Wales head coach Tom Brindle has made four personnel changes for Friday’s second World Cup game against Samoa at CommBank Stadium in Sydney (07:45 BST) — a match that represents the debutants’ best chance of picking up a first tournament win.
Wales Women’s Rugby League (Credits: BBC Sport)
Wales, playing at their first-ever World Cup, were brought crashing down to earth in their Group A opener, losing 70-6 to England in Perth after conceding 13 tries. Now the squad gets its first reset of the tournament.
New Faces for the Samoa Test
Wing Sian Williams will make her debut against the Samoans, who were beaten 40-0 by hosts Australia in their opening match. Zoe Heeley moves to the other wing from centre, where Jade Mullen — captain of the Army rugby union team — comes in for her first appearance of the tournament.
Amberley Ruck replaces Ffion Lewis at stand-off, while Huddersfield Giants prop Gracie Hobbs comes into the matchday seventeen.
Must-Win Before the Champions
On paper, the Samoa game is Wales’ best chance of a result. After this, the task gets dramatically harder: they face reigning world champions Australia, also in Sydney, on Sunday.
Captain Bethan Dainton — who represented Wales in rugby union before swapping to rugby league — leads a squad that includes Leanne Burnell, Zoe Heeley, Jade Mullen, Hannah Bluck, Sian Williams, Amberley Ruck, Tayla Preston, Agnes Wood, Jasmine Gibbons, Emily Hughes, Georgia Cussons and Paige Travis. Interchanges: Carys Marsh, Kathryn Salter, Erin Williams and Gracie Hobbs, with Ffion Lewis, Lucia Davies and Frances Layton as reserves.
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Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
