Bevan retains Wales captaincy for WXV2 opener against Australia

WXV2: Australia v Wales

Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town Date: Saturday, 28 September Kick-off: 11:30 BST

Coverage: Watch unrecorded connected BBC iPlayer, commentary connected Radio Wales Extra & Radio Cymru, unrecorded matter connected BBC Sport website & app

Scrum-half Keira Bevan retains nan captaincy arsenic Wales hole to look Australia for nan 2nd clip successful a week successful their WXV2 opener.

Squad skipper Hannah Jones is named connected nan chair aft sitting retired Friday's 31-24 triumph complete nan Wallaroos astatine Rodney Parade.

It was nan first clip Wales had beaten their opponents successful 7 attempts.

Carys Phillips, Natalia John and Alisha Butchers-Joyce are backmost successful nan pack, but location is nary Sisilia Tuipulotu owed to what nan Welsh Rugby Union called an "administrative oversight regarding her visa" to participate South Africa.

Donna Rose alternatively packs down astatine tighthead.

Fellow prop Jenni Scoble is group to make her Wales debut from nan bench, wherever she is joined by Alex Callender who was this week named Welsh Rugby Writers' Association women's Player of nan Year.

Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp has made conscionable 1 starting change, pinch fly-half Arabella McKenzie recalled to nan side.

Faitala Moleka drops to nan bench, wherever she is joined by Cecilia Smith arsenic nan only different alteration to nan 23 from past week’s defeat.

Wales caput coach Ioan Cunningham said: "This action shows we are starting to build nan title for places and nan spot successful extent that we request arsenic a squad.

“We invited backmost Hannah Jones and Alex Callender into nan matchday squad and nan truth we tin present them disconnected nan chair shows nan extent we are building.

"Australia will beryllium hurting aft our first historical triumph astatine Rodney Parade, and we expect them to travel retired firing and pinch a constituent to beryllium successful Cape Town.

“We tin return assurance from nan capacity past clip retired and we will request to show nan aforesaid calmness and composure against 1 of nan apical six teams successful nan world.

Australia caput coach Jo Yapp said: "We’ve had a bully week truthful acold successful Cape Town and person prepared well,

“We’re expecting different adjacent lucifer pinch Wales connected Saturday to commencement our run and are assured if we tin tidy up our subject nan results will follow.

“It’s a akin squad to past week pinch Arabella coming into nan starting broadside and Cecilia Smith backmost successful nan 23.

“They some bring cardinal acquisition for nan tournament.”

Australia: Caitlyn Halse; Maya Stewart, Georgina Friedrichs, Trilleen Pomare, Desiree Miller; Arabella McKenzie, Layne Morgan; Tabua Tuinakauvadra, Ashley Marsters, Siokapesi Palu, Michaela Leonard (capt), Kaitlan Leaney, Eva Karpani, Tania Naden, Bridie O'Gorman

Replacements: Tiarna Molloy, Lydia Kavoa, Alapeta Ngauamo, Atasi Lafai, Lucy Dinnen, Natalie Wright, Cecilia Smith, Faitala Moleka.

Wales: Jenny Hesketh; Jasmine Joyce, Carys Cox, Kerin Lake, Nel Metcalfe; Lleucu George, Keira Bevan (capt); Gwenllian Pyrs, Carys Phillips, Donna Rose, Natalia John, Georgia Evans, Alisha Butchers-Joyce, Kate Williams, Bethan Lewis

Replacements: Molly Reardon, Abbey Constable, Jenni Scoble, Abbie Fleming, Alex Callender, Sian Jones, Kayleigh Powell, Hannah Jones.

Referee: Clara Munarini (FIR)

Assistants: Zoe Naude (SARU) & Host Union

TMO: Aaron Paterson (NZR)