Five Things Wales Must Put Right To Save World Cup

Wales knew their World Cup hopes could remainder connected nan result of their opening crippled against Scotland but were recovered desperately wanting.

Rather than kick-off nan run pinch a awesome win, they mislaid to Scotland by a bigger separator than ever before.

Scotland admitted they were fuelled by revenge for nan agonising last-gasp conclusion to Wales astatine nan past tourney successful 2022.

But Wales caput coach Sean Lynn admitted the 38-8 loss "simply wasn't bully enough" while pundits branded nan capacity poor, anemic and soft.

Lynn promised "honest conversations", truthful really tin Wales prevention their World Cup run pinch group matches against excavation favourites Canada and an awkward reunion pinch erstwhile caput coach Ioan Cunningham's Fiji.

This was Lynn's eighth crippled successful complaint of Wales and he remains pinch conscionable 1 triumph - albeit a important 1 successful Australia.

He took complete nan domiciled pinch a burgeoning estimation aft back-to-back Premiership titles pinch Gloucester-Hartpury and was nan players' choice.

But erstwhile Wales skipper Sioned Harries has yet to spot progress.

"We request to mobility what changes we've seen successful this Wales campy because it hasn't changed thing connected nan pitch," she said.

"Wales looked tired aft defending for 80 minutes. But nan mobility is why were they defending for 80 minutes? It's because nan strategies weren't right.

"This Wales squad feels for illustration a squad of individuals and not a cohesive team.

"Sean Lynn has had a Six Nations pinch nan squad and 2 tests successful Australia. He knows a batch of nan players from Gloucester-Hartpury, truthful location is nary excuse for this performance.

"If we play for illustration that successful nan adjacent 2 games past we person nary dream of getting retired of nan group.

"This was Wales' astir important crippled but they've made it 100 times harder to qualify."

Wales adjacent look Canada - tipped arsenic acheronian horses for nan title - successful Salford connected Saturday.

Former Wales rugby convention world Ben Flower had been brought successful to activity connected nan interaction area and co-captain Kate Williams had praised nan higher strength training.

But ex-international Siwan Lillicrap described Wales arsenic "soft" arsenic they were torn isolated by Scotland's backmost 3 - not slightest hat-trick leader Francesca McGhie.

Wales had a tackle occurrence complaint of 85% - compared to Scotland's 90% - but they missed immoderate important ones.

Centres Hannah Dallavalle and Courtney Keight arsenic good arsenic full-back Nel Metcalfe each grounded to extremity nan opening-minute try.

And it was a akin communicative for nan 4th - astatine nan commencement of nan 2nd half - erstwhile Lleucu George flapped astatine Rhona Lloyd earlier Keira Bevan and Metcalfe could not forestall McGhie completing her hat-trick.

It was a changeless taxable passim arsenic Scotland made astir almost doubly nan number of metres aft interaction (264m) than Wales (139m).

"We sewage bullied disconnected nan pitch," said erstwhile Wales helping Caryl James.

"Wales' defence couldn't woody pinch Scotland's physicality astatine all. I was amazed astatine really mediocre Wales were, I didn't expect them to beryllium truthful weak."

Ex-Wales skipper Ken Owens added: "It's disappointing. Sean Lynn was discussing really they've been moving connected defence but Scotland dominated nan gainline. But Scotland turned up and recovered nan edges very easy - measurement excessively easy."

Lynn had spoken of playing pinch strength but Wales sewage disconnected to nan worst imaginable commencement - successful some halves.

McGhie crossed conscionable 55 seconds into nan World Cup.

The caput coach would person hammered location nan connection for a bully commencement aft trailing 17-8 astatine nan break.

But Lleucu George's clearance was charged down conscionable 17 seconds into nan second-half. That led to nan scrambling Metcalfe knocking connected and Scotland swiftly grabbing a important 4th effort moments later to agelong clear 24-8.

It was a coach's worst nightmare.

The opposition betwixt nan 2 attacks was stark.

Scotland were ruthless and not only made acold much carries, they tellingly hit 23 defenders compared to Wales' 7 and made 8 cleanable breaks. Wales made one.

After nan match, Scotland skipper Rachel Malcolm said of a emotion of "inevitability" among her players connected nan transportation that they would people if they kept nan ball.

They were besides assured they could repel thing Wales threw astatine them. And they did.

Wales chased nan scoreboard pinch an unfastened crippled that was acold from their guardant powerfulness and that they are simply not comfortable with.

Welsh inefficiency saw them people conscionable 8 points from 7 entries into Scotland's 22-metre statement and moreover managed to springiness distant 5 penalties while attacking.

It meant they grounded to people aft nan 24th infinitesimal - contempt enjoying 53% territory - and nan onslaught was summed up by nan show of Keight making a break mid-way done nan 2nd half but without immoderate reddish jerseys adjacent by to walk to.

Lynn would person fancied he had powerfulness among his replacements to either move nan crippled aliases see-out a win, peculiarly successful nan likes of Sisilia Tuipulotu, Georgia Evans, Carys Phillips, Kayleigh Powell and Carys Cox.

But contempt emptying nan chair earlier than planned, Wales were kept astatine bay.

Wales began rushing connected nan replacements arsenic early arsenic nan 47th infinitesimal erstwhile trailing 24-8 - but grounded to people a azygous constituent while conceding 2 much tries.

Lynn said: "Some players will beryllium upset astir individual performances and others by really nan squad played. But it conscionable wasn't bully enough.

"We will meet up connected Monday and person immoderate honorable conversations."