Mimi Xu Makes World Junior Tennis Rankings Top 10
Rhodri Evans
Welsh tennis prospect Mimi Xu has broken into the top 10 of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior world rankings.
Xu, who was a Sportin Wales cover star in July 2023, has achieved this feat at the age of just 16.
This is not the only milestone Xu has achieved in her young career so far. In 2021, she competed at Junior Wimbledon was she was just 13, becoming the youngest ever Welsh participant of the prestigious tournament.
Xu’s excellent start to the 2024 season, including reaching the French Open girls doubles quarterfinals with partner Hannah Klugman, has been rewarded with at place in the top 10 of the ITF junior rankings.
“I am incredibly proud and humbled to reach the top 10 in the ITF junior world rankings,” said Xu.
“This achievement reflects the hard work and dedication that my team and I have put into my development. I am excited for what the future holds and will continue to strive for excellence in my career.”
Speaking to Sportin Wales in July 2023, Xu said that the best experience of her career so far has been winning 18U GB Nationals.
“The biggest and my favourite experience so far has to be winning the 18U GB Nationals, and earning a Wimbledon qualifying wildcard for women’s,” Xu added.
“My experience playing Wimbledon qualifying was a mixture of amazing and nerve racking. Overall though, I was just so excited.
“Another memorable moment was playing my first abroad tournament without my parents at 11 years old. I went to play the Top 11/12 in Bressuire, France and at the time it was the longest I’d ever been away from home, and the first time I’d been abroad for a tournament. I was extremely homesick, however I ended up winning both singles and doubles. I learnt so much about myself and tennis on an international level on that trip.”
Chris Lewis, Head of Performance for Tennis Wales, added: “Mimi’s achievement is a testament to her incredible talent and relentless hard work.
“She is an inspiration to aspiring tennis players across the country, and we look forward to supporting her as she competes this summer in the grass court season.”
Xu is set to compete in the girl’s and women’s competition at Wimbledon, having secured a place in the Ladies Qualifying event.
The Swansea tennis player is a driven character who looks to have the right attitude to forge a successful career in the future.
“I believe as long as I put 110% into anything that I do the results will eventually come,” said Xu
“Anytime I go out onto the court I want to leave the court without any regrets as I then know I have tried my absolute best, which gives me confidence in myself.
“Enjoying the game simply comes from me loving to play and compete, so seeing games as a chance to just go and have some fun, whilst my competitive side always wanting to win.”
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Ken Owens Joins Cardiff Dragons Board
Rhodri Evans
Ken Owens has joined the board of Cardiff Dragons as a director.
The former Wales rugby captain has joined the Netball Super League side in a non-executive role, following Dragons confirmation that they will be one of the eight new professional sides competing in the revamped competition.
Rebranded as LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons, the side are moving home games to the Utilita Arena and looking to build on an improved 2024 season in which they are set for a mid-table finish.
The ex-Scarlets hooker retired in April after a 18-year professional career that included 91 caps for Wales and more than 250 games for Scarlets.
At international level, Owens won four Six Nations titles, played at three World Cups and toured with the British and Irish Lions in 2017 and 2021.
Owens, 37, was previously the chair of the Welsh Rugby Players’ Association and member of the International Rugby Players’ Council and was front and centre of the breakdown in talks between players and the WRU in 2023.
“I’m hugely interested in sports governance and the opportunity to go and work in a different sport, and gain new experiences and learn new things, is very exciting,” Owens said.
“Obviously, with the advent of the new era of Super League Netball, it’s a great time to get involved. I’m newly retired now, so I’ll have a lot more time on my hands to be able to contribute in whichever way I can and support their dream of becoming a fully professional outfit.
“I’m a big supporter of netball. My wife used to play and I’ve still got friends who play and are involved in the sport.”
Owens, though, admits he will not be offering any expertise in terms of on-court skill.
“I did play a little bit of netball when I was at school, but I wasn’t very good,” he joked.
“Probably because I was over-keen on the contact side of things!
“But it’s a great sport, free-flowing and fast-paced. It’s a great to watch live as a spectator and I think with the new Super League plan, it’s only going to grow and engage with new audiences.”
Dragons chief executive Vicki Sutton is hopeful Owens’ arrival on the board is another reflection of the club’s growth and development.
“Everyone in Wales knows who Ken is, so it’s a good fit because we want everyone in Wales to know who the Cardiff Dragons are,” said Sutton.
“Ken will bring a huge amount to the board. He loves netball, he knows professional sport because he has spent more than half his life within it. He will be able to advise our board and management teams what professional sport really looks like and what the players require.
“He will also be able to advise me on what a high-performance sport business looks like, so he has lots of attributes and lots of skills we can tap into.”
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Wales Sport Round-Up: Catch Up On The Weekend's Action
Rhodri Evans
Happy Monday readers! Sportin Wales took advantage of the weather this weekend, taking in as much sport as possible. In case you missed any, we’ve rounded up the best of the action below:
Rob Page On The Ropes After Slovakia Humbling
Wales manager Rob Page admitted he “completely understands” why the fans what him to leave his post in the wake to their 4-0 defeat to Slovakia on Sunday evening.
