Sports
Women’s Six Nations 2024: Wales seek composure in Ireland after England loss
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Venue: Musgrave Park, Cork Date: Saturday, 13 April Kick-off: 16:45 BST |
Coverage: Watch live on BBC iPlayer and online from 16:30 BST; listen on BBC Radio Wales & Radio Cymru; text commentary, highlights and report on BBC Sport website and app. |
Head coach Ioan Cunningham believes composure is key for Wales as they look ahead to their Women’s Six Nations trip to Ireland.
Wales will aim to halt a run of five straight defeats when they face the Irish in Cork on 13 April.
Cunningham says Wales can take heart from their 46-10 loss against England on Saturday.
“Players are going deep to the well and giving everything for the shirt,” he said.
“We are so proud of that effort.
“We have just got to balance that up with being clinical and having that composure at the right time. Once that clicks, we will be a tough team to stop.”
After successive autumn defeats by Canada, New Zealand and Australia, Wales were beaten narrowly in their opening Six Nations game by Scotland at Cardiff Arms Park in their opener.
Defeat by England, who were hailed as the best side in the world by Cunningham before the game, was more predictable.
‘We left four or five tries out there’
The English, victors in the last five Six Nations Championships, have not lost to Wales since 2015.
That record never looked under threat in front of 19,705 fans at Ashton Gate, though Wales did compete in spells, particularly in the first half.
“I am very encouraged,” Cunningham added.
“I thought we left four or five tries out on the field, especially first half [when] we had four entries into the 22 and came away with no points.
“It’s being a bit more clinical now, that’s what we need to do moving forward.
“It’s composure and calmness when we are in those areas, it’s confidence and belief as well.
“The occasion was fantastic, the atmosphere was brilliant, and it’s having that clarity when you are under that sort of pressure.
“It’s something we have to learn as quickly as we can.”
Wales were not helped by the absence of Jasmine Joyce, who was a late withdrawal with a hamstring strain.
Cunningham will hope the wing can return in time for Ireland, who have begun the Six Nations with defeats by France and Italy as their long wait for a win in the tournament goes on.
![Wales players come together after defeat to England](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/624/cpsprodpb/13FB5/production/_133054818_cdf_300324_ge_england_v_wales_326.jpg)
Wales were encouraged by the influence of their substitutes against England, with Alex Callender hailing the increased depth in Cunningham’s squad in what is the third Six Nations campaign since the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) introduced professional contracts for female 15-a-side players in 2022.
“We haven’t been in a position like that before, where our bench can make an impact, so that’s a real positive for us going into Ireland,” vice-captain Callender said.
“When we put England under pressure, we looked good, we looked dangerous.
“But we need to have that not just for 30, 40 minutes, we need to be in the game for 60, 70, 80 minutes.”
Ireland ‘a massive challenge’
Wales were comprehensive victors when they hosted Ireland in their first game of last year’s Six Nations.
Cunningham’s team went on to beat Scotland and Italy in that tournament as they finished third, the nation’s best Six Nations performance in 14 years.
With France to come on 21 April before a meeting with Italy six days later, Wales will be desperate to get this year’s campaign off the ground with a victory next time out – though Cunningham insists the Irish will represent a “massive challenge”.
“Next week is a great opportunity to rest up and do some good review work into the England game,” he added.
“There were positives we can take into Ireland.”
Sports
US Open women’s final 2024: Aryna Sabalenka holds off Jessica Pegula to win third Grand Slam title
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After losing to Gauff in last year’s final, a tearful Sabalenka admitted she had struggled to deal with the crowd, later saying the noise was so loud it “blocked my ears”.
The atmosphere was no different this time around, with Pegula receiving the majority of the support from the packed 23,000-seater stadium.
There were times when Sabalenka looked like the occasion would again get the better of her as she hit 34 unforced errors and five double faults.
Once the type of player who failed to keep her emotions in check, she has taken active steps to strengthen her mentality, including working with a psychologist, to become one of the most consistent competitors on the WTA Tour.
With injuries disrupting her season – she struggled with a stomach problem at the French Open before a shoulder issue ruled her out of Wimbledon – Sabalenka has got back on track with successive titles after beating Pegula in the final of last month’s Cincinnati Open.
“I wish she would have at least let me get one set. We had a tough match in Cincinnati a few weeks ago and she’s one of the best in the world,” Pegula said.
“She’s super powerful and isn’t going to give you anything, she can take the racquet out of your hand.”
Sabalenka’s victory in New York sees her become the first player to win both hard-court Slams in the same year since Angelique Kerber in 2016.
Sports
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England: What BBC Radio 5 Live saw in Lee Carsley’s first game
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Ian Dennis
Even before we had gone live on air for 5 Live, it was noticeable how involved Lee Carsley was with the warm-up.
The interim head coach even placed the red and white cones out in the England half of the field.
He was waiting on the pitch as a solitary figure before the players came out to warm up.
Carsley was actively involved along with his assistants Ashley Cole and Joleon Lescott. It’s a significant change in approach to that of Gareth Southgate or previous managers.
I even remember Fabio Capello, when he was England head coach, watching intently from the sidelines along with his assistant Franco Baldini – but they would study and monitor the opposition.
Carsley was purely focused on his England players and looked comfortable as a tracksuit manager.
John Murray
If you were looking for a different approach from Lee Carsley, it was there right from the start. There was an initial mis-step when he turned right to the home dugout when he first walked down the tunnel, but it was a tracksuited Carsley who laid out the balls and the cones and oversaw the whole of the warm-up.
It served to underline how he wishes to be seen very much as the head coach. And if England replicate the first-half performance, he will not be interim for too much longer.
Sports
Paris 2024 Paralympics: Finlay Graham, Emma Wiggs and Charlotte Henshaw win trio of golds for GB
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Finlay Graham, Emma Wiggs and Charlotte Henshaw won gold medals on Saturday morning at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, taking Great Britain’s tally to 45.
Graham, 24, won the men’s C1-3 road race, while Wiggs, 44, was victorious in the women’s VL2 200m Va’a Single final.
Henshaw, 37, continued GB’s Para-canoe success, winning the women’s VL3 Single final, where there was also a silver medal for Hope Gordon. David Phillipson took silver in the men’s KL2 Single final.
Daniel Powell has guaranteed himself at least a silver medal in the men’s -90kg men’s J1 judo.
In Para-equestrian, Sophie Wells won the bronze medal in the Grade V individual freestyle event.
Great Britain now have a total of 106 medals at the Paralympics, including those 45 golds. Only China, with 85 golds and 195 total medals, have more.
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