Wales coach Lynn stays positive despite narrow USA defeat

Wales' women's rugby team suffered a narrow 24-26 defeat to the USA in front of home supporters at Cardiff Arms Park during WXV competition, following their impressive eight-try victory over South Africa in the previous match.

Wales showed resilience in the first half, clawing back a 14-point deficit, but a series of individual errors in the second half allowed the USA — ranked five places above Wales at sixth in the world — to secure the win.

Head coach Sean Lynn told BBC Sport he saw genuine positives in the performance despite the result. He noted that in the past, falling behind 7-21 might have caused the team to lose heart, but this time players fought back and showed grit. He said the focus now is learning to close out matches and returning to the fundamentals the team already does well.

Lynn had hoped for a third consecutive win following the summer victory over the Barbarians, but acknowledged the squad must address individual errors that prevent them from playing at the required Test match standard. He pointed to missed opportunities to exit their own 22 and to apply pressure inside the opposition's territory.

Co-captain Kate Williams, who was in tears of joy after last week's win, described the squad as deflated following the USA result. She said the match remained close until the 60th minute, with individual mistakes ultimately deciding the outcome. Williams emphasised that the game felt less like a USA win and more like one Wales lost themselves.

Wales now have a week off before returning to camp to prepare for their trip to Japan, where they will play two Test matches against the Sakura Fifteen on 24 and 31 October.