Wales will look to finish their Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup campaign on a high when they face Scotland in the fifth-place play-off at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong on Thursday (kick-off 1.30pm local time, 2.30am GMT)
Alan Caron’s side secured their place in the match with an impressive 64-36 victory over New Zealand, while Scotland booked their spot with a 44-12 win over the USA.
Wales have enjoyed two victories during the tournament, having also beaten the USA 92-18 in the group stages. They have faced tough challenges against England and Ireland, but will now have the opportunity to finish fifth in the world.
Scotland will provide a stern test. They have shown considerable improvement throughout the competition and will be determined to end their World Cup on a high by claiming fifth place.
Wales produced one of their strongest performances of the tournament against New Zealand, with Stuart Williams scoring five tries and earning player-of-the-match honours.
There was also a landmark occasion for Jodie Boyd-Ward, who reached 50 international Wheelchair Rugby League appearances, becoming the first player in the sport and the first woman to achieve the milestone.
John Berriman and Jonathan Gill, named as reserves for the New Zealand match, return to the eight-player squad, replacing Mark Williams and Martin Turner. Williams, named as a reserve for this match, may win a Wales Wheelchair record-equalling 46th cap, if he is named as ninth player and used if there are head injuries.
Caron will be hoping his players can carry that momentum into Thursday’s encounter and reward their efforts throughout the competition with another strong performance.
He said: “This has probably been the toughest selection that we as coaches have had to make throughout the whole tournament. We have players who have all worked incredibly hard, contributed to the team and made a real difference when they’ve had their opportunities.
“That’s a great position to be in as a coach, but it certainly doesn’t make the decisions any easier. There were some really difficult conversations, but we’ve picked the team we believe can go out there and finish our World Cup campaign strongly against Scotland.”
Wales squad to face Scotland
1. Sid Ramsey (Sheffield Eagles, 5 Wales caps)
2. Fionn McCabe (North Wales Crusaders, 3 Wales caps)
4. Andrew Higgins (Birmingham Hurricanes, 40 Wales caps)
5. Jodie Boyd-Ward (Leeds Rhinos, 21 Wales caps)
6. Jonathan Gill (North Wales Crusaders, 4 Wales caps)
7. Stuart Williams (Edinburgh Giants / North Wales Crusaders, 40 Wales caps)
9. Matthew Turner (Wigan Warriors / North Wales Crusaders, 6 Wales caps)
11. John Berriman (York RLFC, 2 Wales caps)
Reserves:
8. Gareth Ramsey (Sheffield Eagles, 1 Wales cap)
10. Mark Williams (Wigan Warriors / South Wales Jets, 45 Wales caps)