Wales competed for the first half before Juraj Kucka’s long range strike beat the possibly unsighted Danny Ward on the stroke of half time. EURO 2024-bound Slovakia were buoyed by the lead and were dominant in the second period.
A brace from striker Robert Bozenik took the game well away from Wales, before Laszlo Benes capped off a dismal evening in Trnava with a curling effort.
This defeat is another poor result against a team below Wales in the FIFA world rankings, following their frustrating 0-0 draw with Gibraltar on Thursday evening.
It was clear that Page is fighting for his job in his post-match comments and, with the next set of fixtures not until September, there will be plenty of speculation about his job in the interim.
“They [fans] want me out. I completely understand. I’ve got to stay true to myself and focused on the job in hand. Everything else is out of my control,” Page said.
“I clapped them with the players and when the players walked, I made a point of going over to the supporters and saying ‘it’s on me’. I get the frustration. [I feel] low, disappointed, of course. I’m human at the end of the day and nobody wants to fail.
“I’m the wrong person to be asking. Only the board, the chief executive, the president, the technical director – that’s a question for them.
“After camp, we have a conversation with Dave Adams [Football Association of Wales technical director] and Steve [Williams, FAW president] and Noel [Mooney, FAW chief executive]. Of course we’ll have those conversations. One way or the other, we will decide on what’s right for Wales and move forward.”
Battling Ospreys Lose URC Quarter-Final
Ospreys saw their season end thanks to a 23-7 defeat at the hands of Munster in the United Rugby Championship quarter-final stage.
First half tries from Niall Scannell and Simon Zebo, either side of Keelan Giles’ thrilling effort gave Munster a slim lead.
Either side of half time, Ospreys struggled to control the game as they failed to score before the break despite four lineouts and one scrum inside the home side’s 22.
After the break, they defended valiantly to prevent further tries, but were let down by their ill-discipline in the middle third of the pitch as the boot of Jack Crowley settled the match for Munster.
Ospreys head coach Toby Booth has created a side that plays with tenacity and desire in all phases and it showed, with the visitors failing to gave an inch right up until the final whistle.
“My overriding feeling is of pride for the team,” Booth said.
“We can reflect on how we get better but right now a sense of pride, and sadness actually, because to say goodbye to some members of that group – Nicky Smith in particular – is an emotional moment for the team.
“But we’ve given it our best. We certainly gave it our all, lost a few key moments when it really mattered and the second half was difficult because we couldn’t get out of our half. We competed hard – a few discipline elements where you over compete – but that’s part of the growth of the team.”
Booth’s side have been Welsh rugby’s shinning light this season and Ospreys’ bead coach warns that his job will be even harder next season, with further reduced budgets for the regions.
“We had a lot of departures last year and the budgets are still going backwards so it’s difficult,” Booth added.
“But that plan of developing our own from day one when I got here four seasons ago and bits and pieces means we’re probably got in front of the curve a little bit. The youngsters and the team will be better for that experience and all the experience this year.”
Cardiff Dragons Homecoming Falls Flat
Cardiff Dragons first game at the Utilita Arena ended in a 43-51 defeat to Leeds Rhinos on Saturday evening.
The Dragons, buoyed by the confirmation of their place in the new eight-team Netball Super League, moved from House of Sport to the bigger Utilita Arena in preparation for next season.
The home side led 12-11 after the first quarter, but Leeds stormed back to take a 7-goal lead into halftime and showed their quality to stay in control for the third and fourth quarters.
With competition set to be even fiercer next season, Dragons will be bidding to improve their 7th place standing, with one game left against basement club Team Bath this Saturday.
Glamorgan Continue Hit And Miss Season
One thing you will hear this season from Glamorgan staff and players is consistency. That elusive quality that takes decent teams and makes them great.
Glamorgan are certainly that this season. A stellar batting line-up for Division Two cricket has brought the security of draws, while an underpowered bowling attack has struggled to take the 20 wickets required to win matches.
For the last couple of weeks, T20 cricket has been the dish of the day and, in typical Glamorgan style, have been inconsistent.
A first game lose at home to Surrey’s galacticos is nothing to get too down about, and they bounced back with strong victories over Sussex and Middlesex. Just as the consistency was building, their tight defeat at the hands of Essex has pushed them back into mid-table.
With ten group games still to go, Glamorgan are still well within a chance of qualifying for the quarter finals and maybe even a first finals day appearance since 2017.
Horse Takes Revenge In 2024 Man vs Horse Marathon
After two consecutive years of man beating horse, it was a horse that won 2024’s Man Vs Horse competition.
Merlon, ridden by Georgina Silk, won with a time of 2 hours, 37 minutes, and 41 seconds, while the next fastest human was Peter Taylor-Bray, who finished 11 minutes behind.
With Taylor-Bray placing in fifth, the rest of the top four were made up with horses: Phoenix, ridden by Georgina Silk; Poppy, ridden by Mary Craney; and Ltf Emiyon, ridden Nia Edwards.
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Valiant Ospreys Bow Out At Quarter-Final Stage
Rhodri Evans
Ospreys saw their season end thanks to a 23-7 defeat at the hands of Munster in the United Rugby Championship quarter-final stage.
First half tries from Niall Scannell and Simon Zebo, either side of Keelan Giles’ thrilling effort gave Munster a slim lead.
