**Wales Women Endure Record Defeat to Italy in Six Nations Finale, Succumb to Second Successive Wooden Spoon**
Wales Women’s rugby team experienced a punishing conclusion to their Six Nations campaign with a devastating 44-12 defeat at the hands of Italy in Parma. Not only was this result their heaviest ever defeat by the Italians, but it also left them winless at the bottom of the table, consigning them to the wooden spoon for a second successive year.
The match, played on a sunny afternoon at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, began with a glimmer of hope for the visitors. Under Sean Lynn’s stewardship, Wales had spoken positively ahead of the encounter, hoping to finish a difficult campaign on a high. Instead, their performance ultimately raised difficult questions about their prospects heading into the upcoming World Cup later this year.
Wales started brightly, displaying more urgency and direction than they had in previous matches. The early exchanges saw the visitors lay down a marker, and their efforts were rewarded when flanker Kate Williams crashed over from short range following a well-executed driving lineout. This enterprising start saw Wales take the lead, but the optimism was to be short-lived.
Italy responded immediately. Demonstrating superior power in the collisions and inventiveness with ball in hand, Italy soon exploited gaps in the Welsh defence. Sara Seye and Elisa Giordano both broke tackles to send full-back Sofia Stefan over for Italy’s first try, converted coolly by Michela Sillari. The Italian fly-half would go on to play a pivotal role, contributing 14 points from the tee and guiding her team’s offence with assurance throughout the game.
Despite the setback, Wales regained their composure before the break. Gwenllian Pyrs forced her way over for a try which, once converted by Keira Bevan, handed Wales a slender 12-10 lead heading into half-time. It was a deserved advantage and hinted at a competitive second half—but sadly, this was as good as it got for the visitors.
The match’s momentum swung sharply after the interval. Italy seized control, scoring freely and dominating all aspects of play. Sillari nudged Italy back ahead with a penalty, and then Francesca Granzotto capped a fluid move to touch down in the corner. From there, the hosts never looked back.
The Italian forwards continued to overpower their Welsh counterparts, with Harlequins lock Sara Tounesi instrumental in setting up Silvia Turani’s try, again converted by Sillari. The onslaught continued as Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi’s superb 50/22 kick put Wales under pressure, and the full-back’s excellent support line soon yielded Italy’s bonus point try.
Wales’ discipline deserted them as the match wore on. Lock Natalia John was shown a yellow card for a high tackle, leaving her side a player down at a crucial moment. Italy ruthlessly exploited the advantage—Granzotto snatched her second try from close range before Auro Muzzo compounded Welsh misery with Italy’s sixth and final score.
For Wales, the outcome was as dispiriting as it was chastening. Two well-taken tries would offer little consolation as their second half performance unravelled in the face of relentless Italian pressure. The final whistle confirmed both a record defeat to Italy and a second consecutive wooden spoon in the Six Nations, underlining the scale of the challenge facing Sean Lynn’s squad.
Looking ahead, significant improvements will be necessary if Wales are to compete credibly at the World Cup later this year. With the Six Nations exposing glaring frailties in both attack and defence, questions will inevitably be asked about preparation, squad depth, and tactical acumen. Nevertheless, the tournament also provided glimpses of potential—if the right lessons are learned, Wales Women may yet chart a more positive course in the months to come.