Gatland axes 3 Lions as Wales name team for Scotland

Warren Gatland has named a Wales team to play Scotland this Saturday in Edinburgh that shows five changes from last Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations round one loss to Ireland in Cardiff. The Welsh were beaten 10-34 at the Principality Stadium and Gatland has reacted by massively reshuffling his pack, the area of the team where all five changes have taken place. 

Dafydd Jenkins, a sub last weekend, will make his first start for Wales, partnering Adam Beard in the Six Nations second row with veteran Alun Wyn Jones missing out despite being declared fit in midweek. The uncapped Rhys Davies is instead the lock named on the bench.

At loosehead, Wyn Jones is back having missed the Autumn Nations Series with an injury. He takes over from Gareth Thomas, who is omitted from the match day 23, while Dillon Lewis, a replacement versus the Irish, now starts at tighthead with Tomas Francis absent through injury. Leon Brown fills Lewis’ bench position.

Joe Hawkins on his quick rise from U20s to senior Wales rugby in the Six Nations

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Joe Hawkins on his quick rise from U20s to senior Wales rugby in the Six Nations

In the back row, Jac Morgan moves to No8 to accommodate Christ Tshiunza starting at blindside with Tommy Reffell named at openside. Taulupe Faletau drops to the bench with Justin Tipuric – the Autumn Nations Series skipper under dismissed boss Wayne Pivac – missing out altogether.

With Jones, Faletau and Tipuric all dropped, it means that Gatland, the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour boss, has axed three of his picks from that tour to South Africa. Meanwhile, there is one bench change amongst the backs from round one, Rhys Patchell getting the nod as the reserve ahead of Owen Williams.

 Wales (vs Scotland, Saturday – 4:45pm)
15. Liam Williams (Cardiff Rugby – 82 caps)
14. Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby – 45 caps)
13. George North (Ospreys – 110 caps)
12. Joe Hawkins (Ospreys – 2 caps)
11. Rio Dyer (Dragons – 4 caps)
10. Dan Biggar (Toulon – 104 caps)
9. Tomos Williams (Cardiff Rugby – 41 caps)
1. Wyn Jones (Scarlets – 45 caps)
2. Ken Owens (Scarlets – 87 caps) captain
3. Dillon Lewis (Cardiff Rugby – 46 caps)
4. Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter Chiefs – 2 caps)
5. Adam Beard (Ospreys – 42 caps)
6. Christ Tshiunza (Exeter Chiefs – 3 caps)
7. Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers – 5 caps)
8. Jac Morgan (Ospreys – 7 caps)

Replacements
16. Scott Baldwin (Ospreys – 35 caps)
17. Rhys Carre (Cardiff Rugby – 18 caps)
18. Leon Brown (Dragons – 22 caps)
19. Rhys Davies (Ospreys – uncapped)
20. Taulupe Faletau (Cardiff Rugby – 96 caps)
21. Rhys Webb (Ospreys – 37 caps)
22. Rhys Patchell (Scarlets – 21 caps)
23. Alex Cuthbert (Ospreys – 56 caps)