1
One new cap as Wales name entirely changed XV for England rematch
By Liam Heagney
Warren Gatland has announced a Wales XV to play England this Saturday at Twickenham that is entirely changed from last weekend’s opening Summer Nations Series match. It includes one new cap to start, midfielder Joe Roberts, while there are two more newcomers on the bench in loosehead Kemsley Mathias and Keiran Williams in the backs.
The Welsh defeated the English 20-9 in that first Rugby World Cup warm-up fixture in Cardiff, a match in which Gatland gave debut Wales caps to five players – the starting midfielder Max Llewellyn and props Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti, along with Henry Thomas and Taine Plumtree off the bench.
Plumtree has now been promoted from the replacements to start in the back row in London along with fellow replacement Tomos Williams at scrum-half. Christ Tshiunza, who started last weekend, is named on the bench along with Dan Biggar, who was a week-one sub. Those four players are the only ones retained from last weekend’s match day 23.
Roberts will become the 1,192nd men’s player to represent Wales and he will be partnered in the centre by Nick Tompkins. The back line also features a first run for winger Tom Rogers since July 2021.
Gatland said: “There is an opportunity for another group of players who weren’t involved last week. There is some great competition within the squad.
“I was pretty pleased with the team performance and the result last week – it wasn’t perfect but there is a chance now for this group to go out on Saturday and to put down their own marker. Like I said, there is some real competition and perhaps a bit of pressure on this group as well. Then we will look potentially at what the make-up of the team is the following week against South Africa.”
Dewi Lake, who takes over at hooker from the injured Ryan Elias, has been named as captain this week. “I have been really impressed with Dewi,” continued Gatland. “Like Jac (Morgan, who captained the side last week), he is well-respected in the group. He has got a voice and has confidence about himself and his own ability.
“We are in a bit of transition, so in the back of my mind I was thinking we are building not only for the next few months but also starting to think about what we need to do with the next cycle of players going forwards towards 2027.”
Wales (vs England, Saturday – 5:30)
15. Liam Williams (Kubota Spears – 84 caps)
14. Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby – 49 caps)
13. Joe Roberts (Scarlets – uncapped)
12. Nick Tompkins (Saracens – 27 caps)
11. Tom Rogers (Scarlets – 2 caps)
10. Owen Williams (Ospreys – 7 caps)
9. Tomos Williams (Cardiff Rugby – 46 caps)
1. Gareth Thomas (Ospreys – 21 caps)
2. Dewi Lake (Ospreys – 8 caps, captain)
3. Tomas Francis (Provence – 71 caps)
4. Rhys Davies (Ospreys – 2 caps)
5. Adam Beard (Ospreys – 46 caps)
6. Dan Lydiate (Dragons – 69 caps)
7. Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers – 9 caps)
8. Taine Plumtree (Scarlets – 1 cap)
Replacements:
16. Sam Parry (Ospreys – 5 caps)
17. Kemsley Mathias (Scarlets – uncapped)
18. Dillon Lewis (Harlequins – 50 caps)
19. Christ Tshiunza (Exeter Chiefs – 6 caps)
20. Taine Basham (Dragons – 11 caps)
21. Kieran Hardy (Scarlets – 17 caps)
22. Dan Biggar (Toulon – 108 caps)
23. Keiran Williams (Ospreys – uncapped)
Trending on RugbyPass
2
South Africa vs England player ratings | 2024 Autumn Nations Series
3
Ireland player ratings vs Argentina | 2024 Autumn Nations Series
4
Jake White: As England coach, I’d have been livid
5
Latest Comments
Yeah nar I pretty much agree with that sentiment, wasn't just about the lineout though.
Yeah, I think it's the future of SR, even TRC. Graham above just now posting about how good a night it was with a dbl header of ENGvSA and NZvFrance, and now I don't want to kick SA or Argentina out of TRC but it would be great if in this next of the woods 2 more top teams could come in to create more of these sort of nights (for rugby's appeal). Often Arg and SA and both travel here and you get those games but more often doesn't work out right.
Obviously a long way off but USA and Japan are the obvious two. First thing we need to do is get Eddie Jones kicked out of Japan so they can start improving again and then get a couple of US teams in SRP (even if one its just a US based and augmented Jaguares).
It will start off the whole conferences are crap debate again (which I will continue to argue vehemently against), but imagine a 6 team Pacific conference, Tokyo Sunwolves (drafted from Tokyo JRLO teams), Tokyo All Stars (made up of best remaining foreign players and overseas drafts), ALL Nihon (best of local non Tokyo based talent, inc China/Korea etc, with mainland Japan), a could of West Coast american franchises and perhaps a second self PI driven Hawai'i based team, or Jagaures. So I see a short NFL like 3 or 4 month comp as fitting best, maybe not even a full round, NZvAUSvPAC, all games taking place within a 6hr window. Model for NZ will definitely still require a competitive and funded NPC!
On the Crusaders, I liked last years ending with Grace on the bench (ovbiously form dependent but thats how it ended) and Lio-Willie at 8. I could have Blackadder trying to be a 7 but think balance will be used with him at 6 and Kellow as 7. Scott Barrett is an international 6 sized player. It is just NZ style/model that pushes him into the tight, I reckon he'd be a great loose player, and saders have Strange and Cahill as bigger players (plus that change could draw someone like Darry back). Same with Haig now, hes not grown yet but Barrett hight and been playing 6, now that the Highlanders have only chosen two locks he'll be playing lock, and that is going to change his growth trajectory massively, rather than seeing him grow like an International 6.
Go to commentsDan Carter is the leading points scorer and leading points per game person for a player with significant tests. 2s RWC winner and member of the games greatest ever team. It's not even close. The only question of GOAT for rugby is whether McCaw deserves it given Carter's numbers.
Go to comments