] got some wonderful players and they've shown that they can challenge teams, so we have to be aggressive from the start.

"We need to stick to our strategies if we want to get on top on the pitch and think of the collective, not about individuals."