Women’s Serie A Elite: Villorba is Italian champion after 5 years. Valsugana beaten in Casale

Villorba overturns the prediction and beats Valsugana 19-12 in the final of the women’s Serie A Elite championship. Zizola’s team dominated the match, immediately taking the lead with two tries from D’Incà in the first 10 minutes and managing the result with great maturity, despite the final thrill caused by Margotti’s try, which with one minute left had reopened the games.

Player of the match award (dedicated to Rebecca Braglia) for Alyssa D’Incà, who after being named MVP of the season wins a further award thanks to the brace scored in the final and will have to buy a new wardrobe to put all this season’s prizes in year, including the Try of the Tournament for the best goal of the Six Nations.

The chronicle of Villorba-Valsugana

Lightning-fast start from Villorba, who moves the ball trying to open some space in the opponent’s defense and finding a good advancement, then Cavina skips two teammates and with a long pass finds Busato, support from Muzzo and the ball widens to D’Incà who opens the throttle and flies to the flag for the opening goal. Capomaggi finds a difficult conversion and brings Villorba to 7-0.

Valsugana appears strangely in difficulty: an error by Stevanin grants a scrum at the limit of 22 to Villorba. The ball was immediately played and served wide to Muzzo, who was stopped by the providential intervention of Zampieri. However, the action continues and it is once again the Cavina-Busato-D’Incà combination that brings the MVP of the championship to the goal.

After 20 minutes of difficulty, Valsugana responds with a first advancing maul that forces Villorba’s defense to foul: they go to the throw-in for a second drive that gains again and converges towards the center, then Stefan widens on Ostuni Minuzzi who goes to mark. However, referee Smussi was called back by the TMO for an obstruction by Veronese after receiving the touch and the try was annulled. However, the pressure from Bezzati’s team continues, Stefan keeps the pace high and Valsugana earns another free kick: in the 29th minute the goal arrives, and this time it is a good one, again following the development of a maul, finalized by Giulia Cerato.

Stevanin doesn’t find the conversion, while on the other side Capomaggi tries to extend from the pitch but hits the post. The match continued until half-time with a lot of battle in midfield but few opportunities, until the first half ended at 14-5 for Villorba.

In the second half, Villorba started better again, but this time they came up against a much more concrete defense than in the first half. Valsugana wastes a great opportunity in the 50th minute with Duca losing the ball on contact after reaching 5 meters from the goal line, then 2 minutes later it is D’Incà who interrupts a dangerous restart by taking Aggio into a throw-in after the center of Valsugana had missed two opponents.

Valsugana continues to struggle in advancing and finding spaces. Stefan brings his teammates back into attack with a nice kick from the base, but a foul on the subsequent throw-in solves the problem for Zizola’s girls. In the 66th minute, a nice inside cross from Cavina unleashes D’Incà’s legs again, Valsugana’s defense opens up, but then Muzzo doesn’t control Cavina’s next pass.

The match is very lively: in the 67th minute Cipolla puts Stefan under pressure with a nice deep kick. The Italian midfielder is forced to release quickly, granting a touch in the 22: Puppin plays a “smart” on Frangipani and surprises the opposing defence, the ball reaches the three-quarters with Cavina serving Busato and D’Incà again. Capomaggi comes in support and serves Muzzo for the flag dive: 19-5.

In the final Valsugana tries everything: nice break by Ostuni Minuzzi on the left side who then unloads on Rasi, but Busato and Bragante arrive like a fury to hold it up and earn yet another turnover of the Villorba match. Valsugana finds the goal one minute from the end with Alessia Margotti after a good multi-phase from the forwards, Bitonci converts from a very difficult position and reopens the match.

Bezzati’s team must start from their own 22 and begin to advance, reaching the halfway point. Smussi punishes a high tackle from D’Incà, Valsugana has one last chance but Stefan sensationally fails to find the throw-in for the penalty. It ends 19-12 for Villorba, who wins the Italian championship by breaking Valsugana’s unbeaten streak, which they hadn’t lost for over a year.

Francesco Palma

The scoreboard of Villorba-Valsugana

Valsugana: Ostuni Minuzzi; Vitadello, Aggio, Folli, Zampieri; Stevanin, Stefan (C); Giordano, Veronese, Tonellotto; Della Sala, Duke; Fortuna, Cerato, Jeni.

Available: Benini, Vecchini, Margotti, Bitonci, Rasi, Costantini, Gai, Zeni

Goals: Cerato 29′, Margotti 79′
Transformations: Bitonci 79′
Free kicks:

Villorba: Capomaggi; Muzzo, D’Incà, Busato, Cipolla; Cavina, Barattin (C); Bragante, Copat, Triolo; Pin, Frangipani; Simeon, Gurioli, Stecca.

Available; Zanette, Crivellaro, Puppin, Casagrande, Nascimben, Gazzi, Brugnerotto, Busana

Goals: D’Incà 1′, 9′, Muzzo 69′
Transformations: Capomaggi 2′, 10′
Free kicks:

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