Wales captain Hannah Jones is refusing to dwell on defeat in her team’s Six Nations opener - instead focusing on the relentless effort her side will need to repeat against England on Saturday.
Wales showed plenty of positive signs but came up short against Scotland at Murrayfield last week.
As they prepare to face England at the Principality Stadium in Round 2, Jones is adamant that her team are moving in the right direction.
“We were obviously gutted but the effort we showed was outstanding,” said Jones, reflecting on Wales’ narrow 24-21 loss in Edinburgh.
“We only had two sessions together, so if we can produce that then we are moving in the right direction.”
Despite the disappointment, Jones believes there were plenty of plus points to take from the performance, particularly in work rate and intensity.
“We said from the start we wanted excitement and work rate, and we certainly had that,” she said.
The challenge now is to take that same determination into their next game against England, who arrive in Cardiff fresh from a dominant 38-5 victory over Italy. Jones, however, is embracing the underdog status.
“We’ve got nothing to lose, so let’s go for it,” she said defiantly.
While Wales showed plenty of fight against Scotland, Jones acknowledged there are areas to sharpen up, particularly in defence and game management.
“We got that breakdown right at the start, but then we went off the pace a bit. If we can get quick ball, we will be going in the right direction,” she explained.
“We need to reflect on our first-phase defence and we need to work on our one-on-ones. I can’t fault the effort or the heart.”
With England chasing a seventh successive Six Nations title, Wales face a formidable challenge.
But with belief growing under new head coach Sean Lynn, Jones remains convinced that her team is on the right path.
“It’s always close against Scotland, so I knew it was going to be tight,” she said. “But if we can produce rugby like that after only two sessions together, we are going in the right direction.”
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Lynn learned on Wednesday he will be able to include No 8 Georgia Evans in his side following her dismissal in Edinburgh after two yellow card offences.
A disciplinary panel deemed the red card "sufficient" punishment with "no further sanction" needed.
Lynn is also awaiting fitness updates on back row stalwarts Alisha Joyce-Butchers and Alex Callender.
The game will be Wales’ fourth Six Nations outing at the Principality Stadium after three clashes with Italy in 2012, 2018 and 2024.
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The last win over England, who are on a 30-match winning streak in the competition, came in Swansea in 2015.
“I thought the front five were outstanding against Scotland and it was great to have Kelsey (Jones) and Gwenllian (Pyrs), as well as Carys Cox, coming back from long term injuries,” added Jones.
“The women’s game is just getting bigger and bigger all the time. Let’s hope we have a lot of support at Principality Stadium and out-do the English.”
With almost 18,000 tickets sold by the weekend it is edging towards a record-breaking attendance on Saturday.
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