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- Wales face Scotland in World Cup Pool B (kick-off 5.45am BST, live on ITV)
- World Cup predictions: Our experts’ verdicts on who will lift the trophy
06:30 AM
40 mins Wales 15 – 5 Scotland
And that’s it for the first half, which was a bit stop starty. Wales look the brighter side and have been much more direct and aggressive going forward – Carys Phillips their hooker and Harries have put in very big shifts so far. Can they kick on from here?
Scotland need to find their mojo and fast if they are to have any hope of making the knockouts. They’ve been playing down the middle a lot and have barely utilised their wings.
06:26 AM
35 mins Wales 15 – 5 Scotland
Oh dear. Scotland win a penalty deep in Wales’ 22 and opt to go for the posts. It’s right in front of the uprights, but Nelson makes an absolute mess of it and doesn’t strike it cleanly. You wonder how vital that might be in the latter stages of the game.
06:22 AM
33 mins Wales 15 – 5 Scotland
Slick hands from Wales finds Lisa Neumann on the wing and the Sale Sharks player charges down her flank but is abruptly felled and she knocks on. Scotland make a mess of the scrum and Wales regain possession, recycle it quickly and stretch Scotland’s defence and… Kayleigh Powell finds herself in acres of space and glides over! Snowsill unsuccessful from the tee.
06:16 AM
30 mins Wales 10 – 5 Scotland
Nelson can’t add the extras, but it’s game on.
06:14 AM
28 mins Wales 10 – 5 Scotland
Wales are looking far sharper at the moment, especially in attack – Kayleigh Powell has just enjoyed a short burst down her wing, although Scotland are beginning to grow into the game a bit. Scotland have a scrum on the edge of Wales’ 22 and launch a fresh assault. Rhona Lloyd bodyslams into a Welsh shirt and her team edge closer to the try-line… they draw the penalty from Wales and Nelson kicks to the corner, where a pocket of Scottish fans are growing louder by the minute. They try their luck through some patient forward pod work but the Welsh door remains shut, so they ship it across the field and suddenly winger Chloe Rollie finds herself in acres of space on her wing. She’s quickly smothered and a few phases later Scotland are still no closer. But.. another penalty!
Nelson nudges it into touch again and this time Scotland do not need another invitation. Their maul clicks into gear and Lana Skeldon crashes over!
06:03 AM
14 mins Wales 10 – 0 Scotland
Bryan Easson’s side aren’t having much luck at the moment, as Helen Nelson lines up a penalty kick of her own after their first foray in Wales’ 22, but it falls wide of the posts.
06:00 AM
12 mins Wales 10 – 0 Scotland
Snowsill splits the posts with a penalty kick after further indiscipline from Scotland, who just can’t seem to get into this game at the moment. It’s worth remembering a core group of this Welsh side have been full-time athletes since the start of the year, and so far it’s telling.
05:57 AM
Welsh support in Whangarei
05:54 AM
7 mins Wales 7 – 0 Scotland
Snowsill nudges over the extras. There’s a lot of Welsh fans in the crowd here… speckled with the odd tartan bunnet.
05:51 AM
5 mins Wales 5 – 0 Scotland
Wales enjoy some early possession in Scotland’s half and win a penalty. Snowsill kicks for touch and they set up their driving maul from the ensuing lineout, but the Scottish defence is up for the challenge… only to concede another penalty for an illegal infringement. Wales go again and there’s a roar in the corner of Okara Park…and Alisha Butchers has crashed over for an early try! A dream start for Wales.
05:42 AM
Traditional Maori welcome
We have a man and a woman in traditional Maori dress who have stepped out onto the pitch, as has been the custom for each game so far at this tournament. It really is quite breathtaking to behold.
Now for the anthems. The sound system is a bit out of sync with Wales’ singing but no big dramas. Both have been sung with gusto.
05:37 AM
The last time these two side met
..was in this year’s Women’s Six Nations. Wales edged it 24-19.
05:33 AM
Scotland team
This is Scotland’s first Rugby World Cup match for 12 years – their first since a 32-8 loss to Ireland in the seventh-place play-off at England 2010.
C Rollie; R Lloyd, H Smith, L Thomson, M Gaffney; H Nelson, C Mattinson; M Wright, L Skeldon, C Belisle, E Wassell, S Bonar, R Malcolm, L Mcmillan, J Konkel-Roberts.
Replacements: J Rettie, L Bartlett, E Clarke, L O’Donnell, E Sinclair, M McDonald, M Smith, S Campbell.
05:33 AM
Keep an eye out for..
… Wales’ No.8 Sioned Harries. No forward scored more tries than Harries (four) at the Rugby World Cup 2017 and she’s been absolutely beasting it for Wales of late.
05:29 AM
Let’s take a look at Wales
A few interesting selection choices from head coach Ioan Cunningham – particularly Megan Webb at centre, who makes her first start for Wales since the February 2020 against France in the Six Nations.
K Powell; J Joyce, M Webb, H Jones, L Neumann; E Snowsill, F Lewis; C Hope, C Phillips, D Rose, N John, G Evans, A Butchers, A Callender, S Harries.
Replacements: K Jones, C Thomas, C Hale, S Lillicrap, B Lewis, K Bevan, R Wilkins, L Norkett.
05:21 AM
A very good morning to you
Welcome to day two of the women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. It’s rather wet and windy Whangarei, New Zealand’s most northern city, where our live coverage of Wales v Scotland will kick off very soon at Okara Park. Very apt conditions for this all-British affair.
The match is due to get underway at 5.45am BST (you can watch on ITV) and it’s an important game for both sides, who have faced each other hundreds of times in the Women’s Six Nations and know each other’s game fairly well. But this one has a different feel to it.
The significance of this clash cannot be overstated – whoever loses will face a massive uphill task to qualify for the knockouts, with Pool A also featuring New Zealand and Australia.
Wales coach Ioan Cunningham has admitted as much in the build-up to today’s game: “Scotland are a very decent side and it will be a different game.
“You can look back at that game in Six Nations [when Wales won 24-19] but both sides have changed since that game. It is who adapts and reacts best on the day and who reacts to the occasion.
“We hope to hit the ground running and try to capitalise on the chances we make. It’s about taking every chance that comes our way. There are no second chances in what is effectively knock-out rugby.”
Scotland head coach Bryan Easson, meanwhile, hailed his side’s build-up to the tournament and said they are “raring to go” against Wales.
He added: “When the players take to the pitch, it will mark a moment that has been 12 years in the making for Scotland Women so it will be incredibly poignant for everyone involved and hopefully for those watching back home too.”
Easson has named a settled starting XV which includes 13 players who started Scotland’s last game against USA in August.
Wales, meanwhile, will give Meg Webb her first start in more than two years, with Cunningham saying he had to sort through “a lot of selection headaches” before picking his 23.
Stick with us for all the build-up and team news from Wales v Scotland before kick-off and then live updates throughout, plus all the post-match reaction.