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Wales Side to Face Ireland

Head coach Sean Lynn has named the Wales side to face Ireland in Round 4 of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations at Affidea Stadium, Belfast on Saturday, May 9th (KO: 6.30pm).

Flanker Bethan Lewis will captain a Wales side that sees three changes and three positional changes to the side that played England. Lynn’s side recorded their highest score against England in Bristol in Round 3 and came away with a bonus point.

Centre Carys Cox returns at centre to partner Courtney Keight who reverts to inside centre. Hannah Dallavalle is named on the wing, while Branwen Metcalfe moves to second row and partners Georgia Evans, who makes her first start of the campaign, in the Wales engine room.

Jorja Aiono is selected at blindside flanker and joins skipper Lewis and Bryonie King at Number 8 in the Wales backrow to face the Irish.

The Wales front row of props Gwenllian Pyrs and Sisilia Tuipulotu, and hooker Kelsey Jones start their fourth consecutive game in the 2026 campaign.

Scrum half Keira Bevan and fly half Lleucu George are at half back while Dallavalle is part of an experienced back three alongside wing Jasmine Joyce and full back Kayleigh Powell.

Wing Nikita Prothero is set to make her Wales debut of the bench and will be Wales’ fifth new cap in the 2026 Women’s Six Nations. Wing Seren Singleton, backrower Jorja Aiono, centres Jenna De Vera and Freya Bell have all made their Wales debuts in the tournament.

Experienced lock Natalia John is on the bench and is poised to win her 50th cap for her country.

Fourteen of the Wales squad have played Celtic Challenge rugby for Brython Thunder and Gwalia Lightning against teams from Ireland and Scotland.

Wales will face an Ireland side currently ranked fifth in the world rankings and who are mid-table in the 2026 Six Nations.
Lynn, said: “We are excited to resume the Six Nations and build on the grit and resilience we showed against England to score two tries towards the end of that Test match.

“We took another real step forward in building our playing style and team identity and we know we have to do the same against Ireland in their own backyard.

“This is a new-look Wales squad and it’s all about sticking to our principles and process and focussing on what we want to do and expect from ourselves in the Test arena.

“Every game in this tournament has seen us build another layer of the team we aspire to be and we expect to come away from Ireland having done the same.

“Ireland are an ambitious side and will be hurting after their run of results in the tournament and we know they will be looking to make a statement in Belfast on Saturday.”

Lock Gwen Crabb is being rested due to a knee injury picked up in training.

Wales squad (v Ireland)

15 Kayleigh Powell (Harlequins) 31 caps, 10pts
14 Hannah Dallavalle (Gloucester-Hartpury) 71 caps, 25pts
13 Carys Cox (Ealing Trailfinders) 24 caps, 25pts
12 Courtney Keight (Sale Sharks/Brython Thunder) 31 caps
11 Jasmine Joyce (Bristol Bears/Brython Thunder) 55 caps, 50pts
10 Lleucu George (Gloucester-Hartpury) 38 caps
9 Keira Bevan (Bristol Bears) 81 caps, 156pts
1 Gwenllian Pyrs (Sale Sharks) 54 caps, 20 pts
2 Kelsey Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury) 55 caps, 30pts
3 Sisilia Tuipulotu (Gloucester-Hartpury/Brython Thunder) 32 caps, 40pts
4 Branwen Metcalfe (Brython Thunder) 4 caps
5 Georgia Evans (Saracens) 46 caps, 10pts
6 Jorja Aiono (Brython Thunder) 3 caps
7 Bethan Lewis (Captain, Gloucester-Hartpury/ Gwalia Lightning)
63 caps, 35pts8 Bryonie King (Gwalia Lightning) 15 caps

Replacements:

16 Molly Reardon (Gwalia Lightning) 15 caps, 10 pts
17 Maisie Davies (Gwalia Lightning/Bristol Bears) 15 caps
18 Donna Rose (Saracens) 40 caps, 10pts
19 Natalia John (Brython Thunder) 50 caps
20 Alisha Joyce (Brython Thunder/Bristol Bears) 54 caps, 35 pts
21 Seren Lockwood (Brython Thunder) 7 caps, 5 pts
22 Freya Bell (Gwalia Lightning) One cap
23 Nikita Prothero (Gwalia Lightning/ Sale Sharks) Uncapped

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