Women’s Rugby World Cup: England lead contenders for tournament

Of more damage to Wales’ hopes than that scoreline may be an ankle injury suffered by co-captain Alex Callender.

The number eight has been named in Wales’ squad, but is a doubt for that important opener against Scotland.

“We have to leave Australia in Australia and then it is about the focal point of the World Cup,” said Lynn after the second Test defeat.

Wales have also gone through their own contracts dispute, with players claiming they were blackmailed into signing deals by the Welsh Rugby Union’s (WRU) hard-ball negotiating tactics and threats to cancel matches last year.

The WRU has since apologised and said it should have done better.

Star wing Jasmine Joyce-Butchers, who made her debut in 2017, says the current environment is one of the best she has experienced with Wales.

“The girls are brilliant – Lynny [Sean Lynn] and the coaching staff have been outstanding,” she said.

“It’s definitely a place now where I can be my true self and express who I am and I don’t get judged for that.

“We’ve just got to remember that we are in such a better place than we were last year.”

As an appetiser for the tournament, New Zealand’s 27-27 draw with Canada, external in Christchurch in May was hard to beat.

A hammer-and-tongs contest, with the two sides never separated by more than seven points, ended with a 22-phase, 83rd-minute Black Ferns try levelling the score and a conversion to snatch victory flying wide.

Holders New Zealand have a habit of peaking for the World Cup – winning six of the eight they have competed at.

After losing six out of 10 games during a difficult 12 months from mid-October 2023, head coach Allan Bunting believes his team are rising to the occasion once more.

“We’re a different team now,” Bunting said.

“I don’t think Canada and England have experienced the team that we are now. So it’s going to be which team steps up when they need to.”