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England’s Meg Joyce sat down with Donald McRae earlier this month for a moving interview, having lost her Welsh father and English mother last year.
Wales full-back Jaz Joyce-Butchers on her team’s recent struggles, and hopes for a new start after players resolved their contract dispute with the WRU.
France 38-15 Scotland
There’s already one result from round two of the Six Nations, with France securing their second win and a bonus point against Scotland in La Rochelle.
The hosts didn’t have things all their own way, despite making a fast start as Carla Arbez finished off a break by No 8 Teani Feleu in the 11th minute. Morgane Bourgeois added the conversion and two penalties to make it 13-0, but Emma Orr kicked, chased and touched down for Scotland after Lisa Thomson pounced on a French handling error.
Helen Nelson added the extras to reduce the deficit to 13-7 at half-time. Bourgeois kicked another penalty soon after the restart before France further extended their lead through a brilliant drop-goal from scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus. Nelson slotted over a penalty to leave Scotland nine points behind approaching the hour mark, but the hosts found another gear in the latter stages.
France scored twice in three minutes through Feleu and Seraphine Okemba down either flank to take the game beyond their opponents. Bourgeois then dived over herself to score the hosts’ fourth try and seal a bonus point. Scotland drove across from a lineout in added time, Elis Martin touching down before Nelson’s conversion effort hit the post.
Having beaten Ireland 27-15 in Belfast in their first game, France host Wales next while Scotland, who defeated Wales in their opener, will face Italy. PA Media
The teams
Wales: Jaz Joyce-Butchers; Lisa Neumann, Hannah Jones (c), Kayleigh Powell, Carys Cox; Lleucu George, Keira Bevan; Gwenllian Pyrs, Carys Phillips, Jenni Scoble, Abbie Fleming, Gwen Crabb, Kate Williams, Bethan Lewis, Georgia Evans.
Replacements: Kelsey Jones, Maisie Davies, Donna Rose, Alaw Pyrs, Bryonie King, Megan Davies, Courtney Keight, Nel Metcalfe.
England: Ellie Kildunne; Abby Dow, Meg Jones, Tatyana Heard, Jess Breach; Zoe Harrison, Natasha Hunt; Mackenzie Carson, Lark Atkin-Davies, Sarah Bern, Morwenna Talling, Abbie Ward, Zoe Aldcroft (c), Sadia Kabeya, Maddie Feaunati.
Replacements: Amy Cokayne, Hannah Botterman, Maud Muir, Rosie Galligan, Abi Burton, Lucy Packer, Holly Aitchison, Helena Rowland.
Referee: Clara Munarini (Italy)
Preamble
Two teams operating on different planes meet at the Principality Stadium this afternoon. England and Wales currently bookend the world’s top 10 but have very different expectations for this game. The visitors are seeking a “perfect game” as they build towards a home World Cup where victory is the only acceptable outcome.
John Mitchell has shuffled his starting XV from the opening win over Italy, giving his whole squad a chance to impress. Wales, who will play in front of least 18,000 fans today, will aim to flourish in the spotlight, building on the narrow defeat to Scotland in the opening week. Still, a first victory over England since 2015 would be a seismic shock.
With last year’s wooden spoon winners rebuilding under new head coach Sean Lynn, focus may be on the performance rather than the scoreboard for Wales. With Welsh rugby in something of an existential funk, the women’s side will be eager to avoid the kind of chastening defeat suffered by the men two weeks ago.
England, on the other hand, are operating under exacting standards and unbeaten since the painful 2022 World Cup final defeat to New Zealand. Even in the 38-5 rout of Italy, there was a second-half drift that the team are keen to correct. It’s a big afternoon for women’s rugby in Wales; the hosts will hope it doesn’t become a long one.
