Wales reveal 13 changes for Uruguay match
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Wales coach Warren Gatland has made 13 changes to the team that beat Fiji for the final World Cup Pool D match against Uruguay at Kumamoto on Sunday.
Only centre Hadleigh Parkes and wing Josh Adams, who scored a hat-trick of tries in the ferocious 29-17 victory over the Fijians, remain from that starting XV.
Wales have already secured a quarterfinal spot, along with Australia, after previously beating Georgia (43-14) and the Wallabies (29-25).
Openside flank Justin Tipuric will skipper the team against Uruguay, in a back row also featuring Aaron Shingler and Aaron Wainwright.
Ospreys duo Bradley Davies and Adam Beard will pack down in the second row, the latter making his first appearance in Japan after recovering from having his appendix out on the day he was meant to fly out.
Nicky Smith, Ryan Elias and Dillon Lewis are named in the front-row, while Aled Davies and Rhys Patchell will partner at halfback with Parkes and Owen Watkin comprising the midfield.
Hallam Amos and Leigh Halfpenny come into the back three alongside Adams.
On the bench Elliot Dee, Rhys Carre and Wyn Jones provide the front-row cover with Jake Ball, Ross Moriarty and James Davies also amongst the replacements. Tomos Williams and Gareth Davies are named as the backline cover.
The Wales-Uruguay match on Sunday is expected to escape any fallout from the typhoon set to hit eastern Japan 24 hours earlier, which has led to the cancellation of Saturday’s England-France and New Zealand-Italy games.
Wales: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Josh Adams, 13 Owen Watkin, 12 Hadleigh Parkes, 11 Hallam Amos, 10 Rhys Patchell, 9 Aled Davies, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Justin Tipuric (captain), 6 Aaron Shingler, 5 Adam Beard, 4 Bradley Davies, 3 Dillon Lewis, 2 Ryan Elias, 1 Nicky Smith.
Replacements: 16 Elliot Dee, 17 Rhys Carre, 18 Wyn Jones, 19 Jake Ball, 20 Ross Moriarty, 21 James Davies, 22 Tomos Williams, 23 Gareth Davies.
Date: Sunday, October 13
Venue: Kumamoto Stadium, Kumamoto City
Kick-off: 17.15 (05.15 Uruguay time; 08.15 GMT; 09.15 UK & Ireland time)
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Luke Pearce (England), Karl Dickson (England)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)
