By Salma El-Sakka
Wales head coach Steve Tandy has selected a powerful centre partnership of Max Llewellyn and Eddie James for the Nations Championship opener against Japan at the Principality Stadium on Saturday (16:40 GMT).
Biggest midfield combination
Llewellyn, standing 6ft 6in (1.96m) and weighing 16st 12lbs (107kg), and James, 6ft 4in (1.90m) and 16st 3lbs (103kg), will form one of Wales' largest midfield pairings. Tandy has departed from his previous policy of picking a recognised ball-player at inside centre, naming Llewellyn in the number 12 jersey.
Team changes and selection details
Fly-half Sam Costelow is preferred to Dan Edwards, while wings Josh Adams and Louis Rees-Zammit and full-back Blair Murray complete the back three. Props Nicky Smith and Archie Griffin start alongside captain Dewi Lake, and Dafydd Jenkins has recovered from a knee injury to resume his Six Nations partnership with Ben Carter in the second row. Alex Mann, Jac Morgan and Aaron Wainwright form the back row.
Tandy has made seven personnel changes from the side that lost 43-0 to South Africa in July. Nine of the 15 starters, including six of the eight forwards, play club rugby in England. The squad includes three Scarlets players, two from Cardiff, one Dragon and no Ospreys, though half-backs Dan Edwards and Reuben Morgan-Williams are among the replacements.
Centre partnership history
This will be Tandy's sixth different centre partnership in his 13th international in charge. Joe Hawkins or Ben Thomas had worn the number 12 jersey in the previous 12 matches. Thomas is absent due to a calf injury, while Hawkins was left out of the 23-man squad for the autumn games. Llewellyn, the son of former Wales lock Gareth Llewellyn, played most of his early senior rugby for Cardiff at inside centre before moving to Gloucester, where he has featured more at outside centre alongside England's Seb Atkinson. James, 24, from Carmarthen, came through the Scarlets as a natural inside centre but Tandy sees his future at outside centre.
Nations Championship campaign context
Wales began the Nations Championship campaign in July with a victory over Fiji before defeats against Argentina and South Africa. After facing Japan, Wales will host New Zealand and Australia on successive Saturdays before travelling to Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, for the play-off games in late November. Both Wales and Japan currently lie fifth in their respective hemisphere tables. Japan beat Italy but lost to Ireland and France in their opening three matches.
Full team lineup
Wales: Murray; Rees-Zammit, James, Llewellyn, Adams; Costelow, Tomos Williams; Smith, Lake (capt), Griffin, Jenkins, Carter, Mann, Morgan, Wainwright. Replacements: Elias, Carre, Francis, Teddy Williams, Botham, Morgan-Williams, D Edwards, Hennessey.
