Wales fullback Leigh Halfpenny will make his first Test start for 19 months in Saturday’s Six Nations opener against Ireland.
Halfpenny, who has won 97 caps, last featured in the starting line-up when Wales beat Canada during their 2021 summer internationals.
There are also starts for 37-year-old Alun Wyn Jones, the most capped international in rugby history with 155 appearances in Tests, George North (109 caps), Dan Biggar (103) and Taulupe Faletau (95) in a group that largely featured under Warren Gatland in his first spell in charge.
The Principality Stadium encounter kicks off Gatland’s second stint as Wales boss, with his previous reign between 2008 and 2019 yielding four Six Nations titles, three Grand Slams and two World Cup semi-finals.
There are also some fresher faces however. Joe Hawkins will add to his single cap as he starts alongside North in the midfield, while Rio Dyer gets a run on the wing.
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
“We’ve picked Joe at 12. He’s a lovely footballer with some great skills,” Gatland said. “I thought for his first cap (against Australia in November) he was outstanding, so we have given him another opportunity.
“Ireland are the No.1 team in the world, so they’re going to be coming here with a lot of confidence.
“We know how good they are and we are expecting a really tough contest. It’s important for us that we start well, but we need to be in the game at the last 20 minutes.”
Ireland arrive in Cardiff after a memorable year when they beat New Zealand twice, South Africa and Australia.
But they have lost their last four Six Nations games in the Welsh capital since defeating Wales 10 years ago.
Wales: L Halfpenny (Scarlets); J Adams (Cardiff), G North (Ospreys), J Hawkins (Ospreys), R Dyer (Dragons); D Biggar (Toulon), T Williams (Cardiff); G Thomas (Ospreys), K Owens (Scarlets, capt), T Francis (Ospreys), A Beard (Ospreys), A W Jones (Ospreys), J Morgan (Ospreys), J Tipuric (Ospreys), T Faletau (Cardiff).
Replacements: S Baldwin (Ospreys), R Carre (Cardiff), D Lewis (Cardiff), D Jenkins (Exeter), T Reffell (Leicester), R Webb (Ospreys), O Williams (Ospreys), A Cuthbert (Ospreys).
England’s extended squad named
England head coach Steve Borthwick has kept three uncapped players in his trimmed 29-man squad for their opening Six Nations match against Scotland.
Jack Walker, Ollie Hassell-Collins and Fin Smith are the three new faces who keep their places, but Toulouse flanker Jack Willis, Sale lock Jonny Hill, and props Joe Heyes and Bevan Rodd have been excluded for Saturday’s Calcutta Cup clash with the Scots at Twickenham.
In the backs, centre Guy Porter, halfback Alex Mitchell and winger Cadan Murley were also left out by Borthwick, who has succeeded Australian Eddie Jones as England coach.
England will be without centre Henry Slade who has not recovered after a hip injury earlier this month, while Dan Kelly and vice-captain Courtney Lawes are also on the injury list.
On Friday, it was announced fullback Elliot Daly would miss the entire Six Nations championship because of a hamstring injury.
Hooker George McGuigan withdrew from the squad last week and forward Luke Cowan-Dickie is set to miss the Scotland match with an ankle problem.
Full Squad
Forwards: Ollie Chessum, Dan Cole, Ben Curry, Alex Dombrandt, Tom Dunn, Ben Earl, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Nick Isiekwe, Maro Itoje, Lewis Ludlam, David Ribbans, Sam Simmonds, Kyle Sinckler, Mako Vunipola, Jack Walker.
Backs: Owen Farrell (capt), Tommy Freeman, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Ollie Lawrence, Max Malins, Joe Marchant, Fin Smith, Marcus Smith, Freddie Steward, Manu Tuilagi, Jack van Poortvliet, Anthony Watson, Ben Youngs.
Newshttps://https://ift.tt/BuspQJE shakes up Wales to go back to the future, England name three uncapped players for Six Nations opener
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