Preview: Spain v Wales

Spain will choose from a relatively new-look squad with coach José Antonio Barrió using the game to try out some new and young faces, while in contrast Wales head coach Rowland Phillips will use the match as part of the more immediate build-up for the upcoming Six Nations.

Phillips believes his two upcoming games against Spain and against Ireland are the perfect preparation for the Championship.

In the Autumn, Wales played and beat the UK Armed Forces and Scotland and they’re stepping up that intensity with back to back games in the coming weeks.

Having been appointed just last summer, Philips is pleased with this side’s progress and thankful of the chance to get more games under his belt.

“We felt after the Autumn that we had picked up good momentum with two good results and the performances were promising and we didn’t want to leave it from that point to get to the Six Nations without a game. To be fair to the management and the WRU the fact that we are now having two warm-up games it gives me and the coaches a massive opportunity now to look over the players in the squad and help us refine it going into the Six Nations.”

Having finished fourth in the Six Nations last year, Rowland will be looking for improvements in a year which includes a challenging World Cup pool where they will face Canada, New Zealand and Hong Kong."We're approaching this weekend in Spain very much as a competitive training camp, with a full-on training session on Friday, so there certainly won't be any relaxing going into Saturday's game. We're doing this with a view to putting players under pressure and seeing how they can implement our structures and game plans."Wales will play a Spain side who have not had quite as much rugby as them over the last year, but go into the match on the back of an exciting Autumn where they beat Scotland twice to secure a place at the World Cup. That came after a winning European Championship, which they also hosted.

Having announced a new sevens coach this week, Spain will now have head coach Barrió focusing solely on 15s, which will take something of a priority in the months ahead. Spain have been in camp since January 8th with a squad that includes several new faces.

Notable is the return from retirement of Rocio Garcia, who had stopped playing after the last World Cup, while there are six other players who were not part of the European tournament and qualifying for the World Cup.Berta Garcia, Nerea Agirre, Elisa Castro, Maria Ahi, Sabina Hurtado and Uribarri Barrutieta joined another 18 players during camp.

It is over a decade since Wales and Spain last played each other with Spain leading 6-2 with one draw.

Wales:15 Dyddgu Hywel (Scarlets), 14 Jessica Kavanagh-Williams (Scarlets),13 Kerin Lake (Ospreys),12 Rebecca De Filippo (Newport Gwent Dragons), 11 Elen Evans (Scarlets), 10 Robyn Wilkins (Ospreys), 9 Keira Bevan (Ospreys), 1 Cerys Hale (Newport Gwent Dragons), 2 Lowri Harries (Scarlets), 3 Amy Evans (Ospreys), 4 Rebecca Rowe (Newport Gwent Dragons), 5 Mel Clay (Ospreys), 6 Sian Williams (Newport Gwent Dragons), 7 Rachel Taylor (Scarlets), 8 Sioned Harries (Scarlets)Replacements:16 Gwenllian Pyrs (Scarlets), 17 Kelsey Jones (Ospreys),18 Caryl Thomas (Scarlets),19 Siwan Lillicrap (Ospreys), 20 Shona Powell-Hughes (Ospreys), 21 Sian Moore (Newport Gwent Dragons), 22 Elinor Snowsill (Newport Gwent Dragons), 23 Gemma Rowland (Newport Gwent Dragons), 24 Adi Taviner (Ospreys), 25 Jasmine Joyce (Scarlets)

Spain squad:MACIAS VALCAYO, Isabel, RICO VÁZQUEZ, Isabel, REDONDO, Elena, SCHIAVÓN MATEAO, Irene, HURTADO, Sabina, ERBINA ARAÑA, Amaia, FERNANDEZ DE CORRES, Anne, GONZÁLEZ, Aroa, LOSADA GIFRA, María, DEL PAN MORUNO, Ángela, RAMÓN GUARDIA, Anna, GASSO GARCÍA, Diana, GARCIA, Rocio, CASTELO MEJUTO, Mónica, MEDÍN LÓPEZ, Paula, VINUEZA LOYOLA, Jeanina, JAURENA ATXA, Saioa, AGIRRE, Nerea, ENARA, Cacho, BARRITIETA, Uribarri, CASTRO, Elisa, GARCIA, Berta, CASADO GONZÁLEZ, María, AHIS, Maria