Nations League B return 'huge positive' for Wales

Rhian Wilkinson says a return to Nations League B will be good news for Wales as they look to end their 11-game winless streak.

However, the head coach said there were "no excuses" after her much-changed Wales side were thumped 5-2 by Poland in a dispiriting friendly in Newport on Tuesday.

Defeat in Wales' first game without the retired Jess Fishlock was their seventh in succession, the nation's longest losing run since the mid-1990s.

Wales have also gone 11 games since their most recent victory, in the Euro 2025 play-off against the Republic of Ireland in December 2024.

Wales will gather next month for either one or two friendlies, though no fixture has been finalised as yet.

But Wilkinson already has an eye on the next Nations League campaign, which runs from February to December 2026, with Wales back in League B after relegation from the top tier earlier this year.

When asked if there were any positives after the Poland defeat, Wilkinson said: "I think there's a huge positive that we are dropping down to Nations League B.

"We have got to be ready to battle."

Wilkinson was frustrated after her team's performance against Poland, who like Wales made their major tournament debut at Euro 2025.

The Poles are ranked 26th in the world, six places higher than Wales, but ruthlessly exposed an experimental home line-up at Rodney Parade.

"I don't think that's who we are as a team and as a country," Wilkinson said.

"We have off days, every team has off days. But on those off days, we cannot lose our identity like that.

"We got caught up in a transitional game [and] we're better than that. It's not even fun to watch, it's not our brand of football.

"These women give everything for Wales, but I am not proud of that performance."

Wilkinson gave debuts to Charlton midfielder Mia Ross and Arsenal defender Teagan Scarlett, while Tianna Teisar made her first Wales start.

A number of other players were given an opportunity to impress as Wales made nine changes to the side which started last Saturday's friendly defeat to Australia.

Wilkinson suggested some of the senior players involved against Poland had failed to "grab that game" when the youngsters were in need of help.

"I am not happy with this game, but equally what we wanted in terms of giving people time and seeing different combinations - we can now say we have given opportunities," she added.

"I think that's important for us in these friendly windows. We don't get many so if we are not using them to really push and stretch ourselves, I think we are doing a disservice to ourselves."

Wilkinson says Wales "haven't got anything signed" regarding friendly opponents in the final international window of 2025.

Whoever they face, Wales will be desperate for a morale-boosting win as they look ahead to the Nations League, which doubles up as qualifying for the 2027 World Cup.

"We have had a stretch of not winning. That's a habit we have to get back to," Wilkinson said.

"I don't mind losing as long as we are pushing our standards. But once we are meeting teams of our calibre, we have got to be putting these games to bed and we didn't do that [against Poland]."