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Callender to skipper inexperienced Wales team against Barbarians in Twickenham

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 26: Alex Callender of Wales speaks to players after the match between Australian Wallaroos and Wales Women at Ballymore Stadium on July 26, 2025 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chloe Davis/Getty Images)
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Alex Callender will captain an inexperienced Wales team against the Barbarians on Saturday afternoon at Allianz Stadium.

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The squad selected by Sean Lynn contains five players without Test match honours for the uncapped fixture. Callender returns to the team after she missed the entirety of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations with injury.

Wales’ fixture against the Barbarians forms part of a doubleheader in West London, with Wales’ men taking on the Barbarians earlier in the afternoon.

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Two uncapped players are in the starting XV, with wings Amy Williams and Kelsie Webster getting their first taste of international rugby. Nel Metcalfe, who also missed the Women’s Six Nations, completes the back three at full-back.

Established quartet Seren Lockwood, Kayleigh Powell, Jenna De Vera and Courtney Keight complete the backline.

All of the starting pack have senior Wales caps, including teenage second row pairing Branwen Metcalfe and Jorja Aiono. Maisie Davies, Molly Reardon and Sisilia Tuipulotu form the front-row, while Alisha Joyce and Bryonie King complete the back-row.

Stella Orrin, Lucy Isaac and Lily Hawkins are the trio of uncapped players among the replacements. Experienced pair Kelsey Jones [57 caps] and Keira Bevan [83 caps] will join the contest from the bench.

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Sean Lynn, Wales head coach, said: “This is a young and exciting team selected to face the Barbarians and every one of these players have deserved this opportunity Eleven of the starting line-up are aged 22 or under and it’s a great shop window for them to show what they have delivered in training over the last three weeks.

“We asked the players to assume nothing and to all fight for this chance to wear the red jersey, they have done that in training in the last three weeks and deserve to be selected. We have five new faces in Amy Williams, Kelsie Webster, Stella Orrin, Lucy Isaac and Lily Hawkins, and they are representing the future of this Wales team.

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“All of the players have really stepped up and with the players we have missing due to the PWR semi-finals and final, it’s a real opportunity to see the next generation of Wales players. Having Al Cal back is a major boost with the energy she brings, and she is the emotional heartbeat for every side she plays for.”

Wales matchday 23 v Barbarians

15 Nel Metcalfe (Gloucester-Hartpury)
14 Kelsie Webster* (Gwalia Lightning)
13 Courtney Keight (Sale Sharks/Brython Thunder)
12 Jenna De Vera (Bristol Bears/Brython Thunder)
11 Amy Williams* (Brython Thunder)
10 Kayleigh Powell (Harlequins)
9 Seren Lockwood (Brython Thunder)
1 Maisie Davies (Bristol Bears/Gwalia Lightning)
2 Molly Reardon (Gwalia Lightning)
3 Sisilia Tuipulotu (Harlequins/Brython Thunder)
4 Branwen Metcalfe (Brython Thunder)
5 Jorja Aiono (Brython Thunder/ Gloucester-Hartpury)
6 Alisha Joyce (Brython Thunder)
7 Alex Callender (captain, Harlequins)
8 Bryonie King (Gwalia Lightning)

Replacements
16 Kelsey Jones (Unattached)
17 Katherine Baverstock (Leicester Tigers/Gwalia Lightning)
18 Stella Orrin* (Brython Thunder)
19 Alaw Pyrs (Gwalia Lightning/ Gloucester-Hartpury)
20 Lucy Isaac* (Brython Thunder)
21 Lily Hawkins* (Gwalia Lightning)
22 Keira Bevan (Bristol Bears)
23 Freya Bell (Gwalia Lightning)

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EvilMockingJay 44 minutes ago
Antoine Dupont missing for now as Galthie names 33-man France squad

Oh but we want that Cup too ! But SA and NZ don't want to play fair with us xD France is a strong team but not enough to win a final, a semi or a quarter at 16 against 15 xD

Like in 2023, there was 27 (!!!) “mistakes” from BOK against us. Fallen for 1 point. Can't say we would have won against England (who were robbed too, and fallen for 1 point too) and NZ after but I personally believe so. England was pretty weak, getting beated again and again by France and we humilated the Blacks during the opening match. Again 2011 and also 1995… it’s normal not to win every time, after all we are not the only team that play to win. But being robbed every time you have a real chance (or just you were winning no question ask without a ref who suddently stop following the rules of rugby) is harsh. There is voices in France that are starting to say “screw this corrupt World Rugby and screw this RWC, let’s just play our Top14, after all we will never win a World Cup because it is rigged to let a SH team win”. And when you see how it goes (terrible ref being promoted to a RWC final, change in the rules when we are specialists about it, that stupid 20’ red card that encourage brutality from players and partiality from ref and always for or against the same team, forward pass not seen when it’s the other team doing them, same with offsides…) what can you say to these people ? I keep the faith one day we will get that WC, but after 2023, at home, it’s hard to say to these people “no you are wrong”. Like France (one country among a lot of other countries) were robbed 3 times. That’s a lot for ONE country and one competition taking place only every 4 years. And we ain't the only ones robbed. Always by the same teams : RSA or NZ.



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EvilMockingJay 2 hours ago
Antoine Dupont missing for now as Galthie names 33-man France squad

Oh yeah, i was meaning 8 in the starting 15 at Toulouse in top14. Wasn’t counting bench or CC or 6N ^^. That’s partly why I told you Galthié did not learn from what happened in 2023. When Dupont became available, bam, your going to Marcoussis. Like man, let him play with his club for a bit first don't trow him against national teams right away... Exactly the same situation as 2023…

I already know what is going to happen in 2027. Last (or the one before, you know, i don't see japanese team doing such a dirty move, but samoa ? Oh yeah, i’m clearly seeing that coming) pool match Dupont will get hit and will be out of the competition with another big injury. Probably not going to happen for NTK, because without Dupont he’s just not at international level at all and everyone saw it. Meaning will get something like Lucu (or Le Garrec)/NTK (because he wants so badly NTK on the field) and we will loose. Again. Lucu, Le Garrec, Jauneau and Jalibert—they’re nothing more than stopgaps for Galthié. He just wants Dupont and NTK, and that’s it. He’d make them play against the Boks or the All Blacks even on one leg. That’s pretty sad being unable to work with 9 and 10 jersey considering we are the nation with the most of international 9s possible. And everyone (except Ben Smith the troll) envy us MJ at number 10… as you said i would love to see both ST and UBB half-backs in the same match but it ain't gonna happen. I’m not a fan of the idea too put MJ at number 15 (did he ever took that place even in his club ?), his talent is more the one of a real fly-half than a full back. Would be wasting both his talent as 10 and Ramos precision for conversions, but that’s only my opinion since we never saw him play 15, maybe i judge him to harsh. Ain’t a problem against Australia (they are in a really poor state) but facing the Boks ? Naah, too experimental.



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