Lily Woodham and Rachel Rowe: Wales’ new Ying and Yang

We’ve seen a lot of changes over the past year in this Wales team, and with new players and new tactics, strong relationships start to form.

Down the left side in particular, there is a New Welsh Order that is getting stronger and stronger with each game that passes. Rachel Rowe and Lily Woodham aren’t this put together duo that seem to perform every game. Their relationship stretches back a number of years back to the time when they were regulars for Reading in the WSL.

When the Royals got relegated from the top tier, the experienced Rowe was the first to relocate. Her next destination would be over the border in Scotland, with giants Rangers. It was an interesting move for a plethora of reasons, but my word, has that moved paid off.

A Scottish Cup winner, a Scottish Women’s Premier League Cup winner, and named SWPL 1 Player of the Year. The winger hasn’t had time to look back and reflect on this year’s honours, but she knows what an exceptional year it’s been.

“It’s been a special season for me, probably my favourite one so far in my playing career. I feel the most comfortable in myself at this moment. I’ve played a lot more freely this season, and Jo Potter up at Rangers, I’ve known her for a while, and she’s allowed me to bring out the best version of myself. You always bring out your best self when you feel content in yourself.

“I’m at a certain point now where I need to improve on things; it’s like fine tuning. This year has been doing that in an attacking midfielder role, whereas for years, it’s been full-back, midfielder, and not really knowing where I need to hone my skills. Happy Rowey is good Rowey.”

Woodham’s Berkshire departure came halfway through the campaign, as she packed her bags and headed to the States, and to Seattle Reign. We spoke with the full-back recently all about her move, but fast forward a couple of months, and Woodham is still learning from the world’s best, and loving every minute of it.

“Moving over to Seattle has really helped my football. Career wise, I’m learning off some of the best, I’m playing against the world’s best athletes, and that only improves you as a player.

“I really enjoy training, I learn a lot, and they help me with what I need to work on and also tell me what I’m doing well at. As a team, I know it’s not been the best start, but we know we’re not far off it.”

Lily Woodham opens up on move to Seattle Reign

Ying and Yang

What makes the on-field partnership so strong is the fact that both Woodham and Rowe understand each other’s game.

You only have to mention the name of one of them around the other before they start smiling and singing praises. For Woodham, she sees Rowe as a mentor, and having her in front of her makes her job a lot easier.

“Rachel is so aggressive; you know she’s going to decide and that makes it easier for me to go off her and gives me that feeling of, if she’s going, then I’m going too. We were at Reading for a long time together, and that certainly helps in building relationships on the pitch.

“She’s very creative, and I know when she gets on the ball, she’s always got some magic in order to do something incredible, and if she needs me, she knows I’m there right behind her.”

The Rangers dynamo was also keen to heap praise onto Woodham. Rowe believes the Reign youngster’s limits knows no bounds, and that she can achieve anything that she wants to in her career. When it comes to matters on the pitch, Rowe enjoys how vocal her left sided partner is.

“Lily is physically strong, fast, and that’s what you need to be a good defender. But she also offers you that going forward, and that’s a perfect combination for someone who plays in her position. Technically she’s very good, and she communicates a lot.

“When you come through the age groups, sometimes you get silenced because you’re afraid to talk; Lily has never been like that. She’s always felt really comfortable in the group and expresses herself.

“She probably tells me more than I tell her on the pitch of where to be and what to do, but she opens her mouth, and that’s part of why she’s such a good player.”

Living in the Grey

All of this is taking place in front of an interesting backdrop, a grey one in fact.

When speaking with players in and around camp, they mention about playing in this grey area. Rhian Wilkinson likes a player who uses their instinct. Under Gemma Grainger perhaps, everything was black and white, everything was worked on down to a tee. Under the Canadian, she wants players to find their own answers, use their instincts, play in that grey.

For attack minded players like Woodham and Rowe, the licence to be able to use their intuition must be an exciting one. At least, that’s what you’d assume. Clear instructions and guidelines is what Rowe has become used to, and now being able to play freely is a slightly daunting prospect for her, but she also knows she plays at her best when given the opportunity to create something out of nothing.

“There’s parts of it as a footballer where you want to know where those boundaries are. When you’ve been told of those boundaries for so long, and then get told to go into that grey area, it’s uncomfortable.

“I got used to a lot of detail, but I think my best is when it’s grey. You do have to have limitations in there, because football is a tactical sport. It’s about finding that balance of what Rhian wants and what we work best with.”

Woodham, meanwhile, is finding the power to play her own game a tantalising one, and as she progresses and becomes more of a senior player in this team, she wants to go from strength to strength under Wilkinson.

“It’s enjoyable for most players to not have this strict, set way of playing. It allows players to be freer, and with the creative players that we have in this team, we will thrive with that attitude. It’ll help us in terms of playing with more confidence and belief in ourselves and each other.”

In many ways, the contrast of fear and excitement between Rowe and Woodham further epitomises their ying and yang relationship. As individuals, of course they’re strong, but when put together, they form something truly remarkable. A New Welsh Order is forming down the left, and good luck trying to stop it.

(Featured Image: Ashley Crowden/FAW)