Celtic Challenge: WRU Development XV 7-21 Thistles

Thistles made it a perfect weekend for Scottish rugby, with victory over Wales' Celtic Challenge team in Cardiff.

Elis Martin gave the visitors a first-half lead, scoring off a driving maul, with Holly McIntyre and Emma Orr running in second-half tries.

Skipper Abbie Fleming scored a late consolation for the hosts.

The Welsh will be looking to get back to winning ways when they take on an Irish Provinces XV next weekend.

Thistles return to action the following week against the same opposition.

The Welsh edged their Scottish counterparts in a 10-try thriller in Glasgow in January, and despite perfect conditions in the Welsh capital, the whitewash proved more elusive in this meeting.

Lisa Neumann was among six internationals in the Welsh starting XV, with the 31-capped wing struggling for game time at club side Gloucester-Hartpury.

Kate Williams also made her Challenge Cup debut, impressing at number eight, but on the day Scotland comfortably beat Wales in the Six Nations.

Scotland also beat Wales on Friday in the Under-20 Six Nations.

Williams, a 22-year-old warfare naval officer in the New Zealand Navy, was born in Swansea and raised in Auckland, and was perfectly placed for a call up to Wales' World Cup squad last October.

She had trained with Ioan Cunningham's squad last summer and is now living in Wales as she continues her quest to win an international cap.

Thistles began the better of the two sides, picking gaps in the Welsh defence and dominating at the set piece, but it was not until after the first quarter that they converted pressure into points.

A driving maul off a five-metre line-out saw hooker Martin crash over, with the skipper Smith adding an impressive touchline conversion.

The Welsh gradually grew into the game, with Williams showing her class at the ruck with some crucial turnovers.

Wales scrum-half Megan Davies injected a bit of tempo, twice making good ground after taking a quick-tap penalty, but visits to the Thistles' 22 were few and far between.

The hosts started the second half brightly and looked threatening, but they lacked the clinical edge the Scots would show as the game went on.

Thistles' second try came after a superb break from second row Eva Donaldson, who was glad to find pacey wing McIntyre on her shoulder to cross in the corner.

Smith was once again on target to add the extras from the touchline.

Orr cut a nice angle to cross for their third as the game began to slip away from the Welsh, but it was not for the lack of effort as they spent the final 10 minutes camped in Thistles' 22.

The Welsh almost scored when full-back Niamh Terry's perfectly weighted cross-field kick was taken by fellow international Caitlin Lewis, who was bundled over the line, but the Scots managed to hold the ball up.

Another chance went begging on the overlap, with a bit of white line fever creeping in, but Fleming eventually found a way over, just as she did at Scotstoun.

Terry added the conversion.

WRU Development XV coach Mike Hill told BBC Sport Wales: "For us, it highlights a few errors that we have got to get right.

"The set piece had been working really well for us, that was probably the first time it faltered, without that it is hard to get into the game, possession and territory goes off the back of that.

Some of the intent, individually, was outstanding, I would love to know some of the GPS scores there, the work-rate from the backs in particular was great.

"I think overall, credit to the Thistles. Physically they put us under a lot of pressure."

WRU Development XV: Leanne Burnell; Lisa Neumann, Caitlin Lewis, Molly Philpott, Jenna De Vera; Niamh Terry, Meg Davies; Rosie Carr, Kat Evans, Dani Dinapoli, Charlie Mundy, Abbie Fleming (capt), Katie Jenkins, Kira Philpott, Kate Williams.

Replacements: Tara Finnegan, Dali Hopkins, Abbey Constable, Gwennan Hopkins, Mel Gnojek, Molly Reardon, Beth Jones, Anwen Owen

Thistles: Roma Fraser; Holly McIntyre,Emma Orr, Evie Wills, Eilidh Sinclairl Meryl Smith (capt), Rhea Clarke; Panashe Muzambe, Elis Martin, Elliann Clarke, Eva Donaldson, Natasha Logan, Erinn Foley, Alex Stewart, Emma Turner

Replacements: Nikki Simpson, Poppy Fletcher, Kaylee Fraser, Freya Walker, Kiera MacDonald