Wales make two changes for final World Cup pool game against Australia
Wales go into their final Women's Rugby League World Cup pool match against reigning champions Australia on Sunday with two changes to the side that has struggled so far.
Head coach Tom Brindle has moved Ffion Lewis into the stand-off berth, replacing Amberley Ruck. The stand-off is the playmaker who runs the attack and decides when to kick. Carys Marsh also steps up from the bench to start at hooker, one of the middle forwards in the pack, according to the BBC.
The team news comes after a hard start. Wales lost 70-6 to England and then 76-0 to Samoa, conceding 146 points across their two games. This is Wales' first Rugby League World Cup, and they are still looking for their first win of the tournament.
Australia have been far more dominant. They have scored 118 points in their opening two matches and conceded none. The Kangaroos' women's side, the Jillaroos, are bidding for a fourth straight World Cup title, and they have lost only one international since 2016.
The biggest worry for Wales came late in the Samoa game. Jasmine Gibbons failed a head injury assessment, a set of checks carried out when a player may have taken a knock to the head. She will miss the Australia match. Wales have not said how long she will be out, and the squad will be watching her closely.
There is some good news on the team sheet. Dani McGifford returns as the squad's 18th player, the reserve named on the matchday list who can come into the side during the game. Lucia Davies is named on the bench and could make her first appearance of the tournament. The other replacements are Kathryn Salter, Erin Williams and Gracie Hobbs.
Wales' captain Bethan Dainton will lead the side. The match will be only Wales' 16th international fixture. Their first official international came in 2021, so this is a team still building its experience at the highest level.
Australia's own changes show how deep their squad goes. The NRL's team list names Rory Muller, Ema Masi and Aliti Namoce as new faces for the Women's Round 3 fixture, which is scheduled for Sunday at 3.40pm AEDT in Sydney.
For UK viewers, that is 04:40 GMT on Sunday 1 November, an early start, but one that brings the World Cup's last pool match for Wales into the morning. Wales will want to finish the group with a performance that shows what they have been working on, even against a side as strong as Australia.
