Wales win vital Italian clash
Wales won their first game of the women’s 6 Nations with a nail-biting 16-15 win over Italy.
Published by Alison Donnelly, February 24th, 2013
3 minute read
Italy opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a penalty from Veronica Schiavon but Wales' industrious pack worked prop Catrin Edwards over in the 27th minute from a lineout close to the Italy try-line.
Italy hit back with a second penalty again from Schiavon but Wales hit the front again on the stroke of halftime when Lowri Harries followed Edwards over the try line and touched down from another excellent move from a lineout.
Schiavon kicked a third penalty for the home side two minutes after the re-start to reduce the arrears to a single point. Wales scrum half Laura Prosser increased the lead with a well struck penalty in the 58th minute but Italy refused to go away and responded with another penalty in the 64th minute.
Prosser slotted her second penalty in the 78th minute and it was all hands to the pump as Italy hit back through a fifth penalty in the 83rd minute.
Resolute defence Italy out for the final few minutes and the win means Wales can still qualify directly for the World Cup for this Six Nations, though they will certainly need to back this up with another win against Scotland next time out.
Wales head coach Rhys Edwards said he was proud of his team.
"The forwards laid a solid platform and the backs defended stoutly. Italy never really offered a lot. We made a couple of errors when the girls got a little bit excited but they put that behind them to do a job on Italy - I'm really proud of them."
Italy’s head coach Andrea Di Giandomenico said: “We’re disappointed at losing a game which was within our reach but we conceded too many turnovers and suffered in the scrum and mauls against a physical team. We need to now think of our next game against England and refocus.”
Italy: Furlan; Veronese (70 Tondinelli); Cioffi (67 Stefan); Zangirolami; Sillari; Ver. Schiavon; Barattin; Severin; Gaudino; Este; Trevisan; Molic; Gai; Zanon (60 Ballarini); Bettoni. All. Di Giandomenico E Scaglia.
Wales: Hywel (66 Johns); Rafique Taylor (41 James); E. Evans; De Filippo; 66 Tuttiett); Snowsill; Prosser; Rachel Taylor; Nia Davies; Nicholas; Powell Hughes; Hallett; Edwards (76 Howell); Harries (73 Phillips); Jenny Davies (53 York).