"We must build on performances"- Dewi Lake previews final Six Nations encounter against Italy

Friday, 13 March 2026 at 12:34

byHarry Tovey

Dewi Lake stated following Wales’ Captain’s Run at Principality Stadium that Wales are looking for a positive performance ahead of facing Italy in their last match of the 2026 Six Nations.

Lake’s side will be aiming for a first win in the championship since facing the Azzurri in the 2023 edition of the tournament. Since that spring afternoon in Rome, Wales have been on a drought of 15 losses in the tournament.

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However, in this campaign for Wales, there’s been a sense of optimism leading into Wales’ last showdown of the tournament. For the first time in a while, it seems Wales head into an encounter in the Six Nations with confidence.

That confidence is perhaps evident in Steve Tandy’s selection for the contest. He has named the same starting XV from the round 4 clash against Ireland, with the only change coming on the bench with Blair Murray coming on to the bench.

This is the first time that Wales have made no changes to an XV since the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

"Yeah, massively I think it helps (having no changes in the side," said Lake speaking at Principality Stadium on Friday morning.

"It builds a lot of trust within the group, the more you get to work in partnerships, the more you get to play with people, you understand how they play a game.

"It only gels you together a lot more. Like I've said throughout the whole campaign, boys are knocking on the door to get in the jersey, to get an opportunity.

"This group got a massive connection."

Despite all this, Wales’ Six Nations campaign was looking bleak following harrowing defeats against England and France to kick off the tournament, when they conceded 102 points.

In the record-breaking 54-12 defeat against ‘Les Bleus’, it was played in front of a record-low crowd of 57,744. It felt more like a Parisian Sunday afternoon in that brutal defeat, but against Scotland, where 70,649 attended, Principality Stadium felt more homely.

For once, there were encouraging signs for Wales. This was because of Steve Tandy’s side's finest performance since he took over, as Wales narrowly fell to a 26-23 loss.

Last timeout against Ireland in Dublin, Wales backed up their performance with a spirited showing against Andy Farrell’s title contender side, where Rhys Carré and James Botham both scored as Dan Edwards converted seven points from the tee.

For the visitors to the Welsh capital on Saturday, Italy recorded a historic 23-18 win over England at Stadio Olimpico. With that said, it is now highly likely Wales will collect their third consecutive wooden spoon; this is due to England’s favourable points difference.

Speaking on facing Italy, Lake added: "There's really no easy games these days in international rugby, is there?

"The pack they've built, is massively physical. Their set-piece is excellent. We've their scrum be very dominant throughout this whole campaign.

"They've got a backline, now very experienced. Not only in international rugby, but across some of the best competitions in the world as well.

"We know, they've got massive threats in that group. It's our job, to kind of negate that."

Still, Wales haven’t recorded a triumph at home in the Six Nations since February 2022 against Scotland. When questioned on whether results matter or having another positive, the 26-year-old gave a straight answer of: “Performance, for me.

“Our whole goal of the campaign was to build on performances, from one week to the next to show positive performances, to show how we're growing, to show the work that we are doing.

"I think the biggest outcome for us is that the performances that we've seen against Scotland and Ireland, that is there again, if not up another gear.

"For us, the result was kind off our minds, if we get our performance, then hopefully the result takes care of itself. For us it's about building on what we've done the last two weeks.

LATEST SIX NATIONS NEWS

Can you name all of the Guinness Six Nations winning captains?

In the storied history of Rugby's Greatest Championship, exceptional leaders have emerged—warriors of various forms, be they agile half-backs, towering second rows, or fearless flankers.

Our latest quiz invites you to identify those who have captained their nations to Guinness Six Nations glory. It's worth noting that in certain instances, there may be multiple captains from the same year due to factors such as injuries and rotation.

Surnames only will be accepted.