Wales have been warned Italy are determined to continue their incredible rise through the women’s game when they come to Cardiff this weekend.
The Six Nations clash at Cardiff Arms Park represents a tough start for Wales coach Chris Horsman and his team, despite the return to the squad of renowned pair Jasmine Joyce and Hannah Jones.
The Italians’ stunning 31-12 bonus point victory over France on the final day of last year’s championship launched them into the top two, marking their best-ever finish.
At the centre of it all was dynamic flanker Giada Franco, who stood out with a string of impressive performances in only her second Six Nations.
Franco scored three tries and finished in the top five players at the tournament for carries, metres made, offloads and turnovers, earning a move to Harlequins Ladies.
While the manner of Italy’s achievement took many pundits by surprise, the 23-year-old explained that it was simply a case of the team realising their potential.
“We didn’t say before the Six Nations that we wanted to win it, come second or third,” she said.
“We asked ourselves to put in our best performance and keep learning from our mistakes. We weren’t surprised by how we played, because we knew we could do that”.
As well as Italy performed, there was no hiding from the gaping chasm between the runners-up and champions England.
The Red Roses won the Grand Slam with a points difference of +233, securing try bonus points in every game to finish 11 points clear of the Italians.
“I think that England is the best nation in women’s rugby,” Franco said.
“I’m lucky to play here in England in the Premier 15 and I can tell you that they are really working hard, so they deserve all the results they’ve achieved.
“There’s a big gap between England and France, who are the first two usually, and the others. The level is going up year-by-year.
“I think all the teams are working to close this gap and always be as competitive as we can. I hope in a couple of years that we are as competitive as them in all the tournaments.”
Of Italy’s 23-strong squad named for the Six Nations opener, Franco is one of just four who play their club rugby outside the country.
The flanker remains hopeful the national team’s success can filter down to grassroots level in Italy and help produce a new generation of talent, as well as improving the domestic league in which so many Azzurre players feature.
“In terms of the growth of the game, for sure winning matches will help. When we won at home there were 400 to 500 people watching, and I’m quite sure that all of them will be at the next game.
“If the crowds grow, we’ll have more players in the future, more people who start playing.
“It’s fundamental to develop our movement, especially in Italy, where we’ve not got the numbers of the other nations when it comes to current players.
Horsman will give first Six Nations starts for full-back Kayleigh Powell – who made her Wales debut in the November win over Ireland – and the front row forwards Gwenllian Pyrs and Kelsey Jones.
Molly Kelly, Georgia Evans and Paige Randall are set to make their Six Nations debuts if they come off the bench after earning their first caps in the autumn.
Horsman said: “It will be a tough game with no hiding place. We have asked a lot of the players, increasing the intensity of training and they’ve met the challenge head on.
“The aim of that is not only to perform under pressure during the Six Nations but also, longer term, to close the gap on teams above us in the world rankings.
“The results can help, but we still have to work on our league and especially on the youngsters, to make sure that these results can be continued in the next few years.”
Wales Women v Italy (Sunday 2 February, 1pm, Cardiff Arms Park):
Kayleigh Powell; Jasmine Joyce, Hannah Jones, Kerin Lake, Lisa Neumann; Robyn Wilkins, Keira Bevan; Gwenllian Pyrs, Kelsey Jones, Cerys Hale, Natalia John, Gwen Crabb, Alex Callender, Bethan Lewis, Siwan Lillicrap (capt)
Replacements: Molly Kelly, Cara Hope, Ruth Lewis, Georgia Evans, Alisha Butchers, Manon Johnes, Ffion Lewis, Paige Randall