The match in Cardiff is the first of three matches on Super Saturday, the final day of the 2024 Guinness Women’s Six Nations.
The Azzurre are one of three teams chasing third place, which would book a spot at the England 2025 Rugby World Cup and in WXV1 later this year. They are currently fourth with six points, tied with Ireland but with a better points difference.
On Saturday Italy will be trying to overhaul Scotland, who are third with eight points, and who face Ireland in the second match of the day in Belfast.
Any Italy slip-up would make it a straight shootout between the Celtic rivals, which means the 29-year-old Locatelli and her teammates need to do their job before finding a television screen somewhere in the Welsh capital to see what unfolds across the Irish Sea.
“Now the important thing is to be focused on the match against Wales,” Locatelli told us. “We need to score as many points as possible and concede as few points as possible, and then we will see what effect that will have on the standings.
“It will definitely not be an easy match, even if they conceded more points than people were predicting against France and Ireland. We saw in their first match against Scotland how they can play when they’re at their best. It will definitely not be a simple match.
“It shows that the level of sport is rising. It is good that we have this sort of situation because that is what sport is all about. It is great to see and shows a good level of competition.”
SCOTTISH SETBACK
Italy’s ambitions were hit in round four when Scotland secured their first win in Italy. Chloe Rollie scored the try that secured victory for Bryan Easson’s side, but Giovanni Raineri’s team managed to salvage a losing bonus point thanks to Beatrice Rigoni’s late penalty.
Alyssa D'Incà scored her third try of the Championship to give Italy the lead, but Lana Skeldon drew Scotland level before half time, and further tries from Emma Orr and Rollie secured victory.
It allowed Scotland to climb the standings, and meant they returned to winning ways after losing their previous two matches to France and England.
“When we came off the pith there was bitterness and disappointment with how we played and, above all, anger with ourselves,” Locatelli said.
“There was definitely disappointment with how we played, but once we watched the match back, we saw that we did some things well, and that helped raise our morale.”
HITTING THE HALF-CENTURY
The Scottish victory overshadowed what was a celebratory day for Locatelli. She and fly-half Veronica Madia led out the team on the day they won their 50th cap and later received cake and flowers in the changing rooms. They were joined as a trio by Scottish wing Rhona Lloyd who also reached the milestone in Parma.
Locatelli came on in the 71st minute as Italy chased a late comeback. It was somewhat appropriate that she reached her half-century against Scotland, having made her debut against them in Italy’s 27-3 victory in 2014.
“I was so happy, especially as I was able to share the moment with Veronica Madia, who I played with at Colorno until she left for France, but also because Rhona Lloyd was with us,” Locatelli said.
“Just after Christmas, I went and stayed with her in Edinburgh for New Year. We joked then that if it worked out, we could run out hand in hand, and that is what happened. I loved it so much and it made it all the better.”
HOMETOWN HEROINE
Locatelli’s international debut came two years after she first played senior rugby for Monza Rugby, in the northern Italian city more famous for its Formula 1 circuit. Since then, she estimates that she has had to gain 50 kilograms, such is the growing physicality of women’s rugby.
The flanker only began playing in school aged 16, having previously spent much of her energy on classical dance. She was immediately attracted to the teamwork and non-stop running expected from any back-rower.
Her mother, Monica Buzzini, was mayor of their hometown Caponago, a small town north-east of Milan, and while she was curious about her daughter’s choice to play rugby at first, she has always encouraged her with her ambitions.
Locatelli junior chose a sporting life rather than a political one, and she is currently working on a master’s degree in marketing at Milano-Bicocca University to prepare for life once she stops playing.
For now, though, Locatelli’s focus is fully on closing out the 2024 Championship in memorable fashion. If she needs any more inspiration, then she just needs to look back on their 2018 encounter at the Principality Stadium when Italy left with a 22-15 victory thanks in no small part to Locatelli’s first Test try.
“I popped up in the backline and there was a hole in their defence,” she recalled. “I cut inside their nine and managed to get away to the line.
“Just playing in that stadium brings special emotions and I think that was what allowed me to race away to score that try because I can’t work out how I did it otherwise.”
