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Wales forced into late change for Six Nations opener versus Ireland
By PA
Wales were forced to a late change ahead of their Guinness Six Nations curtain-raiser against Ireland in Dublin this afternoon.
Tournament champions Wales begin their title defence against Ireland in Dublin as the tournament welcomed its first crowd since March 2020.
Coronavirus restrictions meant that last season’s competition took place behind closed doors, but the Aviva Stadium was packed to its 51,700 capacity for an eagerly-awaited Six Nations opener.
Connacht’s Australia-born wing Mack Hansen makes his Ireland debut, while fly-half Dan Biggar captains Wales for the first time in an injured Alun Wyn Jones’ absence and Josh Adams featured at centre after 35 previous starts as a wing.
But there was a late change among the Wales replacements, with Cardiff lock Seb Davies ruled out due to a back spasm and Dragons forward Ben Carter called up.
Injury has already forced Wayne Pivac to rejig the team.
After winning all of his 35 Wales caps as a wing and scoring 17 tries, Josh Adams has been switched to outside centre. He would have played in that position against Autumn Nations Series opponents Fiji nearly three months ago, but he pulled put injured after the warm-up. George North made an identical move with considerable success last season, and there is no doubt that Adams has all the ability required. It promises to be a testing baptism, though, opposite Ireland’s midfield pairing of Garry Ringrose and Bundee Aki.
UPDATED WALES SQUAD:
L Williams (Scarlets); J McNicholl (Scarlets), J Adams (Cardiff), N Tompkins (Saracens), L Rees-Zammit (Gloucester); D Biggar (Northampton, capt), T Williams (Cardiff); W Jones (Scarlets), R Elias (Scarlets), T Francis (Ospreys), W Rowlands (Dragons), A Beard (Ospreys), E Jenkins (Cardiff), T Basham (Dragons), A Wainwright (Dragons).
REPLACEMENTS: D Lake (Ospreys), G Thomas (Ospreys), D Lewis (Cardiff), B Carter (Dragons), R Moriarty (Dragons), G Davies (Scarlets), C Sheedy (Bristol), O Watkin (Ospreys).
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Latest Comments
Ten years ago we were discussing how
Australia had made the Giteu Law and how we didn’t have to to do anything like that because NZ produced more talent than Australia.
The current model only works if you are constantly producing players good enough to take over when players leave.
New Zealand will struggle to do this as time goes on because rugby is dying here at the grass roots level.
Rugby league, football, basketball are where young kids are choosing to go more and more.
Even combat sports such as jiu jitsu are rapidly gaining in popularity all the time.
Picking players from overseas will give us a sugar hit of success for a wee while…. But the crash
afterward could be Wales-like.
Go to commentsYou see BS when you white Saffers (and you're white drop your ruse) make xenophobic comments, they are just flagging themselves as the type of white South African who would have been a defender of your despicable State back in the day. You are just too stupid too see it. When you say these things in front of non whites from your own country they will think you're just the type of Kant who would have them in chains a few decades ago. And you are that Kant.
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