Fly-half: Dan Biggar
Wales have replaced Sam Warburton with Justin Tipuric for Friday's clash with Samoa in Cardiff, with blindside Ryan Jones taking over the captaincy.
Jones will lead Wales for a record 29th time, surpassing Ieuan Evans and is handed the armband following squad captain Warburton's move to the bench in one of five tweaks to the pack made for the visit of the South Sea Islanders.
A total of eight changes have been made to the starting line-up which went down to Argentina in the series opener, with three of those enforced through injury and the rest largely due to a desire from the coaches to make full use of their squad.
Up front Ospreys flanker Tipuric takes over from Warburton with fellow Osprey Jones also joining the back-row in place of the injured Josh Turnbull.
Cardiff Blues lock Bradley Davies comes into the second-row in place of the injured Alun-Wyn Jones - with both Turnbull and Jones ruled out.
Richard Hibbard starts in the front-row, replacing hooker Matthew Rees who was unavailable for selection this week with a calf problem. Prop Paul James completes the changes up front replacing Gethin Jenkins who is on the bench.
In the backs Mike Phillips replaces Tavis Knoyle at scrum-half and Dan Biggar comes in for fly-half Rhys Priestland. Finally, Ashley Beck completes his return from a hip injury to partner Jamie Roberts in the centre in place of Scott Williams. All three Scarlets are on the bench.
Hooker Ken Owens and prop Scott Andrews provide the front-row cover on the bench. Lock Luke Charteris completes the reserves.
"With a short six day turnaround it was important for us to freshen things up and also make use of the competition for places we have within this squad, something which has been a key ingredient for the success of the squad over the last 18 months," said Wales interim head coach Rob Howley.
"In making changes we also needed to bring in some genuine experience. It is important to have leaders throughout the team and we are hoping the likes of Mike Phillips, who made a positive impact last week, can bring his experience to the side.
"Ryan reaches an impressive personal milestone, it will be a huge honour for him but in the context of what happened last week his and the team's priorities are about producing a performance.
"We know we are under pressure to perform and that pressure is greatest from within. This squad has shown in the past that we have the character and resilience to get back to winning ways. We have every confidence that we will come back strongly on Friday night."
Wales: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Ashley Beck, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 George North, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Mike Phillips, 8 Toby Faletau, 7 Justin Tipuric, 6 Ryan Jones (capt), 5 Ian Evans, 4 Bradley Davies, 3 Aaron Jarvis, 2 Richard Hibbard, 1 Paul James.
Replacements: 16 Ken Owens, 17 Gethin Jenkins, 18 Scott Andrews, 19 Luke Charteris, 20 Sam Warburton, 21 Tavis Knoyle, 22 Rhys Priestland, 23 Scott Williams.
Date: Friday, November 16
Kick-off: 19:30 GMT
Venue: Millennium Stadium
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Jérôme Garces (France)
Television match official: Giulio De Santis (Italy)
Comments
jamesliveinhope says...
" a desire from the coaches to make full use of their squad"
Why exactly?, I've just commented on the consistency of the England selection, Wales have just been humped by a hardened Argentina fresh out of another competition with the "complacency" word being bandied about by any pundit given the opportunity to speak .
Wales need to get their first team on the park, and get them playing regularly otherwise you'll just end up with a series of scratch teams.
The Welsh record of second string vs lower tier embarrassments is not good and Gatland's succession plan will be shot if Howley loses another one.
Posted 11:25 15th November 2012
jontheref says...
I agree, Scott Willaims unlucky, but they are not going to play without Jamie, so see if Becks can play off of Biggar.
Well done Ryan, in becoming most capped.
What a versatile player, and such a nice guy as well.
Posted 10:30 15th November 2012
Cdn_content says...
Scott Williams dropped? That's silly, he was one of the few impact players against Argentina. Glad to c warburton dropped, and form players picked.
Posted 00:33 15th November 2012
Kent says...
jmckenna92 - yep - it is just you
Posted 23:40 14th November 2012
Bones7 says...
@ makemehappy, I agree completely, Warburton has been run into the ground by Cardiff and Wales over the last year or so which is why he isn't at his best now. On his day he is brilliant, any to say he isn't is to be far too fickle considering the performances he has put in in the past. An openside is reliant on being in the best physical condition possible as their game is based around workrate and being dominating the breakdown and at the moment Warburton is just not in top shape.
Posted 22:52 14th November 2012
adamk says...