Either side of half time, Ospreys struggled to control the game as they failed to score before the break despite four lineouts and one scrum inside the home side’s 22.
After the break, they defended valiantly to prevent further tries, but were let down by their ill-discipline in the middle third of the pitch as the boot of Jack Crowley settled the match for Munster.
Ospreys head coach Toby Booth has created a side that plays with tenacity and desire in all phases and it showed, with the visitors failing to gave an inch right up until the final whistle.
The match started at some pace, Simon Zebo crossing from Munster’s first possession of the game. After several positive phases, the home side worked the ball to the right and Zebo showed all his experience to fix Keelan Giles and go past him for the opening score.
Giles would respond emphatically just three minutes later as Reuben Morgan-Williams’ chip bounced perfectly for Owen Watkin to gather and play a glorious flick out the back to Morgan Morris on the crash. The Ospreys number eight showed supreme clarity to pass to the quicker man in Giles, rather than take the ball ball into contact.
Once Giles got the ball it was a foot race that only one man was going to win. Owen Williams added the extras and the game was all tied up.
Throughout the contest, both sides showed their prowess at set pieces. Munster, who have a formidable second row of RG Snyman and Tadhg Beirne, used their lineout to great effect, leading to Niall Scannell score that retook the lead for the Irish region.
After the early scare that Ospreys gave them, Munster controlled things well, with a quality befitting the best side in the URC this season.
Ospreys’ discipline was found wanting, and Crowley banged over a penalty to extend the lead to 10.
Toby Booth’s side were getting ascendency at scrum time, though, and a penalty won by Nicky Smith’s good work gave the visitors a rare attacking platform.
Wales’ World Cup captains combined for a smart move off the lineout, around the short side but Craig Casey and Jeremy Loughman were wise to it. Munster cleared but Ospreys came again, only for Watkin to drop the ball after being put under considerable pressure.
Ospreys came again with trademark tenacity. A five metre lineout was well claimed by Huw Sutton before Jac Morgan burrowed up to just two yards out. By now, Munster were giving away penalties like sweets and all Ospreys needed was to control their white-line fever.
With another penalty platform, Ospreys opted for the scrum. Munster, though, were a group possessed, winning the scrum penalty against the head and made it to halftime with their comfortable lead in tact.
The half time interval did nothing to help Ospreys stop the Munster lineout machine as another devastating maul brought the home side up to just three yards out. Phase upon phase of pure bloody minded effort from the visitors kept the waves of red away from the try line before Morris knocked on attempting the vital turnover.
A scrum and then a free kick followed and Ospreys were at in again, defending their line with laser-like focus. When Snyman knocked on, the hoards of black celebrated with relief on their faces. A scrum penalty followed and a well-earned breather could be taken.
The red arrows were not finished, though, and a few minutes later and unenforced side entry gifted Munster a way back into the 22. A scrum penalty turned the screw and Beirne pointed to the posts for Crowley to extend the lead to 13, and then 16 just two minutes later.
Ospreys tuned to an inexperienced bench – a mark of their injury issues this season that they were unable to call upon the likes of Adam Beard, Harri Deaves, George North, Jack Walsh, Dan Edwards, or Alex Cuthbert for this fixture – but they were unable to wrestle momentum from a Munster side with dead-eyed focus until the final whistle.
Ospreys fans can look back on this season with immense pride: by far the best performing Welsh region, often going toe to toe against teams with vaster squads and purses. Throw in a European quarter-final and many will rightly be singing Toby Booth and his men their due praises.
For Munster, they march on, seeking a second straight URC title, this time as favourites for the trophy.
Munster: 23 (17) Tries: Zebo, Scannell, Con: Crawley x2, Pen: Crawley x3.
Ospreys: 7 (7) Tries: Giles, Con: O Williams.
Munster Team: Zebo (Haley 53′); Nash, Frisch (Butler 69′), O’Brien, Daly; Crowley, Casey (C Murray 58′); Loughman (J Ryan 63′), Scannell (Barron 46′), Archer (Jager 46′); Snyman, Beirne (c); O’Mahony (O’Donoghue 46′), Hodnett (Kendellen 61′), Coombes.
Ospreys Team: Nagy (Houston 71′); L Morgan, Watkin, K Williams, Giles (Scully 78′); O Williams, Morgan-Williams (L Davies 71′); Smith (G Thomas 54′), Lake (Parry 63′), Botha (Henry 54′); Ratti, Sutton (Sekekete 71′); J Morgan, Tipuric (c), Morris (Morse 73′).
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Wales vs Gibraltar: The Stats Behind A Dismal Draw
Rhodri Evans
Rob Page was honest about his side’s performance yesterday, saying that he was “disappointed” by his side’s laboured display in their 0-0 draw with Gibraltar in Portugal yesterday.
“They are entitled to their opinion, absolutely. I get it, I completely get it,” Page said when asked about him and his side being booed at halftime and the final whistle
“I’m a Welsh supporter as well as the manager, I’m disappointed. But I have to keep saying about the bigger picture and I’ll probably get criticised for that.
“It’s the bigger picture and we’re not going to lose focus on what we’ve done.”
