Wales ring the changes for Georgia clash
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Scarlets loose forward Josh Macleod is set to make his long-awaited Wales debut after being named in a much-changed starting XV to face Georgia in Cardiff on Saturday.
Macleod, who will pack down at No.8, was selected to play in the run-on side against Scotland during last year’s Six Nations but ruptured his Achilles tendon in training just days before the game.
But barring similar misfortune, he is now in line to win his first cap after being named Tuesday by coach Wayne Pivac in a XV to play Georgia showing six changes from the Wales team that took the field for last week’s 20-13 win at home to Argentina.
Pivac will also give starts to wing Josh Adams, centre Owen Watkin, flyhalf Rhys Priestland, flank Jac Morgan and lock Ben Carter.
There are two uncapped players on the bench in 19-year-old Exeter lock Dafydd Jenkins and Scarlets scrumhalf Dane Blacker.
Experienced fullback Leigh Halfpenny, who last played for Wales 16 months ago, is also among the replacements but former Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones has failed to make a matchday 23 for the second successive game.
Pivac has retained nine of the team that started last weekend’s much-needed win over Argentina that saw Wales bounce back from their 55-23 thrashing by New Zealand in their November opener.
The New Zealander has retained Louis Rees-Zammit at fullback after the Gloucester wing impressed after being given the No.15 shirt against the Pumas.
Georgia are in Wales’ group at next year’s World Cup in France.
Wales wrap up their end-of-year campaign against Australia, another of their World Cup Pool C opponents, in Cardiff on November 26.
Wales: 15 Louis Rees-Zammit, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 George North, 12 Owen Watkin, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Josh Macleod, 7 Justin Tipuric (captain), 6 Jac Morgan, 5 Adam Beard, 4 Ben Carter, 3 Dillon Lewis, 2 Ken Owens, 1 Gareth Thomas.
Replacements: 16 Bradley Roberts, 17 Rhodri Jones, 18 Sam Wainwright, 19 Dafydd Jenkins, 20 Taulupe Faletau, 21 Dane Blacker, 22 Sam Costelow, 23 Leigh Halfpenny.
Date: Saturday, November 19
Venue: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Kick-off: 13.00 (13.00 GMT; 17.00 GET)
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Pierre Brousset (France); Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
TMO: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
