Halifax is a far cry from Wales' usual training base in Hensol, but that is where the nation's women find themselves this week as they prepare for the first of two Rugby World Cup warm-up Tests.

It will be a final chance for the 37-player squad to impress head coach Ioan Cunningham with just four weeks to go until they fly out for the pinnacle of their sport in New Zealand.

Some eyebrows may have been raised at the team selection for the weekend - the side that enjoyed their best Six Nations finish since 2009 is barely recognisable.

Big names are missing, there is no Alisha Butchers, no Keira Bevan, no Carys Phillips, even the skipper Siwan Lillicrap must settle for a place on the bench as Hannah Jones is trusted with the armband.

But Bevan said it was always part of the plan.

"We all kind of knew the drill before we got here and what was coming.

"Ioan made it pretty clear not to read into selections and stuff. It was a perfect opportunity for him and his coaching team to see certain players who he has not seen perform at Test level.

"For us it is a different role this week and how we can help prepare the 15 and the 23 to perform to the best of their ability against Canada and paint pictures of what they are going to see.

"We are all on the same page, we want the girls to do well, we want Ioan to have tough decisions when it comes to picking his team."

Cunningham has included three uncapped players in the match day squad, with Carys Williams-Morris and Lowri Norkett in the starting XV and Eloise Hayward named among the replacements.

With an impressive physical stature, big things are expected of RAF officer Williams-Morris, who previously won five caps for England.

She could be the first of a number of players who make the switch across the border now World Rugby has changed its eligibility rules with Cunningham hinting he is already looking at another.

He also revealed his plans for one of the Wales' most exciting young talents in Sisilia Tuipulotu, the cousin of Wales and British and Irish Lions number eight Taulupe Faletau.

The 19-year-old featured in the second row for her previous two caps, but the coaches have spent the summer transitioning her into the front row, where Cunningham believes she will be a world class tight-head.

"We had good discussions with Sisilia of where we see her," he said.

"If you look at all her skills sets, she is super strong, she is physical and once she nails the technical side of the scrum she is going to be impressive… we are confident that when she gets there, because she is still very young, she is going to be the best in the world."

Canada are opposition familiar to Wales, the two sides met last autumn and locked horns again this week in a training game.

Wales will be using this Test to see where they are compared to last November, now that 29 of their squad are full-time players.

Cunningham has made no secret of the fact that he wants his side to be the fittest at the World Cup, he even dubbed their pre-season "Project GI Jane".

Lillicrap believes the intensity of their training has paid off, with significant gains since more professional contracts were handed out in July.

"I've never known the bell to ring so much in the gym, there is a PB (personal best) bell and even out here in Canada there is a bell in the gym we are using, and that was dinging this morning," she said.

"It just shows that we are constantly bettering ourselves physically, fitness wise, but also strength and power wise so it does make a huge difference.

"I've never known PBs to come in as much as they have.

"We actually had a presentation last week by a nutritionist and the gains we have made physically in muscle mass and fat as well have been huge as a squad over this period, so something is definitely working."