Wales Set to Face Spain in WXV2 Play-Off
Centre Kerin Lake will earn her 50th cap for Wales as they take on Spain in the crucial WXV2 play-off match on Saturday at Cardiff Arms Park. The Welsh side needs a victory over the Rugby Europe Women’s Championship winners to secure their place in the second tier of the global WXV competition this autumn.
A win would also guarantee Wales’ qualification for next year’s Rugby World Cup in England.
Lake, who was part of the Gloucester-Hartpury squad that won the Premiership Women’s Rugby title last weekend, is one of seven players in the Wales lineup with top-level domestic experience.
Head coach Ioan Cunningham has largely retained the same starting XV that secured Wales’ only Six Nations win against Italy earlier this year. The only changes see Georgia Evans moving to lock alongside Abbie Fleming, while Bethan Lewis comes in at number eight.
“The focus all of this week has been on what we need to do and how we are going to play, and making sure we have the detail in our game right,” said Cunningham. “We need to play with tempo and know Spain will view this vital game as a way to make a statement.”
Wales will be aiming to build on their Six Nations victory and celebrate Lake’s 50th cap milestone with a crucial win over Spain, who are currently ranked 13th in the world, five places behind the Welsh side. The match will be broadcast live on S4C, BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru, as well as on the BBC Sport website and app.
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