TOKYO — Alex Callender will win her 50th cap for Wales when she co-captains the side against Japan in the WXV Global Series at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium on Saturday (10:30 BST), while sisters Nel and Branwen Metcalfe will start a Test together for the first time.
Head coach Sean Lynn has made three personnel changes from September's narrow defeat by USA at Cardiff Arms Park, with Nel Metcalfe returning from injury on the wing, Seren Lockwood back at scrum-half and Jorja Aiono coming in at lock, plus two positional switches as Carys Cox moves to centre and Keira Bevan starts at fly-half. Callender, who will lead Wales out alongside co-captain Amy Williams, won her first cap in 2019 and reaches her half-century after returning impressively from injuries suffered before, during and after the 2025 World Cup, featuring in June's uncapped fixture against the Barbarians, being named player of the match against South Africa and scoring against USA. "Whenever you talk about a Welsh person everything is about calon and passion - that's her in abundance," said Lynn. "Whenever she puts that jersey on she wears it with pride and wants to represent the nation. She galvanises this group incredibly, on the pitch and off it."
"Everybody has always seen Alex as a very passionate individual with phenomenal tackling and breakdown work," said Lynn, who praised her development as "a really good operator in the line-out and the attack" and added: "We've been trying to play her as a forward on the edges and she is excelling after working hard on her handling ability over pre-season. We're looking to play an expansive game and having a back-row forward who is just like another back brings another dimension." Bevan returns to pulling the strings at fly-half after her encouraging partnership with Lockwood against South Africa was ended when the scrum-half suffered a head injury with the score at 26-5, prompting the introduction of Lleucu George. "They were super exciting in the first 30 minutes in South Africa game," said Lynn. "Keira just wants the ball in her hands, she wants to move the ball and her maturity with the kicking game is developing. Her performance against USA as a scrum-half was very good as well but we saw the damage that Seren can do against South Africa, and also in the Barbarians fixture when she stood out."
The Metcalfe sisters played together for Wales for the first time when lock Branwen came off the bench for her first cap against Canada at the 2025 World Cup, and they started the uncapped fixture against the Barbarians, but Saturday marks their first Test start together in the XV. Branwen, 20, starts her sixth successive Test alongside new second-row partner Aiono, while Nel, 21, returns on the wing rather than full-back for her first cap since the World Cup after a knee injury that forced her to miss the Six Nations. "She was a shining light at the World Cup, which was tough for us," said Lynn. "Every time that she gets the ball, something will happen. She has got fitter, stronger and faster, and she's excited to go out there on Saturday."
Wales are 11th in World Rugby's rankings, one place above Japan, who last month lost 55-21 to Italy and were beaten twice by Ireland, 31-24 in the WXV Global Series and 43-19 in an extra Test. "Japan ran Ireland close in the first Test and they are very efficient in what they do, very regimented," said Lynn, who has opted for six forwards on his bench. "They've got a very good maul and we are not going to be taking them lightly at all." Wales: Neumann; N Metcalfe, Cox, Bell, A Williams; Bevan, Lockwood; M Davies, K Jones, Tuipulotu, B Metcalfe, Aiono, K Williams (co-capt), Callender (co-capt), King. Replacements: Reardon, Pyrs, E Jones, Crabb, G Evans, B Lewis, George, Keight. Live on iPlayer and BBC Sport website & app, with audio commentary on Sounds, BBC Radio Wales Extra & BBC Radio Cymru.