WALES head coach Sean Lynn has named his side to face France in Round two of the Women’s Guinness Six Nations at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday (Apr 18).

Kate Williams will captain the team, with Lynn making two changes to the starting line-up for the visit of Les Bleues.

Scrum-half Seren Lockwood will make her first Women’s Six Nations start, while experienced three-time GB Olympian Jasmine Joyce comes in on the wing.

Wales return to Cardiff Arms Park for the game against a France side who opened their campaign with victory over Italy.

Lynn has kept faith with the same forward pack that started against Scotland. Gwenllian Pyrs, Kelsey Jones and Sisilia Tuipulotu are named in the front row, with Jorja Aiono and Gwen Crabb continuing in the second row.

The back row sees captain Williams joined by Bethan Lewis and Bryonie King.

In the backs, Lockwood starts alongside Lleucu George at half-back, while Courtney Keight and Carys Cox are selected in midfield.

Kayleigh Powell is named at full-back, with Joyce and Seren Singleton on the wings. Singleton made her Wales debut at the Principality Stadium last weekend.

Lynn said the performance against Scotland had shown signs of progress, but insisted there was still more work to do.

He said: “We took a real step forward as a group of players, coaches and staff against Scotland and there was real evidence of what we have started to build.

“We still have work to do as a squad and coaches, but this is another game to hone the style of rugby we want to play.

“France are one of the best teams in the world and we know they will pose a real challenge, but this is about us delivering a performance and taking another step forward.

“We will need the same grit, determination and fight we showed against Scotland in the dying moments against France.

“The Welsh supporters had a real impact on the players and the noise they generated really pushed the team forward in the closing minutes of the Scotland game.

“The supporters need to know how important they are and how much they inspire the players, and we look forward to them doing the same against France.”

Wales Women to face France:
15 Kayleigh Powell; 14 Seren Singleton; 13 Carys Cox; 12 Courtney Keight; 11 Jasmine Joyce; 10 Lleucu George; 9 Seren Lockwood; 1 Gwenllian Pyrs; 2 Kelsey Jones; 3 Sisilia Tuipulotu; 4 Jorja Aiono; 5 Gwen Crabb; 6 Bethan Lewis; 7 Kate Williams (captain); 8 Bryonie King.

Replacements:
16 Molly Reardon, 17 Maisie Davies, 18 Donna Rose, 19 Natalia John, 20 Branwen Metcalfe, 21 Georgia Evans, 22 Keira Bevan, 23 Hannah Dallavalle.

Pictured: Kate Williams (Pic: BBC)

Club avoided liquidation in case remained live until it came before a judge at the High Court in London

A WINDING-UP petition brought by HM Revenue & Customs against Haverfordwest County AFC Ltd reached the High Court in London before being dismissed on Wednesday (Apr 15).

The case was heard at 12:00pm at the Rolls Building.

Court officials later confirmed to The Herald that the petition had been dismissed, with the company ordered to pay costs.

While the dismissal means the club has avoided compulsory liquidation, the fact that the matter progressed to a High Court hearing – and resulted in a costs order against the company – underlines the seriousness of the proceedings.

Before the hearing, the club had repeatedly sought to downplay the issue. Last week, chairman Rob Edwards described the petition as “a non-story”, stating it related to “a VAT offset against PAYE that wasn’t recorded”. He insisted the matter had been rectified, that no debt was owed to HMRC, and that a request to withdraw the petition had already been submitted to the court.

The club subsequently issued a statement claiming there was “no debt owed to HMRC” and that the petition “has been withdrawn by HMRC”.

However, HM Courts & Tribunals Service twice confirmed to The Herald prior to the hearing that the petition remained active and listed for 12:00pm on 15 April. The case remained listed until it came before the judge on Wednesday.

The imposition of a costs order is particularly notable.

It represents a formal court direction requiring Haverfordwest County AFC Ltd to meet the legal costs arising from the petition.

Thankfully, Haverfordwest County AFC has avoided the most severe outcome – a winding-up order that would have threatened the club’s future.

However, the High Court proceedings make clear that this was never a dormant or inconsequential entry on the court list. It was a live HMRC petition that required judicial attention at the Rolls Building and has now left the company with legal expenses to pay.

Machynlleth driver makes winning return as British Rally Championship season gets underway in mid Wales

OSAIN PRYCE and co-driver James Morgan made a dream return to the Severn Valley Stages on Saturday, storming to victory on home ground in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

Fresh from Pryce’s title success, the Welsh pairing showed their class on the gravel once again, adding another Severn Valley Stages win to the one he claimed in 2024. Locked in a fierce battle throughout the event, Pryce underlined his pace and experience to seal a memorable victory in challenging conditions.

Speaking after the win, Pryce said: “It’s so good to be back. It’s much easier coming back here with the title in hand; you can just relax and enjoy it.

“James and MEM have done a great job in getting me comfortable in this car. I think that’s been the key and, to set a fastest time for the first time out in the car, I’m more than happy with that.

“From my side, I’ve got a bit of work to do with my driving to get used to the car, but I’m very happy.”

The 51st Severn Valley Stages marked a spectacular return to the rallying calendar, acting as the curtain-raiser for the 2026 Motorsport UK British Rally Championship.

Based in Builth Wells and Llandrindod Wells, the popular gravel event, supported by Axon Commercial Catering Equipment, attracted almost 120 crews and featured strong entries across a range of championships, including the Fuchs British Historic Rally Championship, Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship, HRCR Stage Masters and TCS Plant Rally Series.

After a packed ceremonial start in Llandrindod Wells on Friday evening, which saw fans gather to meet drivers and collect autographs, crews faced more than 50 miles of demanding stages. The route included seven tests in total, headlined by the iconic Myherin complex and rounded off with a punishing 18-mile finale.

Weather conditions added another layer of difficulty, with sunshine giving way to snow, hail and heavy rain, leaving the forest stages treacherous and unpredictable.

Pryce was pushed all the way by fellow Welshman and team-mate Meirion Evans, with Dale Furniss alongside in another Yaris. Evans, buoyed by his recent Rally North Wales victory, kept the pressure on throughout the day and eventually secured second place.

Garry Pearson and Hannah McKillop led the M-Sport Ford challenge in their Ford Fiesta Rally2, recovering from an early spin to complete the podium in third.

On his Severn Valley debut, Max McRae impressed with a strong fourth-place finish alongside Cammy Fair in a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. The son of 1995 British Rally Championship winner Alister McRae looked capable of finishing even higher before a puncture on the fourth test checked his progress.

Scottish Rally Championship front-runner Scot MacBeth, co-driven by Ross Whittock, rounded out the top five in a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5.

Elsewhere, Liam Clark and Michael Gilbey claimed victory in the Interclub category and secured top Welsh Championship points.

The historic category once again provided plenty of spectacle, with Marty McCormack entertaining fans in his BMW E30 M3. Alongside co-driver Barney Mitchell, McCormack continued the car’s gravel development in style by taking back-to-back British Historic Rally Championship victories.

Organised by Midland Manor Motor Club, the return of the Severn Valley Stages after a year’s hiatus was warmly welcomed by rally fans, who lined the forests at Sarnau and Myherin to witness the action.

The ceremonial start and finish at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells again proved a popular focal point, bringing drivers, teams and spectators together to celebrate the event’s successful comeback.

Images: British Rally Championship