Wales boost fitness in hunt for Lynn's first win
Georgia Evans says she and her Wales team-mates are the fittest they have ever been after being pushed to their limits in pre-season.Head coach Sean Lynn said a lack of strength and conditioning was a concern after Wales finished bottom of the 2025 Women's Six Nations, his first campaign in charge.During the summer, Lynn's players trained in army boot camps and also spent time running up Wales' largest sand dune in preparation for a two-Test tour of Australia and next month's Rugby World Cup in England. "He (Lynn) wasn't lying when he said he was going to put us in a dark place, he definitely did that," said back-rower Evans."He set us standards before we left for off-season of what he expected when he came back in, so the work didn't stop, it was about grinding away."
Evans thinks the hard work will pay off as Wales go in search of a first win under Lynn during their trip to Australia.They take on the Wallaroos in Brisbane on Saturday before a repeat fixture in Sydney on Friday, 1 August - the day before the third British and Irish Lions Test in the same city.Wales recorded their first victory over Australia at Rodney Parade last September, but suffered a sobering defeat when the two sides met again in South Africa at WXV2."It (pre-season) has been really tough, but looking to your left and looking to your right, you're seeing PBs (personal bests) week-in, week-out. We're getting fitter," said Evans."I think everyone is glad to see the back of block one purely because now we're into more rugby."We've got the ball in our hands way more than we did before. Just getting around the park, it makes life a lot easier when you can breathe a bit better. The tour of Australia will show us where we are rather than just training against each other."
On a personal note, Evans will be hoping to hit the same levels which made her a standout player in the Six Nations in terms of tackle count and ball carrying. The 27-year-old Saracens star can play in the second row but is hoping to make the number eight jersey her own amid some stiff competition."I felt I did myself justice in the Six Nations but it's about building - the job is never done," Evans said."Wales have some world-class players. Unfortunately all of them play in my position, so it's all about that competition and making sure they're pushing you for your shirt and making you're a better player."I'm looking forward to it and hopefully I'll get my chance."
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