Wales’ head coach Warren Gatland has confirmed an unchanged starting XV for his side’s vital match against the Wallabies in the Rugby World Cup on Sunday.
The only change to the 23-man squad is that Owen Watkin takes over the No 23 jersey from Leigh Halfpenny, as Gatland has decided to stick with the side that dispatched Georgia 43-14.
So with that in mind it’s Wyn Jones, Ken Owens and Tom Francis in the front-row, with Jack Ball and captain Alun Wyn Jones in the second-row. Jones is set to become the most-capped Welsh player in history on Sunday as he makes his 130th test cap.
In the back-row Aaron Wainwright and Justin Tipuric are on the flanks with Josh Navidi completing the pack at No 8.
The impressive Gareth Davies continues at scrum-half alongside Dan Biggar in the half-backs, with Hadleigh Parkes and Jonathan Davies pairing up once more in the centre.
Josh Adams is on the left-wing, with George North on the right while Liam Williams is at full-back.
There is plenty for Gatland to call on in replacements with the likes of Aaron Shingler, Ross Moriarty and Rhys Patchell among the subs if needed.
Speaking ahead of the game Wales’ forward coach Robin McBryde believes that his team’s narrow 9-8 victory over the Wallabies last year has given them an edge but is expecting a huge clash over the weekend.
“We know we can beat them but other than that this is a completely different tournament, different game, a lot more at stake. The Autumn internationals are very much a one-off. We’ll take heart from the fact we know we can beat them, but it’s different circumstances, there’s a lot more at stake, it’s going to be a good battle,” he said.
Wales are taking a risk by not changing up their starting line-up from the game against Georgia in a six-day turnaround and run a higher risk of picking up an injury.
However, Wales will want to win the game which could decide the winner of the pool as they look to continue their bid to not only get out of the group but to win the Webb Ellis Cup.
Check Out the Full 23-Man Squad Below.
Starting XV:
Liam Williams, George North, Jonathan Davies, Hadleigh Parkes, Josh Adams, Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies, Josh Navidi, Justin Tipuric, Aaron Wainwright, Alun Wyn Jones (c), Jake Ball, Tom Francis, Ken Owens, Wyn Jones
Replacements:
Elliot Dee, Nicky Smith, Dillon Lewis, Aaron Shingler, Ross Moriarty, Tomos Williams, Rhys Patchell, Owen Watkin
