Head coach Rowland Phillips has named his Wales Women team to take on the UK Armed Forces in Friday’s Remembrance Day match at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park (19:30).
Showing six changes from the starting XV which defeated Scotland 15-0 a fortnight ago in Cardiff – in what was Phillips’ first match at the helm – Wales Women will be out to make it two from two this autumn in their final competitive match ahead of next year’s Six Nations.
Dyddgu Howell continues at fullback, with a new wing combination of Adi Taviner (a try-scorer against Scotland) and Jess Kavanagh-Williams completing the back three. The partnership of Rebecca De Filippo and Kerin Lake in the centres will look to be equally effective this time around, whilst fly-half Elinor Snowsill has a new half-back partner in number nine Keira Bevan.
Into the front row come loosehead Cerys Hale and tighthead Amy Evans, packing down with hooker and captain Carys Phillips, who also crossed the whitewash against the Scots. Siwan Lillicrap remains in the second row, where she is joined by Mel Clay. An unchanged back row is comprised of blindside Alisha Butchers, openside Sioned Harries and number eight Shona Powell-Hughes.
Wales will face New Zealand, Canada and a team from the Asia/Oceania qualifier in the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 in Ireland.
The pool allocation draw took place in Belfast City Hall on Wednesday 9th November, with Wales Women one of the nine teams with confirmed places at the competition. The three remaining teams taking part in the World Cup, which takes place in Dublin and Belfast from 9th-26th August, will be confirmed by the end of 2016.
“I’m excited that we’re going to be able to test ourselves against some terrific teams next year,” said Phillips.
“We’re in there with New Zealand, who will be fired up after the last World Cup, and Canada, who have emerged as one of the strongest women’s rugby nations in the world.”
“We knew by the nature of where we finished last year that we’d be drawn in a tough pool, but each pool is tough – and that’s testament to the strength of the women’s game internationally. We have set targets for ourselves and we are building confidence as a squad. We’ll be ready come August to compete to the best of our ability and show our quality as a nation.”
Geraint John, the Welsh Rugby Union’s Head of Rugby Performance, said: “As was evident from World Rugby’s incredible, well-attended event in Belfast, the Women’s Rugby Rugby World Cup is now a major event in the global game. The competition in 2017 is part of a long-term programme for Wales Women: our aim is not just to do well next year, but in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the 2021 World Cup and beyond that. The women’s game is going from strength to strength, both in Wales and across the world.”
Wales Women team to face UK Armed Forces
15 Dyddgu Hywel (Scarlets) 14 Jess Kavanagh-Williams (Scarlets) 13 Kerin Lake (Ospreys) 12 Rebecca De Filippo (Dragons) 11 Adi Taviner (Ospreys) 10 Elinor Snowsill (Dragons) 9 Keira Bevan (Ospreys) 1 Cerys Hale (Dragons) 2 Carys Phillips (c) (Ospreys) 3 Amy Evans (Ospreys) 4 Siwan Lillicrap (Ospreys) 5 Mel Clay (Ospreys) 6 Alisha Butchers (Scarlets) 7 Sioned Harries (Scarlets) 8 Shona Powell-Hughes (Ospreys)
Replacements
16 Lowri Harries (Scarlets) 17 Gwenllian Pyrs (Scarlets) 18 Catrin Edwards (Scarlets) 19 Charlie Mundy (Ospreys) 20 Rachel Taylor (Scarlets) 21 Sian Moore (Dragons) 22 Robyn Wilkins (Ospreys) 23 Elen Evans (Scarlets) 24 Jasmine Joyce (Scarlets) 25 Rosie Fletcher (Ospreys)
Travelling reserves: 26 Meg York (Dragons) 27 Kelsey Jones (Ospreys) 28 Jodie Evans (Scarlets)
Gates open at 18:30. Tickets can be purchased at the gate (£5 adults, £1 Under 16s) or online at wru.co.uk/tickets.