Wales v Australia: Tomos Williams out as Warren Gatland makes four changes

Image source, Huw Evans Agency

Gareth Griffiths

BBC Sport Wales

Autumn Worldwide locations Series: Wales v Australia

Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Date: Sunday, Innovative Organization 17 November Kick off: 16:10 GMT

Protection: Take heed to dwell commentary on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Sounds, follow dwell textual insist material commentary on the BBC Sport online web insist and app.

Wales scrum-half of Tomos Williams has been ruled out of the Autumn Worldwide locations Series match in opposition to Australia in Cardiff on Sunday.

The Gloucester half of-relieve suffered a shoulder wound within the 24-19 defeat in opposition to Fiji and is replaced by Cardiff’ Ellis Bevan.

Head coach Warren Gatland has made four adjustments as Wales describe to succor away from a file 11th consecutive global defeat.

Scarlets wing Tom Rogers replaces the injured Mason Grady while flankers Jac Morgan and James Botham come in for Taine Plumtree and Tommy Reffell.

Dragons scrum-half of Rhodri Williams, 31, is named on the replacements’ bench, better than 10 years since winning his final cap.

Morgan will invent his first global open since main Wales within the World Cup quarter-final defeat in opposition to Argentina in October 2023 in Marseille.

The flanker left out the 2024 Six Worldwide locations thanks to a knee danger and the summer season tour as a outcomes of a hamstring wound.

Morgan, 24, turned into named on the bench for the defeat in opposition to Fiji however made an impression when he came on within the second half of.

Cardiff relieve row Botham turned into moreover nicely-known within the latter phases final weekend and is derived in for Plumtree, who drops out of the 23-man squad, while Reffell is on the bench.

Cardiff wing Grady turned into ruled out of the autumn collection after struggling a major-half of wound within the defeat in opposition to Fiji, with Rogers most neatly-preferred to Rio Dyer and Josh Hathaway.

Gatland has opted for the more outdated steadiness of 5 forwards and three backs on his bench this time after the tactic of six forwards and two backs backfired in opposition to Fiji.

After shedding Grady to wound, Gatland admitted afterwards the crude alternative had been despatched on with Scarlets fly-half of Sam Costelow playing out of situation in home of Cardiff scrum-half of Bevan, who had been disbursed to quilt the wing.

Scarlets centre Eddie James is named as a alternative in opposition to Australia.

Wales slumped to a file-equalling Tenth successive Take a look at match defeat final weekend, with the present sequence matching a lope of Take a look at failures in 2002 and 2003 under Gatland’s fellow Original Zealander Steve Hansen.

Gatland’s aspect occupy no longer tasted global success since beating World Cup pool stage opponents Georgia in October 2023 and occupy slipped to a lowest situation of 11th in World Rugby’s rankings.

This contains finishing bottom of the Six Worldwide locations for the first time in 21 years, summer season defeats in opposition to South Africa and Australia and now a major loss in opposition to Fiji in Cardiff.

Since changing Wayne Pivac and returning for a second stint as Wales head coach in December 2022, Gatland has received correct six out of twenty-two games.

Australia advance in Cardiff on the relieve of a spectacular 42-37 success in opposition to England, and occupy received nine events from their final 11 visits to the Welsh capital.

Winnett; Rogers, Llewellyn, B Thomas, Murray; Anscombe, Bevan; G Thomas, Lake (capt), Griffin, Rowlands, Beard, Botham, Morgan, Wainwright.

Replacements: Elias, N Smith, Assiratti, Tshiunza, Reffell, R Williams, Costelow, James.

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