FIVE Dragons have been selected in the Wales side for the Women’s Six Nations opener against Italy on Saturday.

Fly-half Elinor Snowsill and lock Rebecca Rowe start in Ancona (kick-off 2pm) while prop Cerys Hale, scrum-half Sian Moore and centre Gemma Rowland are named among the replacements.

Head coach Rowland Phillips has included seven players from the XV that lost to Italy at the Talbot Athletic Ground last year, including captain and hooker Carys Phillips and openside Rachel Taylor.

Since taking charge of the team, along with assistant coaches Nick Wakley and Paul Young, Wales Women have won all four of their past four fixtures - including victories against upcoming opponents Ireland and Scotland.

Phillips believes that, thanks to a rigorous schedule and fixture list implemented in the latter part of 2016, his team is now more ready for top-flight international competition.

"We're definitely prepared," says Phillips. "Our progress to this point has been excellent. There are going to be big challenges ahead, and Italy is as big as any for us, but we'll grow as a squad for that."

On the subject of his consistent selection policy - all 23 players have featured regularly in the past four matches - Phillips underlines the performance-related nature of his squad.

He said: "There is consistency but the players are aware there's strong competition for places and their performances are driven by that.

“They've been rewarded for continuing to push themselves to keep hold of their jerseys."

Wales Women team to face Italy

15 Dyddgu Hywel (Scarlets)

14 Elen Evans (Scarlets)

13 Kerin Lake (Ospreys)

12 Robyn Wilkins (Ospreys)

11 Adi Taviner (Ospreys

10 Elinor Snowsill (Newport Gwent Dragons)

9 Keira Bevan (Ospreys)

1 Caryl Thomas (Scarlets)

2 Carys Phillips (c) (Ospreys)

3 Amy Evans (Ospreys)

4 Rebecca Rowe (Newport Gwent Dragons)

5 Mel Clay (Ospreys)

6 Sioned Harries (Scarlets)

7 Rachel Taylor (Scarlets)

8 Shona Powell-Hughes (Ospreys)

Replacements 16 Lowri Harries (Scarlets) 17 Cerys Hale (Newport Gwent Dragons) 18 Gwenllian Pyrs (Scarlets) 19 Siwan Lillicrap (Ospreys) 20 Alisha Butchers (Scarlets) 21 Sian Moore (Newport Gwent Dragons) 22 Gemma Rowland (Newport Gwent Dragons) 23 Jessica Kavanagh-Williams (Scarlets)