There were some positives: five new caps for Tom King, Fin Stevens, Jay Dasilva, Charlie Crew, and Lewis Koumas.
After failing to qualify for the 2024 European Championships, thanks to penalty heartbreak against Poland, this latest result heaps more pressure on Rob Page.
“If you’ve got a business plan and a long-term plan you can’t be emotional,” Page added.
“That’s a question you should ask the board or the chief exec or the president, not myself. I’m not going to lose focus on the long-term plan we’ve got.
“It’s a draw against a Gibraltar team that we’re really disappointed with and our focus is on getting the team and squad ready for September to win Nations League games.”
Whatever Page says, fans will point towards some pretty damning stats that outline Wales’ recent struggles. Sportin Wales have compiled some of them below:
203rd
The top line is that Wales failed to beat Gibraltar, who are the 203rd ranked team in the world, compared to Wales, who are 29th. Not only that, but this same Wales side beat yesterday’s opponents 4-0 at Y Cae Ras last October.
There were four debuts that day, one less than yesterday, with the likes of Joe Low, Wes Burns, Charlie Savage, and Liam Cullen appearing from the start in both games.
15
Wales had fifteen corners against Gibraltar and struggled to create much from any of them. Even with the introduction of Kieffer Moore – by far Rob Page’s biggest aerial threat – Wales failed to create a clear chance from set pieces.
In fact, the closest Wales came closest to a goal, not from a headed chance, but when captain Josh Sheehan’s corner hit the inside of the post, having looped over everyone in the six-yard box.
50
Before yesterday, Gibraltar had never avoided defeat against any team ranked inside the top 50 teams in the world. Ouch.
78.8%
Wales had 78.8% possession against Gibraltar and, for a team that tends towards a counter-attacking style under Page, their lack of ideas showed.
With Rabbi Matondo, Burns, Cullen, and Rubin Colwill playing across a fluid front four, Wales were not able to get the ball to them in dangerous areas nearly enough for the amount of possession they had.
Sheehan and Savage in the middle of the park had plenty of the ball but often passed sideways to Stevens and Dasilva on the flanks, rather than finding forward, penetrative passes forward.
4
Despite all the possession at 17 shots, Wales only managed to get four on target. Second half substitute Lewis Koumas came closest with his turn and shot shortly after coming on, but Gibraltar ‘keeper Jaylan Hankins needed to be tested far more than he was for Wales to win in a manner befitting their stature in international football.
1.13
From their 17 shots, Wales accumulated an xG of 1.13. That means each of Wales’ shots had an average likelihood of going in of just 6%.
Wales struggled to enter the Gibraltar box at all and especially through the middle of the pitch. They missed a target forward in the mould of Kieffer Moore to swing crosses into the box – their usual method for generating shots.
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Man Vs Horse: The Strangest Sport In Wales Is Back
Rhodri Evans
Every year, more than 800 runners compete to see if they can beat a horse over marathon distance.
Yes, you heard that correctly. Over a distance of approximately 22 miles and hilly terrain, runners will be running directly against horses and their riders in the market town of Llanwrtyd Wells.
This year, six Olympians are competing: Jason Kenny, Britain’s most successful Olympic cyclist; Sam Cross, GB Sevens silver medalist and Wales international; Heather Fisher, English 15s and 7s player who represented GB at Rio in 2016; Shona McCallin, gold medalist at hockey in Rio; Mohamed Sbihi, gold and bronze medal winning rower and flag bearer for Tokyo 2020; and Gareth Warburton, middle distance runner who appeared at London 2012.
Kenny, Cross, and Fisher are competing together for Team Crunchy, while McCallin, Sbihi, and Warburton are together in Team Smooth. Both teams will be aiming to win the relay part of the competition.
One may imagine it is impossible to beat a horse over any distance, let alone 22 miles, but four people have done it in the event’s history.
Last year, Daniel Connolly beat the first placed horse with a time of two hours, 24 minutes and 38 seconds, beating DNS Ronaldo, who was ridden by Kate Atkinson, by just under ten minutes.
Connolly joins original winner Huw Lobb (2004), Florien Holzinger (2007), and Ricky Lightfoot (2022) in the pantheon of Man vs Horse champions.
This year, humanity is looking to make it a hattrick of victories over their equine foes, as the humans slowly win back their athletic dignity after years of failure.
The event began in 1980, making Huw Lobb’s achievement all the more impressive, as the early years were horse dominated.
The idea came about following a chat over a pint in the Neuadd Arms Hotel in 1980, where the then Landlord, Gordon Green, overheard two men discussing the relative merits of men and horses running over mountainous terrain.
The enterprising Green, never one to miss an opportunity to promote Llanwrtyd Wells and improve business at his hotel, decided to put it to the test. And so began Green Events and its first, longest standing and now internationally acclaimed event, Man v Horse.
The course was changed in 1982 to provide a more even match between the man and the horse, resulting year on year in very close finishes – sometimes with the horse winning by only a few seconds.
There is a cash prize for the winner, starting at £500, escalates each year a horse wins by a further £500. The first jackpot received by Huw Lobb had reached £25,000 before being won by the inaugural champion.
Throughout its 44-year run, Man vs Horse has expanded to events in Scotland at Dores, near Loch Ness, in New Zealand, and in Prescott, Arizona.
