Bevan back for tough encounter with Japan
WALES Women head coach Ioan Cunningham has named his side to face Japan in the autumn opener tomorrow at Cardiff Arms Park (5pm kick-off).
Experienced fly-half Elinor Snowsill partners Bristol Bears team-mate and scrum-half Keira Bevan, who makes her first international appearance since facing England in March 2020 due to a leg injury.
Jasmine Joyce, regarded as one of the best wingers in the world, lines up at full-back, while the back-three is completed by Lisa Neumann and Courtney Keight. Hannah Jones and Kerin Lake partner at centre.
As for the forwards, Saracens hooker Kat Evans is the only uncapped player and will make her senior Wales debut alongside Saracens team-mate Donna Rose and Worcester Warriors’ Caryl Thomas in the front row.
Natalia John and Gwen Crabb line up in the second row, while Georgia Evans and Bethan Lewis are named in the back row with captain Siwan Lillicrap at No. 8.
Former Wales captain Carys Phillips is named among the replacements, making her first appearance in a Wales matchday 23 since November 2019.
Cara Hope, Cerys Hale, Alex Callender and Alisha Butchers complete the forwards cover, while scrum-half Ffion Lewis, flyhalf Robyn Wilkins and centre Megan Webb – cousin to Wales and Ospreys scrum-half Rhys – complete the replacements.
Cunningham said: “As coaches we had a tough selection process, with competition for places very high. The whole squad performed well against the Black Ferns, but we feel this group will give us the best opportunity to get a good performance and result. We also want to see some combinations especially with Richard Whiffin and I new in our roles.
“Kat [Evans] fully deserves her starting berth. She has a very high work rate and brings added physicality to the pack. Apart from Kat, we have a fairly experienced spine of the team with a number of leaders who are gaining experience on and off the field..”
Tickets for the game are available via www.wru.wales/waleswomen.
Wales face South Africa and Canada in their remaining two autumn fixtures, which is the penultimate campaign before next year’s postponed World Cup in New Zealand.
Wales Women: J Joyce (Bristol Bears); L Neumann (Sale Sharks), H Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), K Lake (Gloucester-Hartpury), C Keight (Bristol Bears); E Snowsill (Bristol Bears), K Bevan (Bristol Bears); C Thomas ( Worcester Warriors), K Evans (Saracens), D Rose (Saracens), N John (Bristol Bears), G Crabb (Gloucester-Hartpury), G Evans (Saracens), B Lewis (GloucesterHartpury), S Lillicrap (capt, Bristol Bears). Reps: C Phillips ( Worcester Warriors), C Hope (GloucesterHartpury), C Hale (GloucesterHartpury), A Callender ( Worcester Warriors), A Butchers (Bristol Bears), F Lewis ( Worcester Warrior), R Wilkins (Gloucester-Hartpury), M Webb (Bristol Bears).