Wales v Italy | Talking points as Wales finish another Six Nations winless

Home supporters at Cardiff Arms Park went home with a bitter taste in their mouths as Wales ended the 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations with the wooden spoon.

It is the third time in a row that the Welsh have ended the Championship with that unwanted trinket. In his second year at the helm their head coach, Sean Lynn, is yet to register a win in the competition.

In the first half not much could separate the two teams. In fact, it was Wales that took in a 19-17 point break at half-time, as tries from Courtney Keight, Carys Cox and Kelsey Jones surpassed the efforts of Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi, Francesca Granzotto and Alyssa D’Inca.

The Azzurre quickly got their wits back on and mounted a staggering comeback that has kept Wales from tasting a win in the Women’s Six Nations since 2024.

It was a ruthless second half display from Fabio Roselli’s team. Francesca Sgorbini, Ostuni Minuzzi, Veronica Madia and D’Inca all got over the whitewash in the second 40 minutes. Kayleigh Powell’s try one minute from time prevented a second half whitewash. But the damage was already done.

Here are the talking points from a ferocious Italy win in Cardiff…

Second halves and Wales, a combination that doesn’t go together

Another brutal reality check for Wales, as the locals went from leading at half-time by two points to losing by a 43-24 scoreline, leaving them tightly wrapped in this year’s wooden spoon.

If in the first half Wales showed a bit of grit and ambition to fight for the right to be in the lead, in the following 40 minutes, everything came crumbling down due to a destructive combination of factors that were impossible to overcome.

In the previous four rounds, Wales recorded strong performances in the opening half of each game, leading 12-10 against Scotland and even holding France to a seven-point draw.

However, over the next 40 minutes, they conceded an average of 24 points, making their goal of winning completely impossible.

Even if there was a slight improvement in their overall performance, Wales still seems far off the pace compared to their Women’s Six Nations rivals, adding an extra layer of pressure and challenge for Sean Lynn.

And on the last day, Francesca Granzotto turned up

It wasn’t the Women’s Six Nations that Francesca Granzotto hoped for, but in the end, the Italian firecracker showed up to light up the Cardiff Arms Park.

The brazen winger snatched up a loose ball to go on a 70-metre unopposed sprint to land Italy’s second try of the game, racking up a total of 130 running metres, five line breaks and a cascade of defenders beaten in her second start in this year’s competition.

Despite a yellow card that could have been upgraded to red, Granzotto was superb in most of her actions, providing unpredictability to her side’s counter-attack and empowering their defence out wide.

An honourable mention to Kayleigh Powell, who was one of Wales’ shining lights from start to finish, creating a safety net out in the back and putting out a solid shift as a ball runner and claimed a try in the game’s final seconds.

Azzurre’s indiscipline [almost] rolled out the red carpet for Wales

Italy secured a second win in this year’s Women’s Six Nations, finishing above Scotland and Wales. However, the 43–24 scoreline masks a far more challenging contest during their visit to Wales, mainly because of what happened in the first 40 minutes.

Fabio Roselli’s Azzurre’s went to the break trailing by two-points, having conceded three tries due to their insistence on getting penalised in the breakdown or around the contact area.

While Wales seemed determined to give Italy a way into their in-goal area by losing control of the ball at every restart, the visitors returned the favour by conceding easy penalties that led to Carys Cox and Kelsey Jones’ scores.

Rather than a defensive collapse, it was Italy’s overcommitment at the breakdown—particularly in pulling a successful jackal — that led to costly penalty advantages, which Wales duly turned into points.

Fortunately for the visiting supporters, Italy reemerged more organised and clear-headed after a short 10-minute rest, retaking the lead and earning an important result on their way to regaining their former strength.

What’s next for Sean Lynn?

As already mentioned, Wales recorded another loss, extending their losing streak that has lasted since 2024, a problem that seems to have no end in sight.

While Wales have looked more organised in some of their performances over the last two months, their inability to keep it together for the full 80 minutes has pushed them deep into a tsunami of losses and defeats.

So, the question has to be asked; where does Sean Lynn go from here? It is vital to understand that Wales is making some progress and that this is a moment of squad rebuilding, with some of their youngest players showing promise and ambition.

However, the fact that they are racking up defeat after defeat may be creating a mental gap that could become an even bigger problem if they do not find success in the near future.

With the WXV looming on the horizon, Lynn will need to keep his team together and make them believe that they are about to turn around a corner that has lasted long enough.