Wales are set to host Italy in their final game of the 2026 Six Nations, with both sides aiming to end on a high.
The Azzurri made history last weekend when they beat England for the first time in their history, securing a 23-18 win in Rome.
Gonzalo Quesada’s side will have been on a high all week following this result and will be desperate to back this up with a win over Wales to take the next step in their Six Nations journey.
The ability to deliver a performance as favourites and come away with a win.
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Wales, on the other hand, will be hopeful of earning their first win in the competition since they beat the Italians in March 2023.
Steve Tandy has had a significant impact in his short spell as head coach of Wales; despite not having the best of starts in the November internationals and at the start of this Six Nations campaign, they have now put in two heartening displays against both Ireland and Scotland – two teams battling for the championship.
Wales are set to be a huge challenge for the Italians today, but it could be argued that this current team that has impressed everyone began in Cardiff four years ago when Ange Capuozzo scored a try with the clock in the red to end their long spell without a win, with Leonardo Marin believing this to be the case.
Speaking to RugbyPass, he said: “It was incredible back then.
“It really set standards for Italy, for what we wanted to do, and was also a big relief because we had many years of losses.”
There is a feeling around this current squad and coaching ticket that they are on a journey, with Marin believing that they have grown and they are on a journey to achieving something special.
Marin said: “The ambition is very high here. Even if we might be wrong or aren’t where we think we are, we don’t care because we dream big.
“We really think deep inside our group we can compete with everyone. We don’t want to be the team that just wins once in a while or one game every Six Nations.
“As a team we need to train and prepare to one day win the Six Nations. It might seem like a very far goal, even competing at the World Cup, but that’s what we need to do and what we should do. Aim there and really train to make that happen.”
Marin is well aware of the scepticism that rugby fans would have from hearing this statement about his ambitions with the Italian team, but to be fair, nobody would have given them a chance against Scotland, Ireland or England coming into this campaign.
So, why is it not possible for them to carry on their journey to one day win the Six Nations?
Topics: Rugby, Rugby Union
Brendan McGilligan