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Women's Six Nations 2023: Wales make seven changes to face France

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Published in Rugby
Friday, 21 April 2023 04:33

Wales head coach Ioan Cunningham has made seven changes for Sunday's Six Nations game against France in Grenoble.

Prop Abbey Constable becomes the third new Wales cap during this Six Nations campaign, while flanker Kate Williams makes her first start.

Constable is joined in an all new front row by Carys Phillips and Cerys Hale.

Wing Carys Williams-Morris, centre Lleucu George and Ffion Lewis at scrum-half also come into the side.

Lewis replaces Keira Bevan who started the 59-3 defeat by England while Williams-Morris missed that game to play for the RAF.

George has recovered from injury to replace Hannah Bluck at centre alongside captain Hannah Jones.

Prop Sisilia Tuipulotu, who was player of the match in Wales' opening two victories, is amongst the replacements having been managing injury concerns.

Her place at tight-head goes to Hale, while constable replaces Gwenllian Pyrs who drops to the bench along with hooker Kelsey Jones.

"Abbey Constable makes her debut and she has worked hard in training throughout this Six Nations campaign and we are all excited to see how she performs," said Cunningham.

"She will be our third new cap in this tournament and, like Kate Williams, it's an opportunity to show what we have seen in training."

Cunningham also praised fly-half Elinor Snowsill, who will win her 75th Wales cap.

"That is an achievement that should be celebrated by everyone in Welsh rugby. Snowy's experience and calmness at fly-half will be invaluable against France.

"France will be a major test for us, they are one of the best teams in the world and we always knew playing England and then playing France away was going to be a major challenge.

"But these are the tests we want, we are an ambitious team and we need to know where we are and we have made no secret that we have to build our strength in depth ahead of the next World Cup.

"We have reviewed the performance against England and we proved we can compete and proved we can cause the best in the world problems, we just have to do it for longer."

France are unbeaten in the tournament and like England have been potent in attack, running in 21 tries in the first three rounds.

Wales started the campaign brightly with two bonus-point wins from two before being on the end of the sobering nine-try defeat at home against England last weekend.

France were World Cup semi-finalists last November and are currently ranked third in the world.

They have won all but one of their last 14 meetings with Wales, their most recent defeat was at the Gnoll in 2016.

While the statistics are not in their favour, Cunningham said he was "confident" of taking France on up front.

"Our forwards have been excellent this campaign, I think we have improved as a forward pack as well since the World Cup, so we are excited for it," he told BBC Sport Wales.

"As soon as they [France] get some front foot ball they are pretty hard to stop, they play with speed, they can go through you as well as go around you, so our contacts and first up hits are going to be key."

More than 20,000 tickets have been sold so far for the fixture at Stade des Alpes, something Cunningham says his side will relish after playing at a sold-out Cardiff Arms Park last weekend.

"It is going to be a great environment and a great occasion. The crowd is going to be good, so we are really looking forward to it," he said.

France coach Gaelle Mignot has made four changes, including one positional, to the side that beat Scotland 55-0 in Vannes.

Charlotte Escudero switches to flannker to make way for Romane Menager, a try-scoring replacement against Scotland, to start at number eight.

Cyrielle Banet replaces Caroline Boujard on the wing while Alexandra Chambon starts at scrum-half in front of her home crowd in Grenoble, to join Jessy Tremouliere in her final home match for Les Bleus.

Wales: Courtney Keight; Lisa Neumann, Hannah Jones (capt), Lleucu George, Carys Williams- Morris; Elinor Snowsill, Ffion Lewis; Abbey Constable, Carys Phillips, Cerys Hale, Abbie Fleming, Georgia Evans, Bethan Lewis, Kate Williams, Sioned Harries.

Replacements: Kelsey Jones, Gwenllian Pyrs, Sisilia Tuipulotu, Bryonie King, Alex Callender, Keira Bevan, Robyn Wilkins, Niamh Terry.

France: Emilie Boulard; Cyrielle Banet, Marine Menager, Gabrielle Vernier, Melissande Llorens; Jessy Tremouliere, Alexandra Chambon; Yllana Brosseau, Agathe Sochat, Assia Khalfaoui, Maelle Picut, Audrey Forlani (capt), Charlotte Escudero, Gaelle Hermet, Romane Menager.

Replacements: Elisa Riffonneau, Ambre Mwayembe, Rose Bernadou, Manae Feleu, Emeline Gros, Margaux Duces, Carla Arbez, Maelle Filopon.

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