Nel Metcalfe returns as Wales name 30-player squad for Japan Tests

Nel Metcalfe is back in a Wales shirt.

The 21-year-old Gloucester-Hartpury full-back has been named in head coach Sean Lynn's 30-player squad for a two-Test tour of Japan, according to BBC Sport. She missed the 2026 Women's Six Nations with a knee injury. Her return is the headline call.

Flankers Alex Callender and Kate Williams will co-captain the touring party. Flankers are the breakdown specialists, the players who hunt for the ball on the floor after a tackle. Lynn has stuck with the shared leadership.

Wales face Japan at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo on Saturday, 24 October at 10:30 BST. The teams meet again seven days later at Kumagaya Rugby Stadium in Saitama Prefecture, with kick-off at 07:00 GMT.

Metcalfe plays full-back, the last line of defence behind the main line and often the launchpad for counter-attacks. She was listed among the backs in the squad announcement. She is only 21.

Her absence in the spring was felt. The Six Nations is union's annual championship between Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland, France and Italy, and losing a young starting back for the whole campaign hurts. A tour is a kinder way back, with time together on the training pitch.

There is fresh blood up front too. Uncapped props Stella Orrin and Crystal James are both included. Props are the front-row forwards who anchor the scrum, the set-piece where the two packs lock together and push.

The two Tests will close Wales's 2026 WXV Global Series campaign, their end-of-year run of internationals. Japan are ranked 11th in the world, one place above Wales, according to the Welsh Rugby Union. That is a small gap. It still matters.

For fans, this means a proper measure. Two away games, a week apart, against a team just ahead of Wales in the pecking order. Expect Lynn to blend experience with a look at the future, and expect Japan to test Wales for pace and stamina.