USA edge Wales 26-24 in Cardiff thriller
The United States held on for a 26-24 win over Wales at Cardiff Arms Park in the WXV, World Rugby's global women's tournament.
Two points separated the sides at the final whistle. More than 3,000 fans watched in the capital, according to BBC Sport.
It was a sharp comedown for Wales. Head coach Sean Lynn's side had beaten South Africa earlier in the series to end a run of nine straight international defeats. The USA, ranked sixth in the world, proved a step too far.
Wales are led by co-captains Alex Callender and Kate Williams. Hooker Kelsey Jones, the front-row forward at the centre of the scrum, said the players were left disappointed and frustrated by the narrow loss.
Jones added that Wales are playing a brand of rugby not seen from the team in a while. The focus now, she said, is on small fixes before two Tests in Japan in October.
Williams struck a similar note. She said Wales believe they can win Test matches and will learn from the American defeat.
Lynn also stayed upbeat. He said he had seen enough progress and grit from his side despite the result, in comments reported on 26 September by BBC Sport.
Wales now have a week off before the double-header in Japan. That trip follows a difficult stretch for the squad.
Wales lost all five matches in the 2025 Six Nations. It was the first time a Wales women's team had finished the championship without a win, as reported by BBC Sport.
Injuries have not helped. Seren Lockwood missed the USA Test after failing a head injury assessment, the mandatory check after a suspected head knock. Kayleigh Powell was ruled out of the entire WXV campaign.
There has been change off the field too. Gareth Harris has joined the coaching team to lead strength and conditioning.
What makes this stand out is the mix of frustration and belief. Wales pushed a top-six nation to the final play. They did it after years of heavy defeats and weeks of disruption. For fans, this means Japan is the next test of whether close is becoming close enough.
