Italrugby women send message to rivals

Good signals from Italrugby women

The national women’s rugby team defeated Japan 24-8 in a test match in preparation for the next international engagement of the girls coached by Nanni Raineri, the WXV (where the Azzurre are included in the second division). An important result for Italy, obtained in a rather clear-cut manner against a selection considered to be of equal level.

At the 'Beltrametti' in Piacenza, the venue of the match, the Azzurre effectively resisted the discrete start of the Nipponese, who despite the pressure in the Italian half of the field were unable to score more than 3 points in the first thirty minutes of play.

In the end of the first half the turning point: Muzzo (30') and Ostuni-Minuzzi (36') go in goal, Rigoni transforms only the first one and we go to the interval on 12-3. In the resumption Italy gives continuity to what it showed in the first half and scores two more goals, again with Ostuni-Minuzzi (45') and Muzzo (60'), again with Rigoni’s first transformation scoring and the second not.

At 64' Japan made its afternoon less bitter, with Matsumura’s goal not converted, then the result did not change anymore: it ended 24-8. The two teams are both included in the second division of the WXV, which will be played between the end of September and mid-October, but they will not meet due to the particular formula of the tournament, which calls for three matches to be played for each of the six participants: Italy will face Scotland on Sept. 28, Wales on Oct. 5 and South Africa on Oct. 12.