Wales have made two key changes to their starting lineup as they prepare for a monumental challenge this Saturday: hosting the top-of-the-table France at Cardiff Arms Park in the Women's Six Nations. Head coach Sean Lynn has turned to experience and fresh energy in a bid to pull off a major upset.
The most notable recall is that of Jasmine Joyce, Wales's most decorated player, who returns to the wing. Joyce was surprisingly dropped for last weekend's narrow defeat to Scotland but is back in the fold, replacing the injured Lisa Neumann, who is ruled out for the rest of the tournament with a hamstring issue.
The other change comes at scrum-half, where Seren Lockwood is promoted from the bench to start in place of the veteran Keira Bevan. Lockwood's impactful performance off the bench against Scotland, described by Lynn as bringing "pace, energy" and being a "live wire," has earned her the starting spot. With this change, fly-half Lleucu George will assume the goal-kicking duties.
The final adjustment sees Natalia John replace Alaw Pyrs as the lock cover on the bench. These strategic shifts come as Wales chase a first victory over the formidable French side in a decade, a daunting task given the current form of both teams.
France arrive in Cardiff riding high, sitting atop the Six Nations table after a commanding six-try victory over Italy. In stark contrast, Wales have managed just one win in their last 11 championship outings and are seeking their first Six Nations victory since the final round of the 2024 tournament.
Despite the recent results, Coach Lynn remains optimistic, drawing encouragement from the competitive spirit shown against Scotland. "The performance and the Test match is what we wanted," Lynn stated, emphasizing the team's focus on consistency and belief in their processes as they gear up for one of their toughest tests of the campaign.
Wales Starting XV: Powell; Singleton, Cox, Keight, Joyce; George, Lockwood; Pyrs, Jones, Tuipulotu, Aiono, Crabb, Lewis, Williams (capt), King.
Replacements: Reardon, Davies, Rose, John, Metcalfe, Evans, Bevan, Dallavalle.