Organiser of the event Bob Greenough was surprised that the last two winners have been runners.
“It’s the first time the event has been won two years in a row by a runner, and only the fourth time overall in 42 years of the race,” he said.
“It was an incredibly hot day today. The event went remarkably well. Everyone was in very good spirits.”
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Wales Rugby Catch Up: Ospreys Team News And Eddie James Call Up
Rhodri Evans
Ospreys have announced their team for the United Rugby Championship quarter-final match with Munster on Friday.
Toby Booth has made one change from the team that achieved qualification to the play-off stages with a 29-33 victory over Cardiff Rugby last weekend, with Owen Williams coming in for Dan Edwards at flyhalf.
Justin Tipuric captains the side and forms part of a formidable back row with Wales captain Jac Morgan and Morgan Morris at number eight.
The front five is unchanged and includes another Wales captain in Dewi Lake, who is joined by Nicky Smith and Tom Botha in the front row, and James Ratti and Huw Sutton in the second row.
Ospreys head coach Toby Booth has spoken of his ‘excitement’ at leading his team into the playoffs.
“We’ve got ourselves to the window of opportunity, and we’re excited about it,” said Booth.
“Dealing with the occasion is a challenge and how we get to show our best. We understand against the best like Munster that’s not always possible. We need to understand it’s not always about getting it your own way, sometimes you’re going to have to suffer and hang in there.
“We’re in knockout rugby, there are no second chances.”
Ospreys’ unlikely qualification has been met with widespread praise across Welsh rugby, such has been the struggles for Welsh regions in recent years.
“If Welsh teams are successful everybody wins,” said Booth.
“This is what we’re in it for, you’ve got to dare to dream. We set out at the start to get here, our goals were to get into the play-offs, get into the knockout stages of Europe, and win the Welsh shield.
“We’ve achieved all three of those and now everything is a stretched target. It is a credit to everyone in the group, the overriding emotion after last weekend was pride. We’re here now, let’s see how we do.”
Ospreys Team: Max Nagy; Luke Morgan, Owen Watkin, Keiran Williams, Keelan Giles; Owen Williams, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake, Tom Botha; James Ratti, Huw Sutton; Jac Morgan, Justin Tipuric (c), Morgan Morris.
Subs: Sam Parry, Gareth Thomas, Rhys Henry, Victor Sekekete, Morgan Morse, Luke Davies, Luke Scully, Harri Houston.
Munster Team: Simon Zebo; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Seán O’Brien, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; RG Snyman, Tadhg Beirne (c); Peter O’Mahony, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Subs: Diarmuid Barron, John Ryan, Oli Jager, Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen, Conor Murray, Tony Butler, Mike Haley.
Analysis: Ospreys’ formidable team with only six tourists
For many in Welsh rugby, this Ospreys team contains few surprises. Booth’s team have been the most successful region in Wales this season by some distance and his consistency in selection in recent weeks has contributed to their late charge to the URC playoffs.
What is surprising is that only six of the 23 – 18 of which are eligible to be called up by Gatland – are going to be representing Wales this summer.
While Keelan Giles and Sam Parry were rewarded for their domestic form this season, the continued exclusion of the likes of James Ratti, Morgan Morris, Nicky Smith, Keiran Williams, and Owen Williams has been something of a head scratcher for fans.
Never one to shy away from bold selection calls Gatland was asked specifically about Nicky Smith and Morgan Morris after the squad was announced.
“Nicky [Smith] has done alright,” Gatland said.
“It’s about continuity in selection. We know what Nicky can do and with some of those players we want to keep them in the squad and develop them.
“The best example of that is Evan Lloyd. We brought him in, saw the potential which was identified by Cardiff, saw how he improved and now he’s starting for Cardiff last weekend.”
Gatland also explained that Morris needed to work on some parts of his game before being ready for international selection.
“It’s not just the attack stuff,” the Wales coach added.
“It’s both sides of the ball. When we got through the videos with players, it’s stuff off the ball. He’s had some really good games for the Ospreys.
“We’ve got a load of good players in that position. For him, it’s working on those things.”
Eddie James gets the call
Warren Gatland has added Scarlets centre Eddie James to his squad for Wales’ summer internationals.
James brings the tally of uncapped players in the 37-player strong squad to five, with Keelan Giles, Josh Hathaway, Jacob Beetham, and Ellis Bevan also bidding to win their first caps against South Africa, Australia, and Queensland Reds.
With Mason Grady and Ben Thomas set to play outside of their usual centre positions, on the wing and at flyhalf, respectively, Gatland initially only had Owen Watkin and Nick Tompkins as out-and-out centres in the squad.
Gatland’s side face the Springboks at Twickenham on 22 June, when several players based outside Wales are unavailable for a match outside the official Test window, including Tompkins.
This means that James may be in line for a first test cap at the first opportunity. The 21-year-old was excellent against Dragons at Judgement Day and has been rewarded for a fine season.
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Wales vs Gibraltar: Six Players Who Could Make Their Debuts Tonight
Rhodri Evans
Rob Page has confirmed that he will give a number of his squad their international debuts in Thursday’s friendly with Gibraltar in Portugal.
