Sean Lynn blooded three new caps in the Vodafone Wales WXV Series win over South Africa, but he also gave another rookie her first start in the senior side.
Not that the Gwalia Lightning centre Freya Bell looked anything but at hope as she slotted into the Welsh midfield between two of the stalwarts of the side, Keira Bevan and Courtney Keight.
She produced a performance right out of the top drawer and added a new element to Lynn’s side with her kicking out of hand and at goal.
The 21-year-old Cardiff Met student certainly left her mark on proceedings, as well as picking up five conversions, and just wants to build on that performance – starting with the game against the USA at the Arms Park on Saturday, 26 September.
“We’re over the moon with the win against South Africa, but there’s still plenty to work on. The USA have a different set of strengths—they are big, athletic, and ranked above us,” said Bell.
“We have to park Friday night, stick strictly to our processes, and bring that same energy. Then we head to Japan, which will be another brilliant experience against a totally different style of rugby.
“Playing in front of such a big, loud crowd last weekend was a bit surreal and it was special to see all the hard work from pre-season pay off was special. There was a real buzz in camp beforehand, and on the pitch everyone backed each other from start to finish.
“Getting the win—and seeing teammates earn their first caps—made it an amazing night. I was just so grateful to get the start, and the coaches have showed confidence in backing younger players, which gave me confidence too.
“Goal-kicking was an exciting responsibility and something I’d been working hard on throughout pre-season. It was a massive relief to see that first kick sail through the uprights, and it felt great from then on.
“I’ve always loved kicking since I first started playing rugby and now I’m just trying to showcase that in my game.”
A latecomer to rugby, she turned her back on football, cricket and netball to take up the game of which both her father and brother are huge fans. She made the
“I grew up in a very sporty family in Horsham, West Sussex. As a kid I played football, netball, and cricket—pretty much everything except rugby!” she added.
“My dad and brother are huge rugby fans, so I decided to give it a go when I was 16 at Horsham RFC. From there, I played county rugby for Sussex, got selected for the Harlequins Centre of Excellence, and eventually came into the Welsh pathway at U20 level.
“My grandmother—my mum’s mum—was born in Pontypridd. She was the biggest Welsh rugby supporter you could ever meet and always dreamed of seeing me play for Wales.
“She’s sadly no longer with us, but I always wanted to make her proud. When the chance came to enter the Welsh pathway, I jumped at it and have never looked back.”