Key events
TRY! England 46-10 Wales
Ellie Kildunne with her second try and it’s a remarkable finish. She had two Wales players hanging on her and powers her way towards the tryline with an incredible show of force and desire. She dives over. Aitchison sends a difficult conversion wide.
60 min: Changes coming thick and fast for both sides now. The England captain, Packer, who’s been at the heart of England’s generally magnificent defence is off. In news Wales will less like to hear: Abbie Ward is on.
TRY! England 41-10 Wales
Rosie Galligan powers over the line for England seventh try. She’s deserved that for her all-round play so far today. A clean conversion.
56 min: Wales back on defence now, have they riled the Red Roses by scoring the first try they have conceded in this Six Nations? A scrum near the Welsh line.
TRY! England 34-10 Wales
Wales pressure finally pays off! Keira Bevan shows her guile and agility to pierce the England defence, at last, and that’s a deserved try. George kicks the extras.
50 min: A short lineout works for Wales. They are on the attack in front of the England posts but Kate Williams drops the ball forward – once more, momentum is lost.
48 min: Keira Bevan is on for Wales, they need her experience at scrum half. She’s getting the ball in hand immediately as Wales regroup.
TRY! England 34-3 Wales
The most fluent England try yet. Heard with a brilliant run, Mo Hunt’s pass and Dow touches down. This is superb play from the hosts. Another conversion goes wide though.
45 min: Wales keep trying that long lineout throw and it is not working. At all. England gain possession back again, they are looking rampant now.
TRY! England 29-3 Wales
England have come out flying in the second half and Ellie Kildunne wriggles over the line. That’s her third try, she’s leading the Six Nations on that score. Aitchison’s conversion hits the post! The second times that’s happened.
41 min: Connie Powell is on for England, Atkin-Davies going off, and she breaks through the Welsh line but Wales halt the attack. George’s kick does not find touch, however.
The second half begins! Can Wales stop knocking on the door and get over? Will England begin dominating play as they would wish to? Let’s see. England kick-off.
Sarah Hunter, England legend, is talking to the TV at half-time: she praises the resolute defensive effort of her former side. But she admits Wales have caused a few sticky moments.
The Red Roses have displayed their power, what we might call game management and were supremely clinical in attack. Hannah Botterman was the standout player. John Mitchell will be pleased with the scoreline but might want to see some more of the promised slick, attacking play. They improved in the second half in Parma; same again in Bristol?
Ioan Cunningham will be reminding Wales of all the good things they did in that first half, hoping heads don’t drop. They had almost 50% possession and real opportunities to narrow the score midway through that half but are now staring at a 21-point deficit.
Half-time: England 24-3 Wales
That scoreline does not reflect Wales’s contribution to the first half. They had plenty of the ball but could not find the breakthrough to score a try.
England’s defence was strong and the key fact is when they had pressure at the Welsh line, they maximised it and got over. They were excellent on the break, particularly Abby Dow with one terrific run. However it was interesting to see England playing on the break a lot rather than dominating the ball.
TRY! England 24-3 Wales
England get the bonus-point try just before the half-time whistle. It was a maul, a melee of bodies and Lark Atkin-Davies finally gets the ball down. Aitchison misses a difficult conversion chance, skewing it well wide.
38 min: Some solid Wales defence, good tackle from Bethan Lewis but she also gets a hand on the ball. It’s an England scrum.
36 min: A sublime crossfield kick from Aitchison; Dow collects but cannot quite keep it in play. That would have been a very stylish try.
35 min: Botterman, England’s ace so far, steals the ball and it’s the hosts on the attack once again. Wales have had 56% of possession but they have not had that cutting edge.
33 min: It’s Groundhog Day for Wales! They’re so, so close to driving over the England tryline but once more, they cannot find a gap and England intercept and break through Aitchison.
31 min: A forward pass from Sian Jones to her namesake Hannah Jones. Now it’s England’s scrum – and they win a penalty after it collapses. Aitchison kicks.
29 min: Wales have scrum right in front of the England tryline. Can they make the most of this opportunity?
27 min: Wales’s long lineout is not currently working for them. They’ve lost four lineouts and that’s part of the reason why they don’t have the points on the board their possession has suggested they could have.
TRY! England 19-3 Wales
Hannah Botterman forces her way over the line for England’s third try. That’s been the difference between the two sides: Wales have been in great situations but unable to get over. Aitchison kicks the extras.
22 min: That was always the danger for Wales: England win it back and break at speed. They’re trying to drive over the Wales line …
21 min: Wales trying to bulldoze their way way through the England defence but a crucial steal by Hannah Botterman. Yet Wales win it back! They are camped inside the England 22.
19 min: Treatment for a blood injury gives Wales a chance to talk and regroup. Alex Callender wins the lineout and they are putting pressure on England at their tryline.
18 min: Wales have another lineout in England territory. They need to make the most of one of these, they had a strong start but obviously the last 10 minutes have been dominated by England.
TRY! England 12-3 Wales
England utilise their power from the lineout and force their way over – it’s Zoe Aldcroft who eventually dots it down! On her 50th cap as well. This time, Holly Aitchison makes no mistake with the conversion.
14 min: England have a penalty and they opt for a lineout deep in the Wales half. Packer is trying to force an opening and …
12 min: England seeking openings now in the Wales defence. A threat but the visitors handle it well and George kicks it out of play.
11 min: A Wales lineout comes down at an awkward angle and Sian Jones cannot gather it. That’s a bit messy and we have another scrum.
TRY! England 5-3 Wales
A magnificent run from Abby Dow, showing her pace and jinking skills. Wales eventually stop her but Maud Muir gets the try. The conversion hits the post. It’s just a two-point lead for the hosts.
6 min: Wales lead 3-0! Lleucu George kicks a penalty from in front of the posts. Deserved for their early pressure.
3 min: A Wales lineout deep in England territory. It’s stolen by England however there’s a knock-on by Tatyana Heard. A scrum. Positive start for Wales, this.
2 min: Composed start from Wales, they are passing the ball around nicely early on. England’s defence looks solid.
Wales kick-off! We are under way.
I’m no expert, but the Wales XV sang the anthem gloriously there. England maybe a little more sotto in their approach. Wales win the anthem-off. Is that the real quiz?
The players are walking on to the pitch to an impressive ovation. The sun is shining in Bristol, despite forecasts of rain! The anthems are coming up.
“A big test but one we’re looking forward to,” insists Wales coach Cunningham. He will certainly hope for a better display than against Italy and that Lleucu George isn’t too shaken by that late missed conversion. She’s a gifted fly-half and Wales need her at her best. Sian Jones, playing at just 19 years old, is also in a sink-or-swim situation.
England coach Mitchell is warning of a “disruptive” Wales display pre-match. He’s also discussing how Jame George came into the camp this week to help preparations.
He’s said he’d like greater linkup overall between the England men’s and women’s teams and Marlie Packer thought the crossover was of benefit. “The girls really enjoyed it,” the skipper said. “We don’t want to force it because the men have their own programmes, the same as us, so the timing needs to be right for both.”
Ashton Gate will contain 18,000+ supporters this afternoon – the Red Roses largest ever home crowd outside of Twickenham. It’s boosted by plenty of Wales fans coming over the bridge, of course. An ideal location, especially as this is one of the eight World Cup venues for 2025. A good dress rehearsal in Bristol.
News from Edinburgh: Scotland 5-15 France. Scotland’s seven-game winning streak is over, but they put up a real battle and led France 5-3 at half-time. Tries from Kelly Arbey and Émeline Gros helped France fightback to victory after Scotland hooker Elis Martin had nabbed a try on her first start.
Wales team
A huge blow for Wales is the absence of Jasmine Joyce, the wing ruled out by a hamstring strain. They will surely miss the Sale star’s quality and electric pace.
Lisa Neumann takes her spot and his some big and speedy boots to fill. Sian Jones is picked at scrum half, while Carys Cox is on the left wing. Donna Rose and Carys Phillips come into the front row; Georgia Evans and Kate Williams start in the pack.
A late change on the bench for Wales as well, Nel Metcafle unavailable through injury.
Wales XV: Hesketh; Neumann, Jones, Lake, Cox; George, Jones; Pyrs, Phillips, Rose, Fleming, Evans, Williams, Callender, Lewis.
Replacements: Reardon, Constable, Tuipulotu, John, Butchers, Bevan, Powell, Keight.
England team
No Emily Scarratt as she is rested, a planned absence as she’s being eased back after injury – but any side will miss a player of such excellence.
Abbie Ward also starts on the bench but the lock Zoe Aldcroft retains her place and wins her 50th cap for England. “Zoe is a massive competitor. She’s like a little springer spaniel in training! When she speaks, the girls listen,” praised the captain, Marlie Packer this week (to be fair, if a springer spaniel spoke, I would 100% listen). “Everyone knows she’s world class in everything she does and how she goes about her business.”
Packer also starts, winning her 101st cap, while Megan Jones and Tatyana Heard come in and form a new partnership in the centre.
England XV: Kildunne; Dow, Jones, Heard, Breach; Aitchison, Hunt; Botterman, Atkin-Davies, Muir, Aldcroft, Galligan, Kabeya, Packer (capt), Matthews.
Replacements: Powell, Carson, Clifford, Ward, Feaunati, Packer, Harrison, Gregson.
Preamble
England welcome Wales to Ashton Gate with the visitors smarting after a narrow, home defeat by Scotland in their opener. They missed a late chance to at least level the scores, but did not start that match well and will now be aiming to get stuck into the team who’ve won the last five Six Nations.
The hosts this afternoon thrashed Italy 48-0 in their opener but it was not all as fluent as that scoreline suggests. There were first-half handling and that red card for Sarah Beckett which meant they played the vast majority of the game with 14 (and briefly 13) players.
Both sides have made seven changes to their starting lineups but John Mitchell, in his second game in charge of England, will still hope for a quicker, slicker display from the start. Ioan Cunningham will want his Wales team to show their power, exploit any issues in the England lineout and be a thorn in the Red Roses’ side.
It all kicks off at 4.45pm! Teams and updates will follow.