Big game for Beck... altho he's a natural 12, hopefully himself and Williams will get a chance to line up.
Posted 22:10 14th November 2012
jontheref says...
Pretty good, except for Priestland and Scott Andrews on the bench.
Have to disagree, Hook should have been on the bench at least, covers so many positions.
But Howlers doesn't want him to have a fine game, and then be forced to admit he was wrong!
jpmekkana92, yes it is just you.
When he has jackaled the ball, it has been legally, standing up to the illegal attempts to take him to ground!
Posted 20:58 14th November 2012
Norm says...
Now Declan Kidney
See this is how you manage a team, your captain underforms then drop me irrespective of the armband, then again perhaps taking an underperforming back rower and making him captain is a wise strategy which mere mortals simply dont understand?
Posted 20:50 14th November 2012
Waz4before says...
No need to write Warburton off yet; he a good player out of form - sometimes this is just the sort of thing that will kick-start a players form so it will be interesting to see his form in the next 3 weeks. As far as the Lions captaincy goes, still way too early to say - if Warburton leads Wales to another title he's likely to be favourite and let's be honest, this time around there are few "stand-out" options for captain.
Posted 20:16 14th November 2012
NHsaints says...
Warburton was never really THAT good, I'd still have robshaw over him at 7 for lions.
Posted 19:15 14th November 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
If we must have a Welsh Lions captain Jones would be the experienced Lion and a better choice. Agree Lydiate has always been more valuable than Warburton but that's because he is exceptionally good.
Posted 18:36 14th November 2012
makemehappy says...
jmckenna92 - nope - he wouldn't have been playing well for the Blues previously, He just clearly isn't fit still.
Posted 17:28 14th November 2012
AdamReesy says...
Sam will be back, he's a class player, Wales are just lucky to have strength in depth and can rest players. jmckenna92, in the World Cup and Six Nations Sam was tackling people himself, getting straight back up and getting his hands on the ball, legally, which is one of the reasons he's so revered. He'll be back, and so will Lydiate, but luckily Ryan Jones and Tipuric are there, playing out of their skins at the moment
Posted 16:46 14th November 2012
melkdave says...
Well its nearly the team ,i would have picked against Argentina .Warburton and priestland imo,are both very lucky to even be in the squad along with M.Rees tbh.Warburton hasnt played or shown enough this season ,because of injuries,while Preistland and Rees form has just been terrible.Wales need to find some momentum,and intensity,i feel they have been lacking in both since the 6Ns win against England to be honest,The victory against France to clinch the slam ,was imo scrappy,and it continued into the summer series against the walabies,where lets be frank,Wales where just poor Compard to their earlier form..Samoa mean bussiness on this tour,they rightly imo,feel they have a point to prove against Wales from the RWC.Where they sufered from all the quick turn arounds in games (4-5 days perp between games.).Like the Argentina game im also very apprehensive of Wales chances of victory against Samoa,this weekend .The ball is on the other foot concerning rest and preparation for players,and Samoa have really like Argentina been a teir 1 nation playing wise for some years.At the moment i feel its Samoa by 5-8 points ,hope im wrong ,but unless Wales start with intensity ect i think they will lose.
Posted 16:44 14th November 2012
jmckenna92 says...
is it just me thats starting to think that lydiate is the real reason warburton could win so many break downs and make himself look good? lydiate does the tackling bringing the man straight to ground and warburton just gets his hands all over the ball, most of the time illegally
Posted 15:45 14th November 2012
TVaddict says...
Seems like a much stronger team. The lineout will probably improve with the introduction of Ryan Jones, and the scrum should be fine with Paul James coming in who has had a lot more game time. Let's see if the attack is any better, if not then maybe getting a new attack/backs coach is in order?
Samoa are going to be a tough test, unlike other Pacific Island teams they have a international standard set piece. This provides a solid platform for their strong runners to launch from. The only thing holding them back is that they don't get to play together regularly.
Posted 15:38 14th November 2012
curates_egg says...
Glad to see the form players - Tipuric and Biggar - are finally getting a look in over the underperformers.
Posted 14:06 14th November 2012
GCP_jones says...
Re: Sam Warburton...
How the mighty have fallen, I'm closer to being picked as a Lions Captain.Tipuric playing out of his skin for the Ospreys.
Posted 13:22 14th November 2012
makemehappy says...
Thank-god - no Hook!
Posted 13:20 14th November 2012
jmckenna92 says...
warburton may not be lions captain after all
Posted 13:16 14th November 2012