Having missed out on qualification to EURO 2024 after March’s penalty shootout agony vs Poland, Wales have two summer friendlies – the other against Slovakia on Sunday – to experiment a little from their core of talent that has been so successful in recent years.
The most notable sign of Page giving opportunities to those on the fringes is his decision to give Josh Sheehan the captain’s armband.
The Bolton Wanderers midfielder has never even started a match for Wales, such has been the settled nature of Page’s team throughout the last couple of campaigns, with Ethan Ampadu, Joe Morrell, and, latterly, Jordan James dominating the midfield for Cymru.
Sheehan, 29, has had an excellent season with Bolton, scoring twice and assisting a further 12 times as the Lancashire club made the League One Play-Off Final, only to fall at the final hurdle against Oxford United.
Sheehan said it was a “surreal” moment when Page told him he would be wearing the armband.
“He told me this morning – he pulled me aside after breakfast and said ‘you are playing tomorrow’ and he just dropped in there ‘you are going to be leading the boys out’,” Sheehan said.
“I couldn’t really believe it to be honest – it’s not something I thought was going to happen. I was happy to be playing the game and try to show what I am about. To lead the boys out is something you dream about.”
With several new names on the team sheet for Wales, let’s take a look at those in contention:
Lewis Koumas
Lewis Koumas, son of Jason, is the most high profile of the potential debutants, thanks to who his father is and the fact that he has a habit of scoring on his debuts for club and country.
Koumas scored on his Liverpool debut against Southampton in the FA Cup in February before scoring on his Wales U21 debut against Lithuania a month later.
A forward moulded in a modern style, Koumas can play effectively in every attacking role and will likely feature for Wales as part of Page’s front three.
Tom King
The oldest of the squad yet to earn a cap, 29-year-old Tom King has had to bide his time to get an opportunity for Wales. The Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper was first called up for Wales in 2019 and has often been third or fourth choice behind Danny Ward, Wayne Hennessey, and Adam Davies in Page’s squads.
King is third choice at his club – not an uncommon predicament for Wales goalkeepers recently – and will be looking to impress both of his managers with his opportunity tonight.
Jay Dasilva
Jay Dasilva is the latest in a long line of full Wales internationals to play for Cymru, having represented England at age grade level. Dasilva is an attacking left back who is well suited to audition for the ‘Neco Williams role’.
He played for England U21 at the 2019 U21 EURO in a squad that included the likes of James Maddison, Phil Foden, Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori, Dominic Solanke, and Tammy Abraham, among many others who have starred in the Premier League.
Dasilva, who qualifies for Wales through a Pontypridd-born grandmother, has had his fine form for Coventry rewarded with a call up. With Ben Davies, now more of a centre-half than left back, the only other left-sided defender in the squad, a strong showing against Gibraltar could lead to a run of games for the 26-year-old who looks to compete with Williams and Rhys Norrington-Davies for a place in future squads.
Charlie Crew
At 17, the youngest of this list, Crew has been earmarked for a little while as one to watch in terms of international honours. Crew came through the Cardiff City academy before moving to Leeds in 2022 and spent the 2023/24 season captaining the club’s U21 side at a young age.
Crew has also captained Wales at U15, U16, U17, U18, and U21 levels and will be the youngest Welsh debutant since Ethan Ampadu if he makes his debut in these fixtures.
Fin Stevens
Similar to Dasilva, Brentford right-back Fin Stevens will be looking to make a positive impression and break the stranglehold that current incumbent Connor Roberts has on the right-side of defence.
Stevens has had an eye-catching season on loan at Oxford United and while he was an unused substitute for the aforementioned League One Play-off Final, he appeared 45 times in all competitions and scoring his first professional goal last October.
Another who has captained Wales at age grade level, Stevens will likely line-up at right wing-back in Wales’ XI, but has also played in central midfield at youth level.
Matt Baker
Last, but certainly not least, Matt Baker is the latest call up to the squad, brought in after regulars Connor Roberts and Joe Rodon pulled out on Monday.
Baker, 21, has spent a successful season on loan at Newport County, on loan from Stoke City and, like a few others on this list, has appeared for the U21s, playing five times since his debut in March 2023.
Others Looking to Impress
While those six mentioned are potentially making their debuts, there are several more in the squad with minimal experience who will also be looking to make a mark in these friendlies.
Adam Davies will rival King for a spot in goal, while Ben Cabango and Joe Low will be looking to add to their seven caps and one cap, respectively.
In midfield, the aforementioned Sheehan will likely lineup next to one of the two Charlies: Crew and Savage, who made his debut against the same opposition last October.
Swansea’s Liam Cullen will rival Koumas for a place in the attacking line, as will the likes of Wes Burns, Rabbi Matondo, and Ruben Colwill, all of whom are on the fringes of each Wales squad.
Whoever Rob Page selects, the Wales team is likely to be one of the most inexperienced for quite a while. Page’s Wales team, for better or worse, have been largely picked from a base of 15 or 16 names, with the defence very rarely changing and the attack only really rotating through the likes of Dan James, Brennan Johnson, Harry Wilson, Kieffer Moore, and David Brooks.
The chance to see some new names in action should be some (very) minor consolation to missing out on EURO 2025 in Germany.
