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Wales alter four – all backs – for history-making game in Cardiff
By Liam Heagney
Ioan Cunningham has made four changes to bottom side Wales for this Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations finale at home to Italy at Principality Stadium.
The Welsh have lost all four matches so far in this year’s championship and they are set to finish last as they trail fifth-place Ireland by five points on the table and have an inferior points difference of 45.
Beaten last time out 0-40 by France last Sunday in Cardiff, they will look to avoid suffering a whitewash versus the Italians with a team containing four backline changes.
With full-back Kayleigh Powell having returned to Great Britain 7s duty with Jasmine Joyce, a sub against the French, Jenny Hesketh is back at No15.
Lisa Neumann is another recall, lining up on the right wing in place of Catherine Richards, Hannah Bluck is named in midfield with Carys Cox switching to left wing at the expense of Courtney Keight, while Keira Bevan, a sub last Sunday, swaps places with Sian Jones.
Ahead of the first-ever stand-alone women’s Test match, head coach Cunningham said in a WRU team media release: “Nobody needs to tell us how important this game is for us within the tournament, or for what follows, but our focus is totally on what we need to do as a team.
"The Welsh supporters have been a big part of our successes, and we look forward to them getting behind us again. Against France, we created pressure and opportunities, and we just need to be more clinical and finish off those opportunities.
"Hannah Bluck has trained well all through this campaign and deserves the opportunity to start against Italy and the experienced Lisa Neumann comes in on the wing.
"Our focus has been on what we need to do this week. We’re looking forward to the challenge and finishing the tournament on a high.”
WALES (v Italy, Saturday): 15. Jenny Hesketh; 14. Lisa Neumann, 13. Hannah Jones (captain), 12. Hannah Bluck, 11. Carys Cox; 10. Lleucu George, 9. Keira Bevan; 1. Gwenllian Pyrs, 2. Carys Phillips, 3. Sisilia Tuipulotu, 4. Natalia John, 5. Abbie Fleming, 6. Alisha Butchers, 7. Alex Callender (vice-captain), 8. Georgia Evans. Reps: 16. Kelsey Jones, 17. Abbey Constable, 18. Donna Rose, 19. Kate Williams, 20. Gwennan Hopkins, 21. Sian Jones, 22. Niamh Terry, 23. Nel Metcalfe
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Latest Comments
Yes absolutely 👍 😁
Go to commentsTight match a few points:
-England are badly missing Felix Jones. This one was very winnable. Tactics were clueless at the end
-Andrew Brace chickened out of a yellow for SA at the end. SA brought down a driving Maul approaching the SA line. That is a yellow. No ifs no buts. He said to SA "Dont think I wont give you a yellow just because youve a man already in the bin". But that's EXACTLY what you were doing Bracey. England 9point deficit versus 13 and a penalty deep in the SA 22 is a likely winning position. Brace didn't give a yellow because SA already had a man in the bin.
-England are not bad but they need an expert with the analytical capabilities of a Felix Jones.
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