Key events
As the Wallaroos return to the sheds after a vigorous warm-up in torrential rain, the skies have momentarily cleared and a few stars are poking through. North Sydney Oval is a grand old arena – home to the mighty North Sydney Bears in rugby league for 115 years – but the old grass is draining nicely with no evident pools on the field of play.
Weather was a key factor last week in Brisbane with an electrical storm sending the players scurrying to the sheds in the first quarter. It proved a crucial intervention from on high. The Wallaroos lost all the momentum they’d established early while Wales regrouped and came out much stronger after the break.
There’s a healthy crowd trickling in given the rain bomb that is hitting Sydney at the moment, many wearing the red of Wales and the British & Irish Lions, of course. We are on Cammeraygal land tonight and a Welcome to Country is underway…
And here’s how the visitors lineup…
WALES (1-15): Gwenllian Pyrs, Carys Phillips, Sisilia Tuipulotu, Gwen Crabb, Abbie Fleming, Kate Williams (co-c), Bethan Lewis, Alex Callender (co-c), Keira Bevan, Kayleigh Powell, Lisa Neumann, Courtney Knight, Carys Cox, Jasmine Joyce, Nel Metcalfe. REPLACEMENTS: Molly Reardon, Maisie Davies, Jenni Scoble, Alaw Pyrs, Georgia Evans, Meg Davies, Lleucu George, Catherine Richards
To continue the spirit of revamp, co-captain Kate Williams returns to the side tonight in the back-row. Wales have also selected elected to field a brand new front-row with Gwenllian Pyrs, Carys Phillips and Sisilia Tuipulotu all starting.
There’s also a late change as Hannah Dallavalle replaces Lleucu George in the 23. And congratulations to Welsh winger Jasmine Joyce who wins her 50th cap tonight.
WALLAROOS (1-15): Faliki Pohiva, Katalina Amosa, Bridie O’Gorman, Kaitlan Leaney, Michaela Leonard, Piper Duck, Emily Chancellor (c), Tabua Tuinakauvadra, Samantha Wood, Faitala Moleka, Desiree Miller, Trilleen Pomare, Georgina Friedrichs, Maya Stewart, Caitlyn Halse. REPLACEMENTS: Tania Naden, Lydia Kavoa, Alapeta Ngauamo, Ashley Fernandez, Ashley Marsters, Layne Morgan, Tia Hinds, Waiaria Ellis.
The headline inclusion for Australia is winger (Wallaroos’ all-time leading try-scorer) Maya Stewart who returns from knee surgery in May. Stewart starts on the right wing in one of five changes by coach Yapp.
Stewart’s return shifts Waiaria Ellis to the bench while Faitala Moleka and Samantha Wood form a new-look halves combination, starting at flyhalf and scrumhalf respectively. Tia Hinds and Layne Morgan move to the reserves alongside last week’s starters Lydia Kavoa and Ashley Marsters, with Western Force’s Alapeta Ngauamo also on the pine to replace the injured Eva Karpani (back) and Bree-Anna Browne (leg).
Former captain Michaela Leonard and Piper Duck both come into the starting pack while Faliki Pohiva has overcome a hamstring injury and will start in the front row. Wallaroos centre Trilleen Pomare will notch her 40th Test cap, becoming the second player to do so in history, while captain Emily Chancellor will reach her 30th milestone.
Preamble
Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the women’s rugby international between Australia and Wales at the beautiful (but very soggy) North Sydney Oval.
This is the second clash between these sides after Wales got the chocolates in game one last Saturday, upsetting the Wallaroos 21-12 in stormy Brisbane. That clash was the first ever between these sides on Australian soil and the home side were expected to boss the visitors as they had done in seven wins across the last eight matches.
Since Australia’s 37-5 victory last year, the odds against Wales had lengthened even further. Indeed, the tourists went into the first Test with a new coach, new captain, three debutants and seven players under the age of 21! Yet, after leaking an early try to Annabelle Cody, the women in red rallied, going to half-time leading 14-12 after a Nel Metcalfe double. Post-oranges they quickly crossed the stripe again through Hannah Jones, then bravely held the Wallaroos scoreless for the final 38 minutes of the game.
The result was huge for Wales and a disaster for Australia. Jo Yapp’s side take a 2025 win-loss of 2-4 into this game. Encouraging victories over the Fijiana and USA in May have since been undone by heavy losses to New Zealand (twice) and Canada before last weekend’s boilover to a side ranked four slots below them in the world rankings. Since the Brisbane boilover Wales have risen from 10th to 9th and Australia have slumped from 6th to 8th.
So there’s plenty on the line tonight for both sides, particularly given this will be the last Test before the Rugby World Cup in England. Australia will announce their 32-player squad on 11 August ahead of a first pool match against Samoa on August 23. The Wallaroos then face the USA in York (Aug 31) before a monster match with England at Brighton on 7 September.
Kick off tonight is 7pm (or 10am BST) and I’ll be back shortly with the team lineups.