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Wales EURO 2025 Qualification: What Do They Need To Get To Switzerland?
Rhodri Evans
Wales have booked a spot in the next round of qualification for EURO 2025 with a laboured 2-2 draw against Ukraine.
Held in Poland due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Wales went behind in the first half after Yana Kalinina was on the end of a fabulous team move before a two minute second half double looked to have won the game for Rhian Wilkinson’s side.
However, Nicole Kozlova’s late diving header earned Ukraine a point in the dying seconds.
Prior to the equaliser, Kayleigh Barton was adjudged to have been pushed by a Ukraine centre-half and picked herself up to emphatically convert the resultant penalty.
Under two minutes later, Wales were ahead thanks to a stunning strike from their talisman, Jess Fishlock.
A loose ball from Ukraine net-minder Keliushyk found its way to the feet of Fishlock some 25 yards out from goal. Wales’ record cap holder took a touch to settle herself before slamming a half-volley into the top corner.
In spite of these blips in form Wales have qualified for the first round of the play-offs, thanks to Croatia’s 2-0 win against Kosovo.
Now, new manager Rhian Wilkinson can start to plan for the longer term, albeit still with one eye on July’s matches against Kosovo and Croatia that could determine the difficulty of the test Wales face in the play-off rounds.
With qualification long and arduous, Wales have boosted their chances with tonight’s result. The question on fans lips will be: what do Rhian Wilkinson’s team need to do in order to qualify for Switzerland 2025?
As mentioned, tonight’s result means that Wales have now qualified for the play-offs. The play-offs have two rounds which are outlined below:
First Round: Eight teams from League A play the eight best ranked teams from League C. The group winners, runners-up and third-placed teams in League B (which now includes Wales) play each other in six fixtures. Wales are currently one of the seeded teams for this round, meaning that they will be drawn against a team who has finished second or third in their group.
Second Round: If Wales win their first round match, they progress as one of 14 teams in seven ties. The seven highest ranked teams, according to their previous performance in qualifying, will be seeded. Wales will potentially be one of those seeded teams if they top their group. If Wales will that game, they will qualify for their first ever European Championships, with the 2025 edition held in Switzerland.
The first and second rounds will be both include home and away legs, with the seeded teams earning the privilege of playing their second leg at home.
Group B4 Standings:
Croatia Pld: 4 W: 3 D: 0 L: 1 GF: 4 GA: 4 Pts: 9 Remaining Fixtures: Wales (H) 12th July, Ukraine (A) 16th July.
Wales Pld: 4 W: 2 D: 2 L: 0 GF: 13 GA: 3 Pts: 8 Remaining Fixtures: Croatia (A) 12th July, Kosovo (H) 16th July.
Ukraine Pld: 4 W: 1 D: 2 L: 1 GF: 5 GA: 4 Pts: 4 Remaining Fixtures: Kosovo (H) 12th July, Croatia (H) 16th July.
Kosovo Pld: 4 W: 0 D: 0 L: 4 GF: 0 GA: 11 Pts: 0 Remaining Fixtures: Ukraine (A) 12th July, Wales (A) 16th July.
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Wales Squad: Unluckiest Players Left Out RANKED
Rhodri Evans
With Warren Gatland’s Wales squad now confirmed, there are plenty of players who can count themselves as unfortunate that they did not make the squad for the four summer internationals against South Africa, Australia, and Queensland Reds.
The summer after a World Cup year is often the ideal time to blood a few new names who have the talent to potentially thrive at international level.
However, Gatland appears to have already made these squad changes in the 12 months previous. Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan, and Dafydd Jenkins were all given consistent runs in the team for the first time under Gatland and now form the leadership group for the team.
On top of this, the likes of Cam Winnett, Sam Costelow, Mackenzie Martin, and Corey Domachowski, among others are all now regulars of this new-look Wales team, following the retirements of Justin Tipuric, Alun Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, and Dan Biggar.
Whether these players are the right ones to build around is a question that has frustrated many a Welsh rugby fan over the last few months, an issue not helped by Wales’ poor 2024 Six Nations campaign, which saw them take home the wooden spoon.
Below, Sportin Wales have ranked the players that can count themselves as unlucky not to have been picked by Gatland, starting with the least down to the most:
9. Morgan Morris
With maybe the most controversial placing on the list first, we have Morgan Morris. The Ospreys man can creditably claim to be the best player in Welsh regional rugby this season, playing in by far the most successful team.
However, Gatland’s comments about Morris needing to work on his off-the-ball game is valid – despite the number eight being an excellent attacking option. The other, more unspoken, element to this selection is who Wales would leave out of the squad to accommodate Morris. Aaron Wainwright and Taulupe Faletau have been Wales’ long term options at number eight and, even without Faletau due to injury, Wales are well stocked with options in the form of Mackenzie Martin and Taine Plumtree.
While not as alluring as Morris, Martin and Plumtree are significantly bigger physical options for Gatland, a coach who has always stressed the need to ‘dominate the collision area’.
8. Rhys Henry
Wales have picked five tighthead props with Gatland making the point of adding that the position is a “real concern, in terms of experience and players starting regularly.” With that in mind, Rhys Henry can count himself somewhat unlucky not to make Warren Gatland’s squad.
