Both teams are seeing their first win of the 2023 U20 Six Nations campaign. Wales have never finished bottom of the table since the tournament began in 2008 and must win to avoid that, along with a possible Wooden Spoon with a game in France to come to complete the championship.
As well as seven straight wins in Italy, the Welsh youngsters also beat Italy in the Six Nations Summer Series in Treviso to reach the final.
Wales are currently running at a 50% success rate from 2008-2023 in the U20 Six Nations. They have won 38 of their 79 matches to date over the 16 seasons, although they have managed only 9 wins in their last 28 games.
Looking at the game tonight, these are the OPTA Stats
- Italy have won three of their last five meetings with Wales in the U20 Six Nations (L2), after losing each of their initial 10 encounters in the Championship.
- Italy’s three victories against Wales in the U20 Six Nations have all come away from home, with Wales winning each of the six encounters between the sides on Italian soil, with five of those six victories coming by 15+ points.
- Italy have scored exactly 27 points in each of their last three home games in the U20 Six Nations, that tally was enough to beat Scotland in Round 4 in 2022 (27-13), however they fell short against France (27-28) and Ireland (27-44) in this year’s edition.
- Wales have lost their last six matches in the U20 Six Nations, their longest losing run in the Championship; however, they’ve picked up at least one victory in each of their previous 15 campaigns.
- Italy have enjoyed more possession than any other team in the U20 Six Nations this year (56%), while only France (45%) have had less possession than Wales (46%); however, only Ireland (53%) have had more territory than Wales (52%) this campaign.
- Italy (52) and Wales (54) have kicked from hand less often than any other side in the U20 Six Nations this year and as a result have gained the fewest kicking metres (Italy – 1404, Wales – 1442); only England (24m per kick) have recorded a shorter average kick distance in the Championship this year than Italy and Wales (27m each).
- Wales have made the most tackles of any team in the U20 Six Nations this year (467) while Italy have made the fewest (311), however, 9% of Italy’s tackles have been dominant – the highest rate of any team – with only France (34) making more dominant tackles overall than the Azzurri (28).
- Wales’ Sam Scarfe has hit the most defensive rucks of any player in the U20 Six Nations this year (29), closely followed by teammate Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths (28, level with Paddy McCarthy); they are also the only two players to slow down the opposition ruck on 5+ occasions this year (Scarfe – 8, Kelleher-Griffiths – 5).
- Wales’ Daniel Edwards has slotted eight of his nine kicks at goal in the U20 Six Nations this year, his success rate of 89% is the best of any player to attempt more than one kick at goal.
- Italy’s David Odiase has made six dominant tackles in the U20 Six Nations this year, the joint most of any player (also Oscar Jegou and Zaccharie Affane) with the Italian back row being one of just five players to make 40+ tackles overall (41).
