Three takeaways as Wales register a 34-17 win against the Barbarians

Sean Lynn’s Wales have experienced victory for the first time in 11 months thanks to a 34-17 win against the Barbarians at Allianz Stadium.

As the sun began its descent over West London, tries from Kayleigh Powell, Seren Lockwood, Courtney Keight and an Amy Williams brace was enough to overcome a dogged Barbarians side.

The de facto hosts saw Amy Rule, Bryony Cleall and Celia Quansah dot down.

Here are three takeaways from Allianz Stadium…

Jorja Aiono’s star will only grow

Welsh positives have been hard to come by for several years. All of a sudden Sean Lynn’s team have one. Not too many people knew of Jorja Aiono at the start of this season. Now it is hard to imagine a Wales pack without the teenage lock. Even if she only has five caps.

Throughout the 19-year-old’s outing against the Barbarians, Aiono looked cool, calm and collected. She got through carries effortlessly and defended astutely against a grizzled Baa Baas side that boasted plenty of experience. She bumped off players as if swatting a fly. Those performances, from a player so young, are rare commodities.

When you then consider that Aiono’s first taste of senior rugby this season came for Great Britain Sevens on the HSBC SVNS Series, you truly get an idea about what a talent she is. Given a starting role in all five of Wales’ Guinness Women’s Six Nations matches this term after her performances for Brython Thunder in the Celtic Challenge, Aiono was even named Player of the Match by Gloucester Hartpury upon her debut for the three-time Premiership Women’s Rugby champions.

Of course, at such a young age Aiono still has room to grow. She is a raw talent. Which must fill Lynn with a sense of sheer delight. And you can understand why. Her try at full-time, after being reintroduced for the injured Branwen Metcalfe, was just reward for a great day at the office.

Claudia Pena is effortlessly world-class

In a Barbarians team that contained several players ending their careers and others in their prime, Claudia Pena was almost on an island aged 21. But there is little doubt that the Harlequins and Spain centre is a truly world-class operator.

There are not many players that can say that at 21. More than anything else the 31-cap international oozes quality. Everything she does, even so early in her career, is so accomplished. She will be a staple of women’s Test rugby for at least the next decade.

On Saturday against Wales it was that accomplished manner in which she plays that really shone. With a shrug of her shoulders the Catalan back drifted past opposition defenders and saw plenty of her passes find their mark.

Upon re-signing with Harlequins next season Pena said that she was going to achieve “great things” with the West London club. With her prime still years away, it is hard to disagree with that prediction.

It is hard to know what Wales can take from this fixture

All week it was a little unclear what Wales were going to take from a one-off game with a flung together Barbarians team at Allianz Stadium. Although a win, 34-17 or otherwise, was probably in the ballpark.

In the build-up to the game Lynn spoke about the fixture being a change to blood young players, give them an idea of what Test rugby was like without actually getting a cap. Amy Williams certainly made the most of her opportunity with a brace of first-half tries. The first was a dazzling display of opportunism. The second a show of strength.

And even though Wales got a win, the fact that a number of their first-string stars were not considered for selection or unavailable, already you know that when their first WXV Global Series fixture against South Africa on Friday 18 September rolls around, there will be a different look to the side altogether.

Boil it all down and confidence will be the main thing that Wales get from Saturday evening. Confidence that they can take things to a team. That the style of rugby they have adopted can yield its rewards.

Then there is individual confidence.  Seren Lockwood looked sharp at Allianz Stadium, her second half try spoke to that. Bryonie King put plenty into every single one of her carries. Alisha Joyce registered her most match minutes since she gave birth to her son, Ralphie, in the autumn.

It is a cliche to say confidence is key. And often things are a cliche is because they are true.