Wales head coach Sean Lynn has said no shirt is safe as he hints at changes for the second WXV Test against Japan on Saturday. His side ran out 17-0 winners in Tokyo last weekend but lacked what Lynn called "ball toughness". It was ultimately the bench, which included seasoned campaigners such as Gwenllian Pyrs, Bethan Lewis, Gwen Crabb, Lleucu George and Georgia Evans, that saw Wales over the line.
"When players take opportunities, we've got to reward that," said Lynn. "I want us to have a competitive squad and we've got 30 players here who are really champing at the bit. The big message is you don't own the jersey. Nobody will own this jersey." Lynn will announce his team at 08:00 GMT on Thursday.
The match, played at Kumagaya Rugby Stadium in Saitama Prefecture, is Wales' final outing of 2026. A win would give them three victories from four in the WXV campaign, having already beaten South Africa and Japan. "It's huge for us. Everybody in the environment wants to be winning," said Lynn. "It's about backing it up Saturday to Saturday, backing it up in training and everything we're doing."
A victory would also give Wales momentum heading into the 2027 Women's Six Nations, where they open at home to England. They have not won a championship game since beating Italy in the final round of the 2024 edition. Wales have climbed back up the world rankings, where they currently sit 11th, after a transformation over the summer kick-started by a friendly win over Barbarians. Lynn said Wales should be on other nations' radar, noting they were within two points of USA, who have won five games.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing