Data had been smashed, stars had been born and legends bowed out – this yr’s Ladies’s Six Nations had all of it.
England loved one other Grand Slam, beating France in a scintillating finale in entrance of a world report crowd of over 58,000 at Twickenham.
Wales additionally had trigger for celebration, their five-try victory over Italy securing a consecutive third place within the championship.
It sees them rise to sixth on this planet, their highest ever rating.
Wales’ greatest Six Nations efficiency since 2009 additionally reserves their seat on the prime desk of World Rugby’s new world event, WXV this autumn.
An indication of their progress in solely their second yr as professionals.
Good 10
There was extra expectation on Wales to seal their place as “the very best of the remainder” on this yr’s marketing campaign, with the variety of full-time contracts rising to 25 in January.
They received off to the flying begin of their first house match towards a struggling Eire facet, enjoying in entrance of what was the primary report crowd – 4,962 – for a girls’s sport in Wales.
Wales ran in five tries, together with a primary within the event for “prop idol” Sisilia Tuipulotu. It was definitely an indication of issues to return from the 19-year-old.
The event was solely marred by one other critical damage to lock Gwen Crabb.
Wales backed up that victory with a visit to Scotland in spherical two, with Hannah Jones’ facet intent on “storming the fort”.
The Edinburgh encounter proved extra of an arm wrestle, however Wales’ entrance row proved the superstars once again, with Tuipulotu and Gwenllian Pyrs bagging two tries every.
Thoughts the hole
To date so good, Wales had a most 10 factors as they headed right into a prime of the desk conflict with England.
It was the most well liked ticket on the town, with the 8,862 gross sales smashing the earlier report set towards Eire three weeks earlier.
There was a whole lot of hype within the build-up and it was simple to get carried away into considering Wales would repeat their 2015 victory over the Pink Roses.
For the opening half-hour it appeared the hype was justified, Wales shot out of the blocks and clearly rattled the World Cup finalists.
However to make use of that outdated cliché, it proved a sport of two halves because the England ran in six unanswered tries to crush any hopes of a Wales Triple Crown.
It was a actuality examine, however on the identical time massively encouraging.
An away journey to the “hostile” crowds of France adopted, and this was no much less of a problem as one other report crowd (18,604) bid farewell to the excellent Jessy Tremouliere in her ultimate house match.
It was Wales’ flip to begin sluggish this time and France took full advantage of their vulnerability out vast.
However the introduction of the “bomb squad” – the return of entrance row Tuipulotu, Pyrs and hooker Kelsey Jones, together with flanker Alex Callender off the bench – noticed the guests claw their manner again into the sport, and win the second half 14-10.
The Italian Job
Wales travelled from Grenoble straight to Parma, staying away between video games marking one other first for the ladies’s facet.
And every week within the Italian sunshine proved worthwhile as Wales signed off in model.
Regardless of not beating Italy since 2017, Wales had been below stress as something lower than three wins would have been deemed a disappointment.
Italy additionally had a degree to show and pushed Wales all the way in which in a frantic first half, however Wales’ health shone by way of and ultimately it was a comfortable victory.
The sport additionally noticed the departure of two stalwarts of girls’s rugby, each of whom had given 17 years to their shirts.
Italy captain Sara Barattin and Wales prop Caryl Thomas had been fittingly given standing ovations as they ran out one final time.
Progress
Skilled sport is a results-based enterprise as we all know, and if we measure Wales’ progress on the championship desk, they’ve positively made strides on final yr.
They completed on 15 factors in comparison with 11 in 2022 and scored 5 extra tries with 17.
All however three of Wales’ scores got here from the pack, a mirrored image of their new energy sport, however as Wales’ assault coach Shaun Connor mentioned, they won’t lose an excessive amount of sleep over who’s crossing the whitewash, so long as they do.
Progress may also be measured by Wales widening their participant pool.
They blooded 4 new gamers this event; New Zealand naval officer Kate Williams, together with fellow forwards Bryonie King and Abbey Constable and full-back Amelia Tutt.
What the pundits say
Former Wales girls coach Chris Horsman:
“The programme, the gamers, all the pieces has moved ahead. It has been such a formidable and necessary event.
“We now have had report crowds, three bonus-point victories, the emergence of recent gamers, extra contracts, it is simply optimistic, optimistic, optimistic.
“Credit score to the coaches, credit score to the ladies and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) for investing within the programme.
“It has been a implausible event with implausible video games and I’ve completely loved each minute of it.”
Former Wales centre Alecs Donovan:
“It is superb simply to suppose how far they’ve are available in a yr.
“Women rising up can now say ‘I wish to be a rugby participant’, that is by no means occurred earlier than in Wales.
“It is good for the ladies, I understand how onerous they work and the sacrifices everybody’s needed to make and lengthy might the rewards proceed.”
Former Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap:
“We’re seeing glimpses of how we compete with the very best on this planet, what we have to see is how we compete for 80 minutes and the extra instances we will play them the higher we shall be at that.
“Going into tier certainly one of World XV with 15 factors within the Six Nations – which is excellent – will give us that chance to compete extra usually and shut that hole.”
Former Wales full-back Dyddgu Hywel:
“Wales have come actually far, it’s so good to see these gamers with contracts being skilled rugby gamers.
“I am so pleased with them, they’re getting that help from the union and it’s precisely what they deserve.”
Stand out performer
It’s onerous to suppose this time final yr Sisilia Tuipulotu was plying her commerce in Wales’ second row, making her debut towards Eire.
Head coach Ioan Cunningham set about her transition to prop in time for the World Cup, saying {the teenager} had the potential to be world class in that place.
It was a prediction that has definitely proved true.
The 19-year-old gained back-to-back participant of the match awards towards Eire and Scotland, carried relentlessly towards England, was a part of the “bomb squad” that helped salvage the second half towards France and was as soon as once more on the scoresheet towards Italy.
Her 4 tries make her Wales’ main try-scorer this marketing campaign, it’s scary to suppose how good she goes to get!
A notable point out should additionally go to Abbie Fleming who actually stepped as much as the plate having not been a daily starter in earlier campaigns.
View from the highest
Wales head coach Ioan Cunningham:
“We have grown as a bunch, we have advanced our sport a bit, the problem now’s to compete with England for 60, 70, 80 minutes as we transfer ahead.
“I am tremendous pleased with everybody, the gamers, the backroom employees.
“Everybody deserves credit score for all of the onerous work that has gone in. We now have performed it in a fairly brief house of time as properly and the expansion of the crew is absolutely thrilling. I am wanting ahead to the longer term.
“I am happy that we’re scoring extra tries, I feel we’re displaying that we have an influence sport now.
“I am delighted by dripping in some new caps, growing the longer term in direction of 2025.
“Sisilia has been excellent along with her transition to tighthead, and there have been another excellent gamers on this marketing campaign.
“Beth Lewis has been unbelievable, Georgia Evans, Alex Callender has been superior and Hannah Jones has led us extraordinarily properly, I am delighted with that.”
So after proving their value because the “better of the remainder” as soon as extra, all that’s left for Wales to do now’s smash by way of the glass ceiling to England and France.
Cunningham has made no secret of the truth that he needs a whole squad {of professional} contracts, or he fears Wales shall be left behind come the 2025 World Cup.
WRU interim chief govt Nigel Walker mentioned Cunningham “was in his ear” on the eve of the Italy sport about contracts.
“We’re speaking about it [increasing the number],” Walker mentioned.
“It is a long-term mission.
“We all know that different nations all over the world are investing extra, we all know we have to make investments extra, however we have got to do it in a manner which is sustainable.”
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