Sarah’s GB Call-Up Means She Misses Her French Tests With Wales As Leah Is Set To Make History

Sarah Jones has been named in GB’s team for their crunch FIH Pro League games in Belgium and Holland this week.

The 28-year-old defender’s call-up means she will not be part of the Wales squad that face France in a three match test series in Cardiff this weekend.

Jones has been a regular member of the British squad this year with Wales Head Coach Kevin Johnson factoring in her likely absence when confirming his squad to face the French at the National Hockey Centre.

The series will see captain Leah Wilkinson make history by breaking the record of 157 caps for Wales set by hockey legend Paul Edwards.

And three more players could join Wales’ ‘100’ club of caps over the course of the weekend with Sian French on 97 caps, Jo Westwood on 98 while Phoebe Richards needs just one appearance to reach the coveted century mark.

Tash Marke-Jones will also make her Wales return having taken a break since last year’s Commonwealth Games in Australia.

Tash Marke-Jones, celebrating with Phebe Richards and Lisa Daley after scoring a goal against Indian at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, is back in Wales squad having taken a break after the Gold Coast tournament.

The games are an important part of Johnson’s preparations ahead of the upcoming FIH Series Finals in Valencia and EuroHockey Championship Competition in Glasgow.

“As a team we are really looking forward to this series for a number of varying reasons,” said Johnson.

“We had an enjoyable and competitive series in France earlier in the year and are keen to chart our progression from that series to now as we look to continue to build momentum ahead of a tournament heavy summer.

“We are also looking forward to playing a test series at home again and hope to have some passionate support there to cheer us on as well as the bonus of the matches being live streamed by S4C which we are hugely grateful for.”

Jones, meanwhile, will be part of a GB squad that faces Belgium in Antwerp on Thursday before a game against the Netherlands in Eindhoven on Saturday.

Britain’s women are sixth, having picked up four points from their last two games with Belgium and Argentina.

The Netherlands are top with seven wins out of eight, and their defeat to Australia in February was their only loss since the Rio Olympics.

Belgium are fourth in the table and, if Mark Hager’s British side are to have any chance of making the top four, they realistically need to come back from this trip with positive results under their belts.

 

Wales Squad
Beth Bingham
Caro Hulme
Danni Jordan
Ella Jackson (GK)
Eloise Laity
Emily Rowlands
Hannah Cozens
Izzie Howell
Izzy Webb
Jessica Roe
Jo Westwood
Julie Whiting
Leah Wilkinson (C)
Megan Lewis-Williams
Natasha Marke-Jones
Phoebe Richards
Rose Thomas (GK)
Sian French (VC)
Sophie Robinson
Xenna Hughes

 

Games for the test series are as follows:

Friday 31st May 6pm
Saturday 1st June 5pm
Sunday 2nd June 11am