Wales make four personnel and one positional change to tackle Black Ferns

Wales make four personnel and one positional change to tackle Black Ferns

Wales coach Ioan Cunningham has named his team for their Rugby World Cup 2021 quarter-final against New Zealand at Northland Events Centre on 29 October.


Wales coach Ioan Cunningham has made four personnel and one positional change to his starting line-up from the 56-12 loss to New Zealand with scrum-half Keira Bevan, Wales’ match-winner against Scotland in round one, making her first start of Rugby World Cup 2021. Ffion Lewis drops to the bench. 


 
Lowri Norkett comes onto the right wing for her first Rugby World Cup start with Jasmine Joyce shifting to start a test at full-back for only the third time. Her last outing in the No.15 jersey saw her score two tries in a 23-5 win over Japan in November 2021.
 
 

Gwenllian Pyrs and Lleucu George both come onto the bench for the first time at RWC 2021. George made her test debut off the bench against New Zealand at RWC 2017, the then 17-year-old playing as a flanker then before shifting into the backline. Megan Webb, meanwhile, returns to the bench after missing the Australia defeat.
 
 
 

Eight of the starting line-up also started the 56-12 loss to New Zealand in the pool stage in Cara Hope, Donna Rose, Natalia John, Gwen Crabb, Bethan Lewis, Sioned Harries, Elinor Snowsill, Lisa Neumann, Hannah Jones and Jasmine Joyce, while Alex Callender and Keira Bevan both came off the bench.
 
 

Number eight Sioned Harries is on a three-game try-scoring streak against New Zealand.
 
 
 
 

This the fifth meeting between the teams with all taking place at a Rugby World Cup. New Zealand have won them all – 24-6 in 1991, 41-8 in 2010, 63-7 in 2014 and 44-12 in 2017.
 
 

However, this is only the second time in the knockout phase, having lost 63-7 in the fifth-place semi-final in 2014. Wales have only reached the semi-finals on one occasion, in 1994 when they finished fourth.
 
 
 
Wales team to face New Zealand:
 
1. Cara Hope
2. Carys Phillips
3. Donna Rose
4. Natalia John
5. Gwen Crabb
6. Beth Lewis
7. Alex Callender
8. Sioned Harries
9. Keira Bevan
10. Elinor Snowsill
11. Lisa Neumann
12. Hannah Jones (captain)
13. Carys Williams
14. Lowri Norkett
15. Jasmine Joyce

16. Kelsey Jones
17. Gwenllian Pyrs
18. Sisilia Tuipulotu
19. Georgia Evans
20. Siwan Lillicrap
21. Ffion Lewis
22. Lleucu George
23. Megan Webb
 
 
 

In this Article

Latest News