Preview: Wales Seeks First Six Nations Win In Clash With Excellent Italy
Preview: Wales Seeks First Six Nations Win In Clash With Excellent Italy
Wales faces Italy in Cardiff hoping to end a 15-match Six Nations losing streak. The improving Azzurri chase a historic third win of the 2026 championship.
Italy arrives in Cardiff for the final round of the 2026 Guinness Six Nations carrying a confidence that would have seemed improbable only a few seasons ago.
Gonzalo Quesada’s side travels to the Principality Stadium chasing a slice of history, with victory over Wales giving the Azzurri three wins in a single Six Nations Championship for the first time.
- URC Round 12 Recap: Lions Claim SA Shield As Play Off Race Tightens
- FloRugby's Professional Club Power Rankings: Feb. 25, 2026
- See What's Streaming On FloRugby
- FloRugby's Professional Club Power Rankings: March 11, 2026
Momentum is firmly on Italy’s side. The team's dramatic victory over England in Rome last weekend underlined just how far this team has progressed.
The Italians were relentless in the contact area, disciplined in defence and dangerous whenever they found space in the wider channels. It was the sort of complete performance that has become increasingly familiar during Quesada’s tenure.
The visitors have made three changes to the side that defeated England.
Muhamed Hasa comes into the front row at tighthead prop following Simone Ferrari’s injury, Federico Ruzza partners Niccolò Cannone in the second row and Alessandro Fusco starts at scrumhalf. None of those changes alter the core identity of this Italian side.
At its best, Italy combines abrasive forward play with genuine attacking flair behind.
The Cannone brothers provide power through the middle of the field, while captain Michele Lamaro continues to set the tone at the breakdown. Out wide, the combination of Monty Ioane, Louis Lynagh and Lorenzo Pani ensures Italy possess pace and creativity whenever the ball reaches the edges.
Tommaso Menoncello remains a key figure in midfield. His ability to carry through contact and create quick ball gives Italy the platform to play with tempo, while Juan Ignacio Brex offers defensive stability and distribution alongside him. With Paolo Garbisi directing matters at fly-half, Italy has the structure and control required to turn territory into points.
For Wales, the narrative surrounding this fixture is markedly different.
Steve Tandy’s side remains winless in this year’s championship and is desperate to end a run that has seen the team lose 15 consecutive Six Nations matches. Yet, the performances in recent weeks have suggested a team slowly rebuilding confidence.
The defeat in Dublin last weekend was far more competitive than many expected.
Wales remained within a score of Ireland late in the match and showed a level of physical intensity that had been absent earlier in the tournament. That effort has convinced Tandy to keep faith with the same starting lineup.
Captain Dewi Lake continues to lead the side from hooker and has been one of Wales’ most influential figures during a difficult campaign. Around him, the Welsh pack has shown increasing resilience.
Rhys Carre has provided impact with ball in hand, Tomas Francis has stabilized the scrum and backrowers Alex Mann, James Botham and Aaron Wainwright have delivered tireless defensive work.
Despite those improvements, Wales still faces a clear challenge.
The Welsh attack has struggled to consistently create opportunities for the outside backs. Too often, the Welsh game has relied on individual moments, rather than sustained attacking patterns, leaving players, such as Louis Rees Zammit and Josh Adams, searching for involvement.
That contrast in attacking fluency could prove decisive Saturday.
Italy’s confidence with ball in hand has been one of the defining features of the championship.
The Italians have demonstrated an ability to stretch defenses and convert pressure into tries, something Wales has found far harder to achieve.
If the Italians can replicate the physical edge they produced against England and generate quick ruck ball, their back line has the quality to create scoring chances.
Wales, however, will take encouragement from the signs of progress in recent rounds.
The defensive effort against Ireland showed a team beginning to rediscover its resilience. Playing in front of a home crowd at the Principality Stadium also should provide an emotional lift for a squad desperate to reward supporters who have endured a long run without success.
Ultimately, the contest may hinge on which side controls the breakdown and the tempo of the game.
If Wales can disrupt Italy’s attacking rhythm and turn the match into a tight forward contest, that would give Wales a genuine chance of ending its losing run. If Italy find space and play at speed, its attacking weapons will be difficult to contain.
Given the improvements Wales has shown over the past two rounds, and the energy likely to come from the home crowd, there is a sense that this finally could be the afternoon where the long wait for a Six Nations victory comes to an end.
Prediction: Wales by two points.
Wales vs. Italy Lineups
Wales
15 Louis Rees Zammit, 14 Ellis Mee, 13 Eddie James, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Dan Edwards, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 James Botham, 6 Alex Mann, 5 Ben Carter, 4 Dafydd Jenkins, 3 Tomas Francis, 2 Dewi Lake (c), 1 Rhys Carre
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Archie Griffin, 19 Adam Beard, 20 Olly Cracknell, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Jarrod Evans, 23 Blair Murray
Italy
15 Lorenzo Pani, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Alessandro Fusco, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Michele Lamaro (c), 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Muhamed Hasa, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Danilo Fischetti
Replacements: 16 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Giosuè Zilocchi, 19 Riccardo Favretto, 20 David Odiase, 21 Stephen Varney, 22 Leonardo Marin, 23 Tommaso Allan
How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby
Professional club rugby in Europe all streams on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to:
FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays.