Wales head coach Warren Gatland has made 13 adjustments to the beginning line-up for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup Pool C encounter towards Portugal in Nice.
Gatland retains simply two of the facet – wing Louis Rees-Zammit and quantity eight Taulupe Faletau – that overcame Fiji 32-26 in a ferocious contest final weekend.
Co-captain Dewi Lake leads Wales after recovering from a knee damage, whereas scrum-half Tomos Williams wins his fiftieth cap and there are first World Cup begins for the likes of centre Mason Grady and lock Christ Tshiunza.
Lake suffered a knee drawback throughout Wales’ World Cup warm-up sport towards England, however he now returns to pack down alongside front-row colleagues Nicky Smith and Dillon Lewis.
Tshiunza forges an all-Exeter lock partnership alongside Dafydd Jenkins, with fly-half Gareth Anscombe additionally again after damage.
Grady, in the meantime, is partnered in midfield by Johnny Williams, Leigh Halfpenny wins his a hundred and first cap at full-back and one other skilled campaigner – flanker Dan Lydiate – additionally options.
Prop Henry Thomas is the one participant in Wales’ 33-strong World Cup squad who won’t have began or been named on the bench throughout the primary two video games.
Wales’ bonus-point success towards Fiji has set them up for a repeat efficiency towards Portugal, who’re the Pool C minnows.
They are at their first World Cup since 2007, though their pre-tournament type has been cheap, together with a 46-20 victory over the United States.
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Gatland mentioned: “We’ve made a couple of adjustments this week given the six-day turnaround.
“This is a chance now for this matchday 23. I’ve mentioned earlier than, however there may be some nice competitors inside the squad, which is what we need to see.
We’ve completed an intensive debrief of final week’s sport and know the areas we have to enhance
Warren Gatland
“There is a chance now for this group to go out Saturday and to put down their own marker in the tournament.
“We’ve done a thorough debrief of last week’s game and know the areas we need to improve.
“We have a clear plan of how we want to play on Saturday, and it is about going out there and executing that as we have prepared.
“Portugal are a skilful side and will be raring to go this weekend in their first match of the tournament. We are excited to get back out there.”
Wales workforce to play Portugal: L Halfpenny (unattached); L Rees-Zammit (Gloucester), M Grady (Cardiff), J Williams (Scarlets), R Dyer (Dragons); G Anscombe (Suntory Sungoliath), T Williams (Cardiff); N Smith (Ospreys), D Lake (Ospreys, capt), D Lewis (Harlequins), C Tshiunza (Exeter), D Jenkins (Exeter), D Lydiate (Dragons), T Reffell (Leicester), T Faletau (Cardiff).
Replacements: R Elias (Scarlets), C Domachowski (Cardiff), T Francis (Provence), A Beard (Ospreys), T Basham (Dragons), G Davies (Scarlets), S Costelow (Scarlets), J Adams (Cardiff).
