Bell confident Wales can get over the line against Italy
Savannah Picton-Powell's brilliant brace and tries from Mollie Wilkinson, Seren Singleton, skipper Branwen Metcalfe, Rosie Carr, Dali Hopkins and Evie Hill put the game beyond the reach of a spirited Scotland side.
'I was just really proud of how we went into the game [against Scotland],' she said.
'In the first game, we lacked intent and execution, and we had a lot of set pieces that we couldn't finish off.
'Whereas, in the second game, everyone chilled out, we started off strong and we did what we needed to do.
'In this next game against Italy, we want to put together a strong game for 80 minutes.
'If we can start this game how we did the last, then we've got a good chance.'
Italy let slip a 15-0 half-time lead against England to lose 36-20, having also tasted a 45-6 defeat to France in the first round.
Despite the loss to England, the Azzurine showed signs of their physicality last Friday, with captain Elena Errichiello's try off the back of a maul, a demonstration of how dangerous Italy's forward pack can be.
And Bell said everyone in the Wales camp is wary of the threat they can pose.
'They've got some very big ball carriers,' she continued.
'We know that defensively we need to be connected and work well together.
'If we have any gaps in our backline, then they'll be looking to break through.
'We need to stay alive and keep our eyes up. In the last game we dipped a bit, and if we do that again, Italy will take that as an advantage and try and get on top.'
Bell was also full of praise for teammate Picton-Powell's performance during the Scotland win.
The pair were the centre partnership for the Cardiff Metropolitan University side that won the Women's BUCS Super Rugby Milk Championship title in April.
'She's a very good rugby player and she's good at being in the right places,' added Bell.
'It's nice having Sav playing outside of me. We've played together a lot before, like at uni so it's a nice combination we have.
'And if Sav has another confident game [against Italy], she'll get us over the line.'
Six Nations Women's Summer Series Round 3 fixtures on Thursday 17 July:
Scotland v Ireland – 13:00
Wales v Italy – 15:30
France v England – 18:00
Discover the future of international rugby at the 2025 Women's Summer Series – where rising stars shine. Follow the action live at U6N | SIX NATIONS - YouTube and on Instagram @u20sixnations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 minutes ago
- The Independent
Noni Madueke bids farewell to Chelsea after completing Arsenal move
Noni Madueke has said his goodbyes to Chelsea after completing a £48m summer transfer to London rivals Arsenal. The 23-year-old winger joined the Blues from PSV Eindhoven in 2023 and played 92 times for Chelsea scoring 20 goals and providing nine assists. He won the Conference League with Chelsea last season and also featured in their successful Club World Cup campaign in June. The winger, who has signed a five-year deal with the Gunners which runs to June 2030, thanked his former teammates and manager before claiming he leaves Chelsea with 'love and admiration'. Madueke wrote on Instagram: 'Dear Chelsea Football Club, 'I want to thank you for the last 3 or so years. To every staff member that helped me along this journey, thank you. To my teammates thank you for everything, I leave with only love and admiration for you guys. We achieved so much this season and I honestly wish you guys nothing but the best. 'To Enzo Maresca, it was a privilege to play under you, thank you for trying to better me as a player and as a person. Lastly thank you to every single Chelsea fan. Thank you for the love, the praise and also the criticism, I appreciate it all. I leave here with nothing but fond memories. 'Love NM11.' As part of their announcement revealing Madueke as a new signing, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, explained why the club wanted to bring him to the Emirates. "We're all so happy to welcome Noni Madueke to the team,' he said. 'Noni is an exciting and powerful young player, with his performances and numbers in recent seasons being of consistently high quality. He is one of the most talented wide forward players in the Premier League. 'At just 23, Noni already brings experience of club and international football, and he knows the Premier League very well. Having seen the quality of Noni's performances up close in recent seasons, we're really excited he is joining us. 'Noni joins our group with familiar England teammates and other players he knows. He will be made to feel at home straight away. His arrival will really improve our squad - we're all thrilled to have him here. From all of us, welcome Noni and welcome to your family.'
BBC News
2 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Askou's attacking imprint a refreshing change'
Jens Berthel Askou's attack-minded philosophy is a "refreshing change" for Motherwell supporters, says Tom Well fan and BBC broadcaster is enthused by the new era at Fir Park, even though he would struggle to name most of the seven new signings brought in so Stuart Kettlewell's exit amid claims of fan abuse, and Michael Wimmer's 12-game stint at the helm, 42-year-old Dane Askou is tasked with steering the Steelmen in the new campgin."I'm optimistic as you can be when you go to Wikipedia and see that he's had 10 clubs in the last 10 years," said Cowan on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast."The optimist, the glass half full side of me, will say he's clearly been waiting on a move to a big club like Motherwell, a global brand like Motherwell."When he first came in it all seemed to be about wanting to play dynamic football, wanting to play on the front foot, wanting to attack."You could easily put me on the spot and I would fail to name all of the guys that he's brought in so far, but I think I'm right in saying that quite a few wingers have come in."There's undeniably the case for the new manager that he wants us to be an attacking team. The bottom line is after some of the stuff that we had been watching over the past kind of year, 18 months, that'd be quite refreshing for Motherwell fans."Cowan believes it was a "bold move" to employ the Dane but he's "quietly excited" to see what he has to offer as the new season unfolds."I would have would have staked my house on it, that it would either have been Tony Docherty or Robbie Neilson," added Cowan."I'd have been more than happy with taking either of those guys to be perfectly honest, the old kind of safe pair of hands, the Scottish booking."I thought that was going to be a stick-on after us only getting 12 games out of Michael Wimmer, but I'm quietly excited."
BBC News
2 minutes ago
- BBC News
Mansfield sign McDonnell on loan from Forest
Mansfield Town have signed midfielder Jamie McDonnell on a season-long loan from Nottingham 21, who can also play at centre-back, is the third Forest youngster to join the Stags this summer following Joe Gardner and Kyle spent last season on loan at Colchester United, making 32 appearances in League Two."There seems like a real family environment here with a strong bond amongst the players and staff. I feel like this is a club where I can really contribute and develop," McDonnell spoke to his City Ground team-mates prior to agreeing the move to Field Mill. "I've previously spoken to Kyle and Joe and they've said nothing but great things about the club," he Stags start the new season with a trip to boss Nigel Clough's former club Burton Albion on 2 August.
