Wales rugby union head into a demanding autumn with the same message ringing out from Cardiff Arms Park: so close, yet still short. Wales lost 26-24 to the USA in their second WXV fixture, undone by a team ranked sixth in the world with the game there for the taking.
Fine Margins Deny Wales Against Sixth-Ranked USA
The margin told its own story: two points, one missed opportunity in the closing stages, and a performance good enough to worry the world’s sixth ranked side. Wales travelled into the contest already missing key personnel, after Seren Lockwood’s pre-match injury setback, and still matched the Americans for large parts of the afternoon.
Hooker Kelsey Jones was honest in her assessment of where the game slipped away.
“We left loads out there. Credit to the USA, they were class, but I also think a lot of their success came from our mistakes,” said Kelsey Jones.
Former Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap watched from the commentary box and felt the same pull between pride and frustration.
“I was stood up in commentary and I felt gutted and proud all at the same time,” said Lillicrap.
She placed the result in its proper context, pointing to the class of the opposition on the day.
“There were errors; Test match rugby isn’t always going to be perfect, but you’ve got to remember USA are sixth in the world,” Lillicrap said.
Late Errors and Championship Minutes Cost Red Dragons
Co-captain Kate Williams did not shy away from where the game was lost, feeling Wales had the win in their grasp before letting it slip in the final quarter.
“The Test match was there for the taking,” said Williams.
Discipline in the closing minutes proved the difference, as Wales pieced together a strong platform for long spells only to unravel it with handling errors when the scoreboard mattered most.
“But when we’re making that many errors in the championship minutes at the end of the game, we’re never going to come out on top,” Williams added.
Williams remained defiant about where this Wales side is heading, despite back to back matches decided by fine margins.
“We’re in these Test matches and we believe that we can win these Test matches. It’s going to come right from us. We’re going to learn and the next time this happens, it’s not going to end like this,” she said.
Former Wales international Dyddgu Morgan-Hywel saw the same pattern from the South Africa win carrying through into this contest.
“We did see the momentum from the South Africa win,” said Morgan-Hywel.
She admitted to early nerves, before the fight shown by Wales settled her.
“I was a little worried, but Wales put another performance in. Yes, they’re disappointed, but there was only two points in it,” Morgan-Hywel said.
Clinical 22-Entry Gains and Fixed-Piece Stability Under Sean Lynn
Head coach Sean Lynn pointed to changes off the field as the foundation for what supporters are now seeing on it. Wales arrived at this fixture on the back of Wales’ dominant WXV opening win over South Africa, a result that ended a run of nine straight international defeats.
Lynn credits a settled backroom staff for the shift in performances, and also highlighted a concrete area of improvement: what Wales do once they reach the opposition 22.
“It’s a stable coaching team that we’ve got now, Gareth Harris coming in as S&C [strength and conditioning]; we’ve just got to believe in the process,” said Lynn.
“I definitely know that we’re a lot more competitive and we’re being more clinical when we are in those 22 areas,” Lynn said.
Lynn’s post-match reaction struck the same balance between disappointment and pride running through his squad.
Philippa Tuttiett, another former Wales international, called the turnaround from nine straight losses to pushing a top six side to the wire remarkable.
“The turnaround that they have done to beat South Africa and push the sixth-ranked team in the world to the end is incredible,” said Tuttiett.
She still recognised how hard fought the contest had been.
“It was a tough innings, but still a really proud performance,” Tuttiett said.
Jones backed up that reading of a squad playing with real intent and freedom.
“The girls put in such a shift every week and they are absolutely class. We want to go out, we want to play rugby, that’s the most exciting part. We’re playing a brand of rugby that we haven’t seen from a Wales team in a while,” said Jones.
Two-Test Japan Tour Presents Opportunity for Crucial Fixes
Attention now turns to Japan, where Wales rugby union will play two Tests in October. The first comes in Tokyo on 24 October, with the second following in Kumagaya City on 31 October.
Japan sit 12th in the world, one place below Wales at 11th, and Wales have won both of their previous meetings between the sides. That record offers encouragement, though Lynn’s squad know rankings count for little without the fine margins fixed.
Jones views the tour as the next step in tightening up the details that cost Wales against the USA.
“It’s now about the little fixes, and we’ve got a big few weeks leading into Japan. Hopefully you’ve seen that change in the performances,” Jones said.
Lillicrap agreed that defeats like this one still carry their own value, and that Wales had shown real strides since their previous outings.
“They had an outstanding performance last week, but you learn when you win and you learn when you lose,” said Lillicrap.
“We’re still seeing really good stuff and growth from what we’ve seen previously,” Lillicrap said.
For the full set of reaction from Cardiff Arms Park, BBC Sport’s WXV report carries the complete interviews with players and coaching staff.
