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Italy player ratings vs Wales | 2025 Six Nations
By Ian Cameron
Italy player ratings: Was this a coming-of-age moment for the Azzurri? The Italians took to the field with hopes higher than the Leaning Tower of Pisa and successfully faced down a lame duck Wales’ side 22- 15 in torrid conditions in Rome.
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Here’s how we rated the players:
1. Danilo Fischetti – 8
Scrummaged effectively against Wales tighthead Henry Thomas [and Keiron Assiratti when he came on], providing a solid platform. Showed the engine to contribute in open play, tackling Welshmen like it was going out of fashion.
2. Giacomo Nicotera – 8
Accurate at the lineout and busy around the park, like a cunning fox from a Tuscan fable. Kept things ticking over with minimal fuss and won three turnovers into the bargain.
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3. Simone Ferrari – 7
Handled his set-piece duties well enough, without ever quite roaring into life in open play. Solid, if unspectacular.
4. Niccolò Cannone – 7.5
Strong in the tight exchanges, never flinched when Wales brought physicality. A dependable presence from start to finish.
5. Federico Ruzza – 7.5
Showed his usual athleticism in the lineout and in the loose. Remains a key forward for Italy in this damp tussle.
6. Sebastian Negri – 8
Drove into contact like a knight from an old Lombard tale, fearless and determined. Provided momentum with his direct running and dominant tackles.
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7. Michele Lamaro (c) – 7.5
Tireless in defence, leading from the front. A captain’s knock that showcased bravery in the trenches and a constant rallying of his teammates. Wasn’t shy about letting the Welsh lads know when they’d made mistakes either.
8. Lorenzo Cannone – 9
Carried well and scrapped for every inch. Combined effectively with Lamaro and Negri in a robust back-row effort. Lead pretty much every Italian player stat relevant to a No.8.
9. Martin Page-Relo – 8
Service was tidy under significant pressure from Wales in slippery conditions. His 50:22 in the 26th minute was highlight reel stuff. Very nearly slotted a 55-metre monster kick but for a crossbar that refused to cooperate and his box kicking was for the most part spot on.
10. Paolo Garbisi – 8
A couple of iffy moments under the high ball but guided play cleverly with a mix of passing and kicking. Always looking for gaps, his grubber through for Capuozzo’s try was sublime.
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11. Monty Ioane – 5.5
Kept the Welsh backs on their toes, even if some of his defensive decisions [not calling a mark in his 22 in the first quarter for example] did quite add up. Far from the ideal conditions for the fleet-footed winger.
12. Tommaso Menoncello – 6
The ball didn’t often make it past the halfback for understandable reasons. Offered a physical route through midfield when he got near the ball, matching Wales’s centres hit for hit.
13. Juan Ignacio Brex – 5
Didn’t see much ball to be fair but missed too many tackles to score any higher.
14. Ange Capuozzo – 8
Not an afternoon for fullbacks but whenever he got the ball, you sensed something special might happen. A try-scorer and a constant danger, other than one spill he played the conditions well.
15. Tommaso Allan – 5.5
Safe under the high ball and positioned himself well defensively. The normally accurate Allan picked a poor time to start missing kicks, his inaccuracy effectively keeping Wales in this one when it may have been wrapped up inside 60 minutes.
REPLACEMENTS
16. Gianmarco Lucchesi – 6
Kept the lineout steady, brief but purposeful shift.
17. Luca Rizzoli – 6
Brought fresh legs in the loose in his short time on the pitch.
18. Marco Riccioni – 6
Hungry for contact, kept the Welsh defence honest and maintained Italy’s slim set-piece dominance.
19. Dino Lamb – 4
His yellow card handed Wales a late lifeline that Italian nerves could have done without.
20. Manuel Zuliani – 5
A short and remarkable cameo.
21. Ross Vintcent – 6
The Exeter Chief injected some serious pace into the back row but fell short of stealing the show.
22. Alessandro Garbisi – NA
The baby brother of Paolo was not on long enough to rate.
23. Jacopo Trulla – 6
Solid cameo, slotted into the back line smoothly.
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Great result for Italy. They got some good results last year partly because they played well, and partly because other sides took victory for granted against them. This season everybody is approaching games with Italy as genuine challenges.