The Azzurre were good for it, too, turning a half-time deficit into a commanding 43-24 victory at Cardiff Arms Park.

Despite a decent first-half displaying three tries from the hosts, Sean Lynn’s side unravelled after the interval. Italy dominated the physical battle, capitalising seamlessly on Welsh errors and a misfiring lineout to run in four unanswered second-half scores before a late Welsh consolation.

First-Half Seesaw

The visitors wasted no time dampening the mood of the home crowd. Just three minutes in, Italy exploited defensive narrowness down the right flank, allowing fullback Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi to glide over for an unconverted opening score. Moments later, Welsh fly-half Lleucu George mistakenly kicked the restart dead, putting the hosts under immediate pressure.

Wales hit back with composure. Flanker Jorja Aiono initiated a powerful surge into the Italian 22, laying the foundation for George to deliver a beautifully timed pass to Courtney Keight, who crossed in the left corner to level the scores at 5-5.

The joy was brief. Just three minutes later, George attempted a tactical grubber kick that was charged down by Francesca Granzotto. The Exeter Chiefs winger scooped up the loose ball and outpaced the cover defence from the halfway line. Following a brief TMO check for offside, the try was awarded, and Michela Sillari added the simple conversion.

The frantic pace continued when Keight broke through the midfield once more to position Wales near the line. In the 23rd minute, Carys Cox appeared to bobble the ball while grounding it under heavy defensive pressure, but the officiating team deemed there was no separation, awarding the equalising try. Keira Bevan’s successful conversion briefly put the sides level.

Once again, Italy responded instantly. Passive defensive drifting allowed the visitors to offload at will, culminating in a sharp final pass from Sillari to send Alyssa D'Inca over out wide.

Still, it was Wales who went into the tunnel with the momentum. Reverting to their most reliable weapon - the driving maul - hooker Kelsey Jones accurately found her jumper and steered the pack over the line in the final minute of the half. Bevan’s conversion gave Wales a narrow 19-17 lead at the break.

Azzurre Take Total Control

Any hopes of Wales consolidating their advantage evaporated quickly after the restart. The Italian pack emerged with renewed intensity, matching the hosts' earlier feat by launching a relentless rolling maul of their own in the 47th minute. Flanker Francesca Sgorbini dotted down to secure Italy's crucial four-try bonus point.

The Welsh lineout, a source of strength in the first half, completely deteriorated. In the 52nd minute, Italy pinned the hosts back with a deep penalty into the 22. Worn down by successive heavy carries, the Welsh fringe defence fractured, allowing Ostuni Minuzzi to cut through for her second try of the afternoon, extending the lead to 29-19.

A glimmer of hope appeared for Wales in the 57th minute when Granzotto committed a dangerous tip-tackle on Seren Singleton. The Italian winger was shown a yellow card, which was upheld by the bunker review.

Despite the numerical advantage, Wales lacked the clinical edge to exploit the extra space. Predictable attacking shapes were routinely suffocated by a rapid Italian defensive net, led by number eight Elisa Giordano, who won a string of critical breakdown turnovers. Wales introduced teenage scrum-half Seren Lockwood to inject tempo, but the home side struggled to gain territory against a stiff wind.

Italy sealed the result in the 68th minute while still down to 14 players. A sweeping break down the left wing unpicked the tiring Welsh line, leaving fly-half Veronica Madia with a clear run to the line. Sillari's conversion pushed the gap out of reach.

A cruel bounce from a cross-field kick gifted D'Inca her second try with four minutes remaining, rubbing further salt into Welsh wounds.

Wales did manage the final say on the scoreboard when fullback Kayleigh Powell utilised a clever sidestep to stand up the Italian defenders and slide over in the right corner, but it was too little, too late for the wooden spoon side.

Guinness Player of the Match: Veronica Madia (Italy)

WALES 24 Tries: Keight (9’), Cox (23’), K. Jones (39’), Powell (79’) Conversions: Bevan (24’, 39’)

ITALY 43 Tries: Ostuni Minuzzi (3’, 52’), Granzotto (12’), D'Inca (26’, 76’), Sgorbini (47’), Madia (68’) Conversions: Sillari (13’, 53’, 69’, 77’)