Guinness Women’s Six Nations: Italy v Ireland

Improving their record away from home is a big goal for Ireland in 2025, and they get their first shot at winning on the road when returning to Parma to face Italy in their second Guinness Women’s Six Nations match.

2025 GUINNESS WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 2:

Sunday, March 30 –

ITALY (6th) v IRELAND (5th), Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma, 4pm local time/3pm Irish time (live Virgin Media One/Virgin Media Play/BBC Two Northern Ireland/BBC iPlayer/RTÉ Radio 1)

Opta Facts: Women’s Six Nations – Italy v Ireland

Team News: Edel McMahon returns to the starting XV to captain Ireland for their first away fixture of the campaign. Head coach Scott Bemand has made three changes from last week’s 27-15 defeat to France.

Roscommon native Aoibheann Reilly, who came off the bench in Belfast to complete her international return after a second ACL injury, reforms her 2024 Six Nations half-back partnership with Dannah O’Brien.

It will be Reilly’s first Ireland 15s start since the Rugby World Cup qualification-clinching victory over Scotland last April. Fellow dual international Emily Lane will have the back-up scrum half role this week.

The rest of Ireland’s back-line is unchanged as Stacey Flood, Anna McGann, and Amee-Leigh Costigan join forces again in the back-three, and in midfield, Aoife Dalton and Eve Higgins win their 20th and 23rd Test caps respectively.

Ulster’s Fiona Tuite comes in for Dorothy Wall in the second row, with the tight five completed by Niamh O’Dowd, Neve Jones, who has now scored 12 tries in 31 internationals, Linda Djougang, and Ruth Campbell.

McMahon leads the girls in green from blindside flanker, with Erin King at openside and Aoife Wafer, who was last weekend’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations Player of the Round, completing the starting line-up at number eight.

Lane, Wall, and Brittany Hogan join the list of replacements which has a six-two split for the second week running. Clíodhna Moloney, Siobhán McCarthy, Christy Haney, Grace Moore, and Enya Breen are the other bench options.

With his charges looking to avenge last year’s 27-21 loss to Italy at the RDS, Bemand said: “What do I think of the Italians? They’re better coached than they were. They have a strong sense of purpose, cultural identity, and what game they want to get out there.

“They’ve got a more structured version of themselves these days. It used to be quite fun watching them, in that anything might happen.

“Everybody had a left foot and a right foot and, ‘we’ll all do three chips each’. Now they’ve got a little more, not pragmatic, but personal and sensible with what they’re trying to do.

“So we’re expecting a strong box-kicking game. They’re going to box-kick to us so how many box-kicking structures do we normally face? We’ve been preparing for that and if we get that right, it’s a source of possession and in the right area of the pitch.

“I’m expecting an incredible challenge from Italy. Historically, we’ve always had a good battle with them. Our aim is to get our best game out there and if we do, we’ll be alright, but certainly the Italians won’t make it easy for us.”

Meanwhile, Valsugana Rugby Padova number 8 Elisa Giordano returns to captain as their new head coach Fabio Roselli makes seven personnel changes to the team that lost 38-5 to England in York.

Michela Sillari, Italy’s second highest points scorer of all-time, joins Beatrice Rigoni in midfield, with Alyssa D’Incà reverting to the left wing. Emma Stevanin replaces the injured Veronica Madia at out-half.

The Azzurre’s final back-line alteration sees Unione Rugby Capitolina’s Francesca Granzotto come in for her 18th cap at full-back. Sara Tounesi and Giordano combine with Sgorbini, their only try scorer against England, in the back row.

Padova club-mates Vittoria Vecchini and Gaia Maris will both start in the front row, with Maris making her first Championship start. Hooker Vecchini scored two tries in a player-of-the-match performance against Ireland last year.

Guinness Women’s Six Nations Results/Fixtures

Guinness Women’s Six Nations Table

ITALY: Francesca Granzotto (Unione Rugby Capitolina); Aura Muzzo (Villorba Rugby), Michela Sillari (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Beatrice Rigoni (Sale Sharks), Alyssa D’Incá (Villorba Rugby); Emma Stevanin (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Sofia Stefan (Sale Sharks); Silvia Turani (Harlequins), Vittoria Vecchini (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Gaia Maris (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Valeria Fedrighi (Rugby Colorno), Giordana Duca (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Francesca Sgorbini (ASM Romagnat Rugby), Sara Tounesi (Montpellier Hérault Rugby), Elisa Giordano (Valsugana Rugby Padova) (capt).

Replacements: Laura Gurioli (Villorba Rugby), Vittoria Zanette (LOU Rugby), Sara Seye (Trailfinders Women), Beatrice Veronese (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Alissa Ranuccini (Rugby Colorno), Alia Bitonci (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Sara Mannini (Rugby Colorno), Beatrice Capomaggi (Villorba Rugby).

IRELAND: Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC); Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC), Amee-Leigh Costigan Railway Union RFC/Munster); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht); Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht) (capt), Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC), Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster).

Replacements: Clíodhna Moloney (Exeter Chiefs), Siobhán McCarthy (Railway Union RFC/Munster), Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby), Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs/Munster), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC), Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster).

Referee: Ella Goldsmith (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Precious Pazani (Zimbabwe), Shanda Assmus (Canada)
TMO: Aaron Paterson (New Zealand)
FPRO: Ian Tempest (England)

Pre-Match Quotes: Aoife Dalton (Ireland) –

Our execution just wasn’t good enough (against France). We knew coming into the game that we had all the capability to win that game.

“At the minute, we’re not content going out against tier 1 nations and just keeping up with them.

“We actually know we’ve the full capability now to actually go out and beat teams like France, teams in the top five.

“We don’t ever get complacent because a lot of the girls have been through that difficult time in 2023.

“We’re in a completely different place now but we’ve grown so much as a group. In fairness to the coaches, they’ve given us so much to go after and made us believe we’re good enough.”

Francesca Sgorbini (Italy) –

It will be a very close match, and we know Ireland want to come here and take a win home with them. It will be an intense game, and we’ll have to work hard and prepare our best to win.

“Ireland have done very well this last year, especially away from home. We managed to get the win last year at their stadium and now we want to do the same in ours.

“We are starting a new journey under Fabio (Roselli), and we want to show what we can be. It’s always enjoyable to play against strong opponents as they push us to match their level.”

Pre-Match Interviews & Links –

Bemand: Italy Are Better Coached And More Structured Than They Were

O’Dowd: The Girls And Coaches Back Me To ‘Play My Game’

Jones Happy To See Lineout Becoming ‘A Strength Of Ours’

‘It’s Really Built My Resilience’ – Reilly On Coming Back From A Second ACL Injury

Recent Meetings –

2022: TikTok Women’s Six Nations: Ireland 29 Italy 8, Musgrave Park

2023: TikTok Women’s Six Nations: Italy 24 Ireland 7, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma

2024: Guinness Women’s Six Nations: Ireland 21 Italy 27, RDS Arena

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