WALES Women Development took the spoils 39-22 in their Remembrance fixture with the UK Armed Forces at Cardiff Arms Park on Wednesday evening.

After losing last year’s encounter the UKAF were evidently fired up in the opening exchanges and attacked with gusto, with an equally zealous defence to boot.

That feistiness in the close quarters was found lacking out wide in the eighth minute, however, when North Walian speedster Jess Kavangh-Williams showed a clean pair of heels on halfway and sprinted all the way in for a try.

Alecs Donovan, a newcomer in the Welsh jersey, also looked lively in the early midfield exchanges, whilst flanker-turned-fly-half Lleucu George was a creative as well as powerful presence with the ball in hand.

As the half-hour approached, patient work from the Welsh forwards paid dividends as they fashioned a score out wide through captain Carys Phillips for a 10-point lead.

It was then the turn of George, using all her considerable strength to fend off the UKAF defence and score from five metres out before converting.

UKAF struck back through the evasiveness and pace of centre Jade Mullen for a try which was converted by Wales’ Gemma Rowland.

Two minutes into the second half Wales Women stretched away through a driving maul and Phillips’ second.

The Welsh coaches added energy with a raft of replacements with half an hour left and were rewarded with the skipper’s hat-trick score.

The Armed Forces then showed that they too had try-scoring front rowers in their ranks, as loosehead Sarah Batley crashed over for her team’s second try with quarter of an hour left to play to make it 22-17.

Replacement back Rhi Nokes made a stirring impact late on as she broke away from the clutches of the UKAF defence to sprint away for a try, converted by Robyn Wilkins.

Kavanagh-Williams scored another scintillating try down the left with four minutes to go then, with time already up on the clock, UKAF hit back with a score from England hooker Amy Cokayne in a fitting end to a fiercely-fought contest.