The Ospreys prop has had a breakthrough season at the Swansea.com Stadium, but is firmly second choice behind South African tighthead Tom Botha. What Henry does have on his side is the ability to play in both prop positions at a high level and is certainly more experienced than Harri O’Connor and Archie Griffin, the two outsider calls for tighthead.
7. Cai Evans and Ioan Lloyd
Both players were picked in Wales’ Six Nations squad in the spring as fly-half options behind current incumbent Sam Costelow and are now out of the squad for different reasons. Unfortunately for Cai Evans, after a strong showing at Dragons in the first half of the season, it appears the shin injury that he picked up against Connacht in late April has ruled him out of the summer.
For Lloyd, he may have played his way out of the squad with his performances in the Six Nations and for Scarlets thereafter. After a lot of media scrutiny following his start at fly-half against England, Lloyd has start a game in the number ten shirt just twice since and Gatland stressed that he wants to see more physicality from his playmakers, hence the inclusion of Ben Thomas and Jacob Beetham.
6. Liam Belcher
Wales have once again picked four hookers and Liam Belcher is not one of them. The Cardiff Rugby captain, who picked up the club’s player of the season award on Sunday evening, has been in stellar form this season and will perhaps be a little chastened to see his understudy Evan Lloyd in the squad ahead of him.
The other hookers – Sam Parry, Elliott Dee, and Dewi Lake – in the squad are all either experienced members of the squad or included having had equally good seasons as Belcher. In any case, without the rested Ryan Elias, this summer would have been a good chance to have a look at Belcher at international level.
5. Alex Mann
While Gatland did say that Alex Mann was ‘rested’ in the same way as the aforementioned Elias, the flanker was curiously missed off the list of names included in the press release at ‘rested’ – which also included lock Will Rowlands and wing Josh Adams – and as those who had had conversations with Gatland prior to the squad.
Mann is more likely to have missed out due to the return of Taine Plumtree and Jac Morgan from injury, with the Wales head coach saying that the Cardiff man is “not the biggest.”
“He’s got skills that you look at to see if players can go to the next level,” said Gatland.
“He has the ability to scan really well in defence and attack and he communicates exceptionally well.
“But it was tough for him because he’s not the biggest and he was just battered in terms of how much effort and performance he put in. The best thing for him is to have that break, have a good pre-season in the gym and put on a bit of size.”
4. James Fender, James Ratti, and Huw Sutton
It will not come as a surprise for any clued-up Wales fans that Gatland has a selection headache at lock for the South Africa game. Due to it being played outside of the test rugby window, Wales can only call on their domestic-based talent, which rules out Rowlands, Jenkins, and Christ Tshiunza. Coupled with injuries to Teddy Williams and Adam Beard, as well as Seb Davies’ Judgement Day red card, Wales are scrambling somewhat.
Even with these mitigations, it is pretty disappointing to see the Wales camp recall Cory Hill, who is playing in the third tier of Japanese rugby, rather than call up one of the three top performing Ospreys second rows.
James Ratti was the most likely, having played the most this season and offers the flexibility of also being a lineout option in the back row. James Fender and Huw Sutton are both pretty raw but have been outstanding on occasion this campaign and are unlucky not to make the plane.
3. Johnny Williams
After Ben Thomas had been touted to play at fly-half this summer, Mason Grady appearing much more often on the wing than at centre this season, and Nick Tompkins unavailable for the first South Africa game, Wales have only one out-and-out centre in their squad: Owen Watkin.
With that in mind, Johnny Williams can count himself particularly unlucky to not make the squad. The Scarlets centre has played both inside and outside centre this season and offers a physicality only matched by Grady in the squad. While he is prone to a mistake, Williams is a brave carrier, improving defender, and would have been worthy of a place in the squad.
2. Theo Cabango and Tomi Lewis
A slightly different type of unlucky fills the second place on this list, as wingers Theo Cabango and Tomi Lewis were victims of the Cardiff City Stadium sniper at Judgement Day. Both pulled up injured after scoring tries, Lewis after a brace against Scarlets and Cabango after opening the scoring against Ospreys.
With both ending the season on strong form and Josh Adams rested, Lewis and Cabango would have been in with good shouts to make the squad if it were not for their untimely injuries. Keelan Giles and Josh Hathaway, the uncapped wingers included, may have still made the squad anyway as Gatland said that they wanted to make dual-national Hathaway a Wales player and see Giles rewarded for equally excellent form for Ospreys.
1. Reuben Morgan-Williams
With Tomos Williams out injured and the form of Gareth Davies and Kieran Hardy not at their previous best, it seemed that there would be at least one or two new faces in the scrum halves selected. As it was, Cardiff Rugby’s Ellis Bevan got the nod ahead of Morgan-Williams, with Kieran Hardy and Gareth Davies also in.
Since Tomos Williams’ injury, Morgan-Williams has been the best nine in Wales this season, having taken the starting berth after the departure of Rhys Webb to French Pro D2 club, Biarritz. The Neath-born nine has added tries to his game, but appears to have missed out due to Gatland preferring the left boot of Bevan over the form pick.
Who do you think was unlucky to make the Wales squad? Lets us know at subscribe@sportin.wales or join the debate on our social media!