Lucerne is noted primarily for its majestic lake and gorgeous medieval city centre, but it is also a part of central Switzerland where gently rolling hills give way to jagged Alpine peaks. For Wales, this tourist magnet marks the potentially awkward junction between the heady optimism of an exhilarating journey towards their first major tournament and the reality of the formidable challenge posed by Saturday’s opening match against the Netherlands.
Perhaps appropriately, Mount Pilatus towers above Stadion Allmend where Wales kick-off their Group D campaign. But the good news for their fans is that Rhian Wilkinson, the head coach, believes mountains are there for climbing. Indeed, Wilkinson clambered up Snowdon before announcing her squad for the tournament on the mountain’s summit last month.
