Wales coach Warren Gatland has handed Scarlets centre Jonathan Davies his first Millennium Stadium start for the visit of Argentina in the Invesco Perpetual Series clash on Saturday (Kick-off 2.30pm).
The facial injury suffered by Tom Shanklin in the victory over Samoa gives Davies his chance with Gatland otherwise reverting to the starting line-up chosen to face New Zealand in the Series opener a fortnight ago.
And in a positional switch Blues centre Jamie Roberts moves to outside centre to accommodate Davies at No 12.
In forward changes from the team who beat Samoa Scarlets hooker Matthew Rees replaces Osprey Huw Bennett and Blues flanker Martyn Williams returns for regional team-mate Sam Warburton, with Bennett providing cover from the bench.
In the backs Ospreys wing Shane Williams, Scarlets fly-half Stephen Jones and Blues scrum-half Gareth Cooper all return for Tom James (Blues), Dan Biggar (Ospreys) and Dwayne Peel (Sale Sharks) respectively, with Biggar the only one of the three not included as a replacement.
Uncapped Dragons flanker Dan Lydiate gets his first chance of the campaign joining Ospreys prop Duncan Jones and Blues second row Bradley Davies in providing bench cover for the forwards and Ospreys centre Andrew Bishop, called in to train with the squad on Monday after Shanklin’s injury was confirmed, completes the 22 to face the Pumas.
“Jonathan came on at inside centre on Friday (against Samoa) when Tom (Shanklin) was injured and he acquitted himself well,” said Gatland.
“That’s his natural position, he plays there for his region and is comfortable there. Jamie is the more experienced player and more than capable of playing at 13 and we are looking forward to the continuation of the partnership from the second half last weekend.
“With James Hook going so well at full-back it was important for us to continue his international development in that position.”
Wales face a Pumas side ranked consistently higher in the IRB World rankings in the last 12 months – only in February, March and June did Wales temporarily go ahead before Argentina reclaimed the superior position – and who currently lie one place higher at seventh.
Attendance for the heavyweight clash, which has seen Welsh sides win seven times in 11 attempts, has already surpassed the 50,000 mark as Gatland prepares his men for battle on a brand new Millennium Stadium surface.
Gatland, who has rotated his bench with the aim of giving everyone in his small squad game-time, added:
“Dan (Lydiate) has impressed in training, we have selected a small squad and he is the only one who has not been involved so far, so we felt it was important for his development that he gets the opportunity to win his first cap and put what he has learnt into practice.”
WALES: James Hook; Leigh Halfpenny, Jamie Roberts, Jonathan Davies, Shane Williams; Stephen Jones, Gareth Cooper; Gethin Jenkins, Matthew Rees, Paul James, Alun-Wyn Jones, Luke Charteris, Andy Powell, Martyn Williams, Ryan Jones (Captain)
REPLACEMENTS: Huw Bennett, Duncan Jones, Bradley Davies, Dan Lydiate, Dwayne Peel, Andrew Bishop, Tom James
WALES v ARGENTINA
15 James HOOK (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,047)
DoB: 27.06.85. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 14st 12lbs / 94kgs
International record: 35 caps (W 15, L 19, D 1; 209 pts – 6T,34C,35PG,2DG)
14 Leigh HALFPENNY (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,060)
DoB: 22.12.88. 5’10” / 1.77m. 13st 1lb / 83kgs
International record: 8 caps (W 4, L 4; 34 pts – 5T, 3PG)
13 Jamie ROBERTS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,057)
DoB: 08.11.86. 6’4″ / 1.93m. 16st 10lbs / 107kgs
International record: 14 caps (W 7, L 7; 5 pts – 1T)
12 Jonathan DAVIES (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,066)
DoB: 05.04.88. 6’1″ / 1.86m. 16st 3lbs / 103kgs
International record: 3 caps (W 3; 10 pts – 2T)
11 Shane WILLIAMS (OSPREYS – Cap No 976)
DoB: 26.02.77. 5’7″ / 1.71m. 12st 13lbs / 82kgs
International record: 66 caps (W 32, L 32, D 2; 230 pts – 46T)
10 Stephen JONES (SCARLETS – Cap No 966)
DoB: 08.12.77. 6’1″ / 1.86m. 14st 12lbs / 94kgs
International record: 81 caps (W36, L43, D2; 705 pts – 6T,117C,142PG,5DG)
9 Gareth COOPER (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 985)
DoB: 07.05.79. 5’7″ / 1.71m. 13st 6lbs / 85kgs
International record: 43 caps (W 20, L 23; 45 pts – 9T)
1 Gethin JENKINS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,006)
DoB: 17.11.80. 6’2″ / 1.88m. 18st 13lbs / 120kgs
International record: 70 caps (W 30, L 38, D 2; 15 pts – 3T)
2 Matthew REES (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,033)
DoB: 09.12.80. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 17st 1lbs / 108kgs
International record: 32 caps (W 15, L 16, D 1; 10 pts – 2T)
3 Paul JAMES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,021)
DoB: 13.05.82. 6’1″ / 1.86m. 17st 7lbs / 111kgs
International record: 3 caps (W 2, L 1)
4 Alun-Wyn JONES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,046)
DoB: 19.09.85. 6’5″ / 1.96m. 19st 1lbs / 121kgs
International record: 33 caps (W 14, L 19; 20 pts – 4T)
5 Luke CHARTERIS (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS – Cap No 1,030)
DoB: 09.03.83. 6’9″ / 2.06m. 19st 9lbs / 125kgs
International record: 16 caps (W 9, L 7)
6 Andy POWELL (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,061)
DoB: 23.08.81. 6’4″ / 1.94m. 17st 6lbs / 111kgs
International record: 10 caps (W 6, L 4)
7 Martyn WILLIAMS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 944)
DoB: 01.09.75. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 15st 11lbs / 100kgs
International record: 89 caps (W 41, L 45, D 3; 73 pts – 14T, 1DG)
8 Ryan JONES (OSPREYS, CAPTAIN – Cap No 1,029)
DoB: 13.03.81. 6’5″ / 1.96m. 18st 0lbs / 114kgs
International record: 35 caps (W 20, L 14, D 1; 5 pts – 1T)
REPLACEMENTS
16 Huw BENNETT (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,017)
DoB: 11.06.83. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 17st 0lbs / 108kgs
International record: 25 caps (W 15, L 10)
17 Duncan JONES (OSPREYS – Cap No 997)
DoB: 18.09.78. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 17st 8lbs / 112kgs
International record: 55 caps (W 25, L 28, D 2)
18 Bradley DAVIES (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,065)
DoB: 09.01.87. 6’6″ / 1.98m. 18st 1lb / 115kgs
International record: 5 caps (W 4, L 1)
19 Dan LYDIATE (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS)
DoB: 18.12.87. 1.93m / 6’4″. 15st 13lbs / 101kgs
International record: Uncapped
20 Dwayne PEEL (SALE SHARKS – Cap No 994)
DoB: 31.08.81. 5’9″ / 1.76m. 13st 8lbs / 86kgs
International record: 70 caps (W 33, L 35, D 2; 25 pts – 5T)
21 Andrew BISHOP (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,059)
DoB: 07.08.85. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 15st 0lbs / 95kgs
International record: 6 caps (W 5, L 1)
22 Tom JAMES (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,055)
DoB: 17.04.87. 6’2″ / 1.88m. 15st 1lb / 96kgs
International record: 6 caps (W 3, L 3; 10 pts – 2T)
