France v Australia, New Zealand v Wales The Wallaroos produced the shock of the tournament by outplaying France from start to finish. The two tries they scored in the first 20 minutes were a pointer to their form. Though Les Bleues showed more than mere flashes of brilliance, they were far too error-prone, losing line-outs
The Squads revealed Ioan Cunningham has made seven changes to the side that faced Canada in the first round. In that respect he follows the pattern of other head coaches in ensuring that as many players as possible have the opportunity to see action on the field of play. In the background lurks a secondary
Wales prepare for Canada showdown It’s a big occasion for the Welsh skipper, Hannah Jones. As she leads her team out for their first ever dip in WXV waters, she celebrates her 50th cap. A first cap at the age of 16 shows how an early talent has developed to this high level. Ioan Cunningham
Three nations, Australia, Canada and Wales, have a prime role to play in how the top division works out. They may rank behind England, France and New Zealand, but their dearest wish will be to topple one of the assumed giants. They don’t fit neatly together in the two pools of three. Wales, the one
The Wales squad has received more good news: the last round of next year’s Six Nations will take place at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff. They play Italy on 27 April. This won’t be their first appearance there, but the previous one was against the Barbarians four years ago. Once more you can sense the positive
The WRU has announced seven more contracts for the women’s squad, bringing the total to 32. That is quite excellent news, showing the authorities’ commitment to continuing their support for the women’s game. The new names are: Abbey Constable, Bryonie King, Carys Williams-Morris, Courtney Keight, Hannah Bluck, Kate Williams and Megan Davies. That total of
The appointment of Abi Tierney, currently Ethics Advisor at the Home Office, as the first female CEO of the Welsh Rugby Union marks another huge step-change in the history of the WRU. Everybody with an interest in rugby, not merely the Welsh themselves, must hope this marks an end to the troubles that have spiralled
Australia and Wales The sextet that makes up the elite group of the new WXV divides into two. Canada, England, France and New Zealand sit far ahead of Australia and Wales. This split neatly mirrors their world rankings, 1-6, but the fear remains that even within those subdivisions wide gaps will appear when the tournament
Italy v Wales – Six Nations – Round Five Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma Result: Italy 10 Wales 36 Player of the Match: Alex Callender The looming arrival of the WXV meant that every point scored in Parma would take on extra significance. To ensure their place in Tier 1 Wales had either to win or gain
France v Wales Six Nations, Round Four, Stade des Alpes, Grenoble Result: France 39 Wales 14 Player of the Match: Gaëlle Hermet Another stormer of a match on the edge of the Alps. France made sure they beat the current 6N attendance record before Twickenham could smother it six days later – 18 604 present.
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