Wales have made wholesale changes for their final Pool game against tournament favourites New Zealand in the Women’s Rugby World Cup being staged in Guildford.
With consecutive defeats behind them, Jason Lewis has announced a team with 10 changes to the one which lost narrowly to South Africa on Saturday. The changes include four positional with skipper Mellissa Berry moving from the midfield to the back of the scrum while flanker Sioned Harries moves into the second row.
In the backs Non Evans switches from full back to the wing while Naomi Thomas moves to full back from fly half.
There are four changes to the backline with Amy Day and Awen Thomas forming a new halfback partnership while Clare Flowers and Elen Evans return to the midfield.
“We have had one girl go home and one or two are carrying injuries so to some extent we were forced to make some of the changes,” said Wales head coach Jason Lewis. “On paper they don’t come much tougher than New Zealand but we feel there are opportunities within the game to have a go at them at certain things.
“There is no reason whatsoever why the girls can’t go out there and pull off a shock result.”
Louise Rickard, with 110 caps behind her as a wing or fullback, has been named on the bench as second row cover while uncapped No 8 Vici Owens and centre Adi Taviner make their first appearance on the bench.
Wales v New Zealand
Surrey Sports Park, Sat 28 Aug, KO 2.00pm
15 Naomi Thomas
14 Caryl James
13 Elen Evans
12 Clare Flowers
11 Non Evans
10 Awen Thomas
9 Amy Day
1 Caryl Thomas
2 Rhian Bowden
3 Catrin Edwards
4 Gemma Hallett
5 Sioned Harries
6 Jamie Kift
7 Lisa Newton
8 Mellissa Berry (capt)
Replacements: Lowri Harries, Louise Rickard, Vici Owens, Shona Powell Hughes, Laura Prosser, Ceri Redman, Adi Taviner.
