Wales out to make their mark against Eddie Jones' Japan
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Wales head coach Steve Tandy has announced the Wales team to play Japan at Principality Stadium in Round Four of the Nations Championship on Saturday
Archie Griffin is named at tighthead prop and Dafydd Jenkins starts in the second row. Both players will make their first appearances in the Nations Championship having missed the first three rounds of the competition due to injury.
Nicky Smith is selected at loosehead prop for his first start of the championship. Captain Dewi Lake starts at hooker, joining Smith and Griffin in the front row.
Ben Carter partners Jenkins in the second row, returning to the Wales starting line-up after missing round three due to injury.
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In the back row, Alex Mann is named at blindside flanker, with Jac Morgan at openside flanker and Aaron Wainwright at No.8.
Sam Costelow is selected at flyhalf over Dan Edwards, while Tomos Williams at scrumhalf.
Max Llewellyn is named at inside centre with Eddie James at outside centre.
Louis Rees-Zammit and Josh Adams start on the wings, while Blair Murray is named at fullback to complete the starting XV.
On the Wales bench Ryan Elias, Rhys Carré and Tomas Francis are the front row replacements. Teddy Williams is covering the second row and James Botham is covering the back row.
Reuben Morgan-Williams and Edwards are the replacement halfbacks, while Louie Hennessey is in line to make his first appearance at Principality Stadium after having won his first cap away to Ireland in the Guinness Six Nations earlier in the year.
“There’s lots of competition for position within the squad, which is where we want to be,” Tandy said.
“We’re excited to be to back at home. We want to go out there on Saturday, put our mark on the match and start the next phase in our Nations Championship campaign strongly.”
Wales and Japan both currently lie fifth in their respective hemisphere tables.
Wales started with a victory against Fiji before defeats against Argentina and South Africa.
While, Japan beat Italy but lost to Ireland and France in the opening three games of the tournament.
Wales: 15 Blair Murray, 14 Louis Rees-Zammit, 13 Eddie James, 12 Max Llewellyn, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Jac Morgan, 6 Alex Mann, 5 Ben Carter, 4 Dafydd Jenkins, 3 Archie Griffin, 2 Dewi Lake (Captain), 1 Nicky Smith.
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Rhys Carré, 18 Tomas Francis, 19 Teddy Williams, 20 James Botham, 21 Reuben Morgan-Williams, 22 Dan Edwards, 23 Louie Hennessey
Date: Saturday, November 7
Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Kick-off: 16.40 (16.40 GMT; 01.40 Sunday November 8 JST)
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Christophe Ridley (England) & Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
TMO: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
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