Wales have changed their recent selection policy and modified their training regime as they look to overcome a long losing sequence against the major southern hemisphere nations and make themselves contenders for next year’s World Cup.
Having dropped the Lions tighthead prop Adam Jones from the squad last month, Warren Gatland relegated another of the mainstays in his seven-year reign, the loosehead prop Gethin Jenkins, to the bench for Saturday’s match against Australia in Cardiff and promoted the second-row Jake Ball as the Wales coach looks to start and finish the game at the same high pace.
Jenkins is joined on the bench by the second-row Bradley Davies, the flanker Justin Tipuric and the scrum-half Mike Phillips with Gatland looking to his replacements, who have more than 300 caps between them, to ensure there is no repeat of the dropping off in the final 10 minutes that has cost Wales in recent years against Australia and South Africa.
The Bath prop Paul James will start at loosehead, charged with getting stuck into the Wallabies up front before Jenkins comes on to add mobility and force turnovers. Tipuric will be a likely replacement on the hour mark for the hard tackling Dan Lydiate, who has not played for more than a month after falling out of favour at Racing Métro, again adding pace, while Davies and Phillips will pose a ball-carrying threat.
Gatland has tended to pick his strongest starting lineup, often leaving players on the bench or calling on them late on, but there has been a change of emphasis to the match-day squad as he looks to take Wales from a side capable of challenging in Europe to one equipped to take on the world.
He has been more fortunate with injuries than in recent autumns but the failure of Jonathan Davies and Scott Williams to recover from shoulder and hamstring injuries respectively forced him to move George North into the midfield from the wing with Liam Williams, a full-back by preference, starting out wide.
“There was no point taking a risk with either Jon or Scott,” said the Wales attack coach, Rob Howley. “They should be fit next week. It is disappointing to be without them but George has played for us in the centre before and scored two tries. He will be stressed a bit defensively but we are more than comfortable playing him alongside Jamie Roberts.
“We have worked the players hard in training in the last couple of weeks and the emphasis is on finding a way of getting over the line against the top teams from the south.”
He added: “I do not think there is a psychological issue to overcome: we have got closer and closer to Australia and it is all about making sure we are composed and clear-headed in the closing stages of games.”
The Wales captain, Sam Warburton, and the full-back Leigh Halfpenny, who both missed the summer tour to South Africa because of injury, return, Dan Biggar and Rhys Webb, the Ospreys’ half-backs, start their first Test together and the hooker Richard Hibbard is back in the front row.
“It is our first match of the season and training has been all about making sure that we are full of running in the first game and not undercooked,” Warburton said. “We have spent the last week replicating the pace the game on Saturday will be played at and it has been the hardest I have experienced. The preparation has been different to the last few autumns and if we start well, it will be all credit to the management.
“There is no psychological barrier when it comes to playing Australia. They have been a smidgen better than us in the last nine games but this month is a massive opportunity for us. We have to get a victory over one of the major southern hemisphere countries if we are to be considered one of the best teams in the world. That is why I respect the England team of 2003: they turned over all three of them and that is what we have to aspire to.”
Wales have been staying at their base in the Vale of Glamorgan, a health resort and spa, but there has been no holiday atmosphere. “Training starts at 6.30am and it sometimes goes on for nearly 12 hours,” James said.
“I am flat out on my bed in the evening like a zombie. It has been tough and I am not really an early bird but the next few weeks are huge for us.”
Wales team to play Australia
Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), George North (Northampton), Jamie Roberts (Racing Métro), Liam Williams (Scarlets), Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Paul James (Bath), Richard Hibbard (Gloucester), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Unattached), Sam Warburton (capt), Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).
Replacements Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Bradley Davies (Wasps), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Mike Phillips (Racing Métro), Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Cory Allen (Cardiff Blues).
