Dan Lydiate will start for Wales against New Zealand at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday. The Dragons’ back row star keeps his place in Warren Gatland’s side for the final game in the 2010 Invesco Perpetual Autumn Series following his man-of-the-match performance against Fiji last week.
Lydiate is one of only a handful of players who started the 16-16 draw with the Fijians to keep his spot. Scarlets wing George North and Ospreys duo Lee Byrne (full back) and Adam Jones (prop) are retained in their starting positions, although Ryan Jones (Ospreys) keeps his place in a back row re-shuffled to accommodate Blues flanker Sam Warburton on the openside and Jones at No 8.
Warburton’s return from injury is a boost to head coach Warren Gatland’s squad, as is his regional colleague Gethin Jenkins’ return to fitness – both from calf injuries – in time to face the All Blacks. Jenkins slots into the front row alongside Scarlets and Wales captain Matthew Rees, who returns at hooker.
It’s all change in the second row with the pairing against both Australia (a 16-25 loss) and South Africa (a close fought 25-29 defeat) earlier in the series, Blues lock Bradley Davies and Osprey captain Alun Wyn Jones, reunited.
Half backs Stephen Jones (Scarlets) and Mike Phillips (Ospreys) are recalled after also starting Wales’ first two matches of the campaign.
Elsewhere in the backs the centre pairing of Tom Shanklin (Blues) and James Hook (Ospreys) is another that is re-united from the Springboks outing, although both players also faced the Wallabies, with Hook at full back on that occasion. Blues wing Tom James, who was called up to the Wales squad on Monday, is handed a starting spot after last featuring during the RBS Six Nations outing against England nine months ago.
On the bench Wales have opted for a five forwards and two backs split with Andy Powell (Wasps), returning from a groin problem to join Martyn Williams (Blues) and Jonathan Thomas (Ospreys) providing cover across the back row, with Thomas as well as the starting Jones both able to fill in at lock. The front row is supported by prop Paul James and hooker Huw Bennett, both Ospreys, and their regional colleague Andrew Bishop provides cover for the backs alongside scrum half Richie Rees (Blues).
“Back row is one position where we have a great deal of competition for places, with Dan Lydiate going particularly well at the moment,” said Gatland.
“Sam Warburton gets his chance to start and Ryan Jones, having not played a lot of rugby this season, has a chance to play at No 8, but we are also conscious that we have a strong bench to call on to come on and make an impact in that area.
“With the likes of Martyn Williams, Andy Powell and Jonathan Thomas all giving us options. We have tried something a little different in that area with a five/two split as we know we will need to be at maximum intensity for the full 80 minutes against the All Blacks.
“Gethin Jenkins is back in the front row, Matthew Rees also returns and with Adam Jones in the best shape I’ve seen him in we know we are strong there. We are very happy with the tight five and we have two young physical locks who are getting better with every game.
“Tom James was injured when we named the squad at the start of the series, but he did well for the Blues last Friday night in the game against Ulster, scoring a try in a game they should have won. He has genuine pace and that along with size and physicality and some experience at this level are what we are going to need against New Zealand.
“We were all disappointed last week when we made a number of changes which we thought we could cope with. We found out we couldn’t, but we hope to be back firing on all cylinders this week. ”
Will Harries remains with the national squad in reserve, whilst Toby Faletau and Aled Brew have been released to play for the Dragons against Munster this Friday night.
