Keira Bevan conceded that Wales’ Rugby World Cup campaign was effectively over before their latest defeat, with the decisive blow struck in the heavy opening loss to Scotland.
Wales’ elimination was confirmed in Salford on Saturday after a 42-0 thrashing by Canada and Scotland’s subsequent win over Fiji, which left Sean Lynn’s side mathematically out of the running for the quarter-finals.
But for scrum-half Bevan, the damage was already done a week earlier when Wales were dismantled 38-8 by their closest rivals.
“It’s a hard one to say, but if we had played like that last week, the outcome might have been different,” said the scrum-half.
“Scotland were the better team, but we know we didn’t show our best.”
That blunt admission underscored the gulf between Wales’ pre-tournament ambitions of reaching the last eight and the reality of an early exit — their fate sealed before the pool stage was complete.
The clash with Scotland had been billed as a winner-takes-all contest between two evenly matched sides, but Wales were blown away.
The Scots dominated territory and pace, leaving Wales chasing from the start. Fiji would later push Scotland far closer, further exposing the scale of Wales’ underperformance in that fixture.
The defeat left Lynn’s squad with an almost impossible task against Canada and ensured that hopes of progression rested on other results.
Against Canada, there was at least greater intent.
Wales opened brightly, with Bryonie King producing an early turnover and the side pressing hard in the first quarter.
But once McKinley Hunt broke the deadlock, the contest unravelled.
Canada ran in six tries through Hunt, Alysha Corrigan, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Taylor Perry and Brittany Kassil, with Sophie de Goede flawless from the tee in a player-of-the-match performance.
Wales’ set-piece crumbled, Georgia Evans was sin-binned, and once more the scoreboard told its own story: two games played, 80 points conceded, and only one Welsh try — Alex Callender’s effort against Scotland.
De Goede later praised Wales for their “fire and pride,” but the gulf in class remained clear.
Since Lynn’s appointment, Wales have lost eight of nine matches, with the only bright moment a shock victory over Australia in Brisbane earlier this summer.
That result briefly raised hopes of a breakthrough, but the subsequent World Cup campaign has instead highlighted how far Wales still must go to compete at the top level.
Wales had travelled to the tournament with 37 contracted players — more than Canada — and the backing of new WRU structures promising two professional women’s teams by 2026.
Yet on the field, the investment has not yet translated into competitiveness.
Wing Jasmine Joyce-Butchers dismissed the idea of resources being the root cause.
“We’ve got contracts, facilities, and support,” she said.
“I don’t think that’s the excuse anymore. As individuals, we have to look at ourselves and what more we can do.”
Lynn has publicly questioned Wales’ strength and conditioning, an issue already raised after a winless Six Nations earlier this year.
There were moments of promise, particularly with the introduction of teenagers Branwen Metcalfe, Seren Lockwood and Tilly Vucaj.
Joyce-Butchers was impressed and added: “The girls coming through are fantastic. They bring energy, and Nel Metcalfe at full-back has really made that shirt her own.”
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But former No 8 Sioned Harries cautioned against rushing youth into the spotlight. “We’ve seen it before – throwing girls in, expecting instant performances, then discarding them.
“Who is making sure these youngsters are supported when they step up?”
Wales now face Fiji in their final pool match with nothing but pride to play for.
Joyce-Butchers, Evans and Bevan again led the resistance against Canada, while the midfield pairing of Courtney Keight and Courtney Cox combined well.
Yet those positives could not disguise the bigger picture: Wales’ World Cup was effectively ended not by the world’s second-best side, but by their failure to compete against Scotland.
