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Wales and Australia attempt to change narrative in Newport as WXV looms

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - NOVEMBER 03: Preparing for a scrum during the WXV1 match between Australia Wallaroos and Wales at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart on November 03, 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Dave Rowland/Getty Images)

Wales and Australia each head to Rodney Parade on Friday night in desperate need of a victory to generate some forward momentum going into WXV 2 in South Africa.

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Not least because eight days after their Newport date, the teams will meet again at DHL Stadium in Cape Town to get their second-level campaigns underway.

That this was a WXV 1 fixture just 10 months ago goes some way to detailing how results have gone since that encounter in Auckland.

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    Both teams lost their only warm-up match to date, Wales 40-14 against Scotland in Edinburgh on September 6th, Australia 36-10 against Ireland in Belfast last weekend and are in the midst of confidence-sapping runs.

    Defeat to Scotland was Wales’ eighth in their last 10 matches, dating back to the start of WXV 1 2023, as the positivity that flowed in the wake of their qualification to the top level has quickly ebbed away.

    In Newport on Friday, though, the hosts have an opportunity to alter the narrative as they run out at Rodney Parade for the first time in 23 years.

    A maiden victory in the fixture would be Ioan Cunningham’s side’s third in four matches and could lift them up as high as eighth in the World Rugby Women’s Rankings depending on the scoreline.

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    Suddenly, the mood around the squad could switch. “We need to win,” Wales flanker Kate Williams admitted this week.

    “We’re a good enough team to win this next game and I think if we win this next game, it will really reflect us as a squad. We’re really tight at the minute and we’ve still got so much more that we want to showcase.

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    “It’ll give us brilliant momentum into the start of WXV where we play them again, and I think we’ll thrive off it.”

    The Wallaroos head into the match with problems of their own. Following a promising WXV 1 campaign last year, during which they beat Wales and France, results have trailed off.

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    Australia have won only one of head coach Jo Yapp’s first six matches in charge, 64-5 against Fiji in July, and defeat to Ireland dropped them out of the top five of the rankings.

    Another loss on Friday could come with a further fall to ninth, but Kaitlan Leaney insisted that while there was a lack of energy and intent against Ireland, there were reasons to be hopeful too.

    “We created a lot of opportunities,” she said. “We just couldn’t finish it off.” And the second row is confident that better times are not far away under Yapp.

    “It’s been an incredible transition. All the players have a lot of respect and love for Jo,” Leaney added.

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    “She’s a really good coach. She’s also someone that cares a lot about you as a person on and off the field. So, she’s built a really good and attractive culture here in Australia.

    “It’s disappointing that we haven’t been able to show the results of how well we’ve been doing off the field. But hopefully the performances start to come, and everyone can see what a good impact she’s had on us.”

    The good news for Australian fans is that this is a fixture they have never lost, winning all six of the matches contested to date, albeit this will be the first played on Welsh soil.

    In Auckland last November, the Wallaroos scored three tries to claim a 25-19 victory despite losing Siokapesi Palu to a red card early in the second half and playing with 13 players for 10 minutes after Sera Naiqama was sent to the sin-bin shortly afterwards.

    Another victory against Wales on Friday would be enough to lift the Wallaroos above Scotland and back into the top five of the rankings.

    “We’ve played Wales a couple of times before, it’s always a bit of a grudge match,” Leaney said.

    “They’re very physical, their forwards are very dominant, so we’re keen to get out there and put our best foot forward.”

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    Amelia Jonathan 3 hours ago
    Don't get out over your skis on the Highlanders

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    J
    JW 5 hours ago
    Crusaders vs Force takes: Let's talk about Sevu Reece, forgotten All Black returns

    I think Reece has bulked up too much and now doesn’t have the pace to perform to his previously high standards. He’s making himself less of a winger but I’m not really sure he’s filling another role succinctly either. I think criticism at the AB level has seen him try to redevelop his game, I’m really not sure he can be continued to be used at the highest level. Definitely becoming the wing version Richie Mo’unga is possible (if not already attained) at Super Rugby level however. I loved watching him play when he first broke through.

    The Force are undeniably much improved this season, but it’s going to take some reps to prove to themselves that they really can hang with the big dogs.

    Yeah they’re still well off in the quality personal front.

    It was the 21-year-old’s first appearance of the season, and he certainly made the most of it, with 13 carries accounting for 50 running metres – each of them passing by in a blur as Springer made his may to the try line time and time again.

    Will Jordan was playmaking superbly to assist the youngster’s points tally, but it was all individual brilliance in the 53rd minute when Springer tiptoed down the sideline before collecting his own chip kick and outpacing the final two defenders to score under the posts.

    After pre-season I said that I wanted Springer to cement the starting jersey, and that (well I’ve not no idea exactly which sides they play) another new wing recruit, Kunawave, would replace Reece as the Fijian Flyer in the team by season end. Reece might be making that tough, but unfortunately it looks like there wasn’t a full squad spot for the young fella and he has since made his AB7s debut instead. Watch this space though as he and Saifoloi look to have the X factor👍


    That Jordan pass to Springer aside it was otherwise a very lackluster game for him as he looks to be struggling with processing his option taking in this new style he’s trying. Still have to think a man of that talent and ingenuity is going to make it click sooner or later though!

    t’s a congested position, and after Ennor shot down talk of him being swept up by a Top 14 outfit this week, it looks as if the Crusaders have some selection headaches to solve in the coming weeks.

    That’s great news. I can’t remember if it was because he actually made his return in pre-season or not but for some reason I was liking how Ennor looked like he might be providing the right options for Saders and even ABs when back. Very pleased to see him fit straight in though there was plenty of space on offer but he almost looked as if he was more dangerous with no space. Could be the long looked for option at 13?

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