WALES: Lee Byrne; George North, Tom Shanklin, James Hook, Tom James; Stephen Jones, Mike Phillips; Gethin Jenkins, Matthew Rees (c), Adam Jones, Bradley Davies, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton, Ryan Jones
Replacements: Huw Bennett, Paul James, Jonathan Thomas, Andy Powell, Martyn Williams, Richie Rees, Andrew Bishop
WALES
15 Lee BYRNE (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,041)
DoB: 01.06.80. 6'3" / 1.91m. 15st 1lb / 96kgs
International record: 37 caps (W 14, L 21, D 2; 40 pts – 8T)
14 George NORTH (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,078)
DoB: 13.04.92. 6’4” / 1.92m. 16st 5lbs / 104kgs
International record: 2 caps (L 1, D 1; 10 pts – 2T)
13 Tom SHANKLIN (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 993)
DoB: 24.11.79. 6’2” / 1.88m. 15st 9lbs / 99kgs
International record: 69 caps (W 32, L 35, D 2; 100 pts – 20T)
12 James HOOK (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,047)
DoB: 27.06.85. 6’0” / 1.83m. 14st 7lbs / 92kgs
International record: 46 caps (W 18, L 26, D 2; 237 pts – 11T, 34C, 35PG, 3DG)
11 Tom JAMES (CARDIFF BLUES– Cap No 1,055)
DoB: 17.04.87. 6'2" / 1.88m. 15st 7lbs / 98kgs
International record: 9 caps (W 4, L 5; 10 pts – 2T)
10 Stephen JONES (SCARLETS– Cap No 966)
DoB: 08.12.77. 6'1” / 1.86m. 14st 7lbs / 92kgs
International record: 94 caps (W 39, L 52, D 3; 839 pts - 7T, 135C, 172PG, 6DG)
9 Michael PHILLIPS (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,022)
DoB: 29.08.82. 6’3” / 1.91m. 16st 0lb / 101kgs
International record: 45 caps (W 21, L 22, D 2; 20 pts – 4T)
1 Gethin JENKINS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,006)
DoB: 17.11.80. 6’2” / 1.88m. 18st 9lbs / 118kgs
International record: 75 caps (W 33, L 40, D 2; 15 pts – 3T)
2 Matthew REES (SCARLETS, CAPTAIN – Cap No 1,033)
DoB: 09.12.80. 6’0” / 1.83m. 16st 13lbs / 108kgs
International record: 41 caps (W 17, L 23, D 1; 10 pts – 2T)
3 Adam Rhys JONES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,018)
DoB: 08.03.81. 6’0” / 1.83m. 18st 10lb / 119kgs
International record: 67 caps (W 31, L 33, D 3; 10 pts – 2T)
4 Bradley DAVIES (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,065)
DoB: 09.01.87. 6’6” / 1.98m. 18st 12lbs / 120kgs
International record: 16 caps (W 6, L 9, D 1)
5 Alun Wyn JONES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,046)
DoB: 19.09.85. 6’5” / 1.96m. 18st 8lbs / 118kgs
International record: 42 caps (W 16, L 26; 25 pts – 5T)
6 Dan LYDIATE (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS – Cap No 1,071)
DoB: 18.12.87. 1.93m / 6’4”. 17st 4lbs / 110kgs
International record: 4 caps (W 1, L 2, D 1)
7 Sam WARBURTON (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,070)
DoB: 05.10.88. 1.88m / 6’2”. 15st 11lbs / 100kgs
International record: 8 caps (W 4, L 4)
8 Ryan JONES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,029)
DoB: 13.03.81. 6’5” / 1.96m. 17st 3lbs / 109kgs
International record: 45 caps (W 23, L 20, D 2; 5 pts – 1T)
REPLACEMENTS
16 Huw BENNETT (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,017)
DoB: 11.06.83. 6’0” / 1.83m. 16st 4lbs / 103kgs
International record: 37 caps (W 18, L 18, D 1)
17 Paul JAMES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,021)
DoB: 13.05.82. 6’1” / 1.86m. 18st 13lbs / 120kgs
International record: 16 caps (W 5, L 10, D 1)
18 Jonathan THOMAS (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,013)
DoB: 27.12.82. 6’5” / 1.96m. 17st 5lbs / 110kgs
International record: 61 caps (W 27, L 31, D 3; 35 pts – 7T)
19 Andy POWELL (LONDON WASPS – Cap No 1,061)
DoB: 23.08.81. 6’4” / 1.94m. 17st 6lbs / 111kgs
International record: 15 caps (W 8, L 7)
20 Martyn WILLIAMS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 944)
DoB: 01.09.75. 6'0" / 1.83m. 14st 22lbs / 94kgs
International record: 97 caps (W 42, L 52, D 3; 73 pts – 14T, 1DG)
21 Richard REES (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,072)
DoB: 21.05.83. 5’11” / 1.80m. 12st 8lb / 79kgs
International record: 8 caps (W 1, L 6, D 1; 5 pts – 1T)
22 Andrew BISHOP (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,059)
DoB: 07.08.85. 6’0” / 1.83m. 14st 10lbs / 93kgs
International record: 14 caps (W 7, L 6, D 1)
