Wales drop Jones and Tipuric for Scotland visit

09.02.2023 - 15:43 rte.ie

Wales boss Warren Gatland has left out three British and Irish Lions – Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau – from the starting line-up for Saturday's Guinness Six Nations clash against Scotland.The trio boast 342 Wales caps and 18 Lions Test appearances between them.Lock Jones and flanker Tipuric are not in the match-day 23 for Murrayfield, while number eight Faletau has to be content with a bench spot.They represent huge selection calls by Gatland following Ireland’s 34-10 victory in Cardiff last weekend.Exeter lock Dafydd Jenkins replaces Jones, with his Chiefs colleague Christ Tshiunza packing down at blindside flanker in a reshaped back-row that sees Leicester’s Tommy Reffell taking the number seven shirt off Tipuric and Jac Morgan switching to number eight instead of Faletau.Two other changes see Scarlets prop Wyn Jones recalled instead of Gareth Thomas, while tighthead Dillon Lewis replaces Tomas Francis, with Gatland retaining the back division that started against Ireland.Faletau apart, changes among the replacements include opportunities for uncapped Ospreys lock Rhys Davies, Dragons prop Leon Brown and Scarlets back Rhys Patchell.Wales have won on six of their last seven trips to Edinburgh, but they will encounter a Scotland side fresh from defeating England at Twickenham last time out.Wales: Liam Williams; Josh Adams, George North, Joe Hawkins, Rio Dyer; Dan Biggar, Tomos Williams; Wyn Jones, Ken Owens (capt), Dillon Lewis; Dafydd Jenkins, Adam Beard, Christ Tshiunza, Tommy Reffell, Jac Morgan.Replacements: Scott Baldwin, Rhys Carre, Leon Brown, Rhys Davies, Taulupe Faletau, Rhys Webb, Rhys Patchell, Alex Cuthbert.Additional reporting: PA

Six Nations Sport Rugby Dan Biggar Justin Tipuric Wyn Jones Christ Tshiunza Liam Williams Rhys Patchell Rhys Carre England Rugby Tomas Francis Warren Gatland Dafydd Jenkins Joe Hawkins Rhys Webb Josh Adams Tomos Williams Gareth Thomas Alex Cuthbert Tommy Reffell Britain Scotland county Lewis Ireland Kentucky county Adams county George county Jones county Dillon

W hatever else is wrong with Welsh rugby, they’ve never lacked heart. You could hear it in Katherine Jenkins’ singing, which must have shattered windows in Aberystwyth, and feel it in the heat of the fireworks that spiralled into the bright blue sky beyond the open roof. For all their failings, the Welsh Rugby Union still know how to organise a show at the Principality Stadium. And you could see what it all meant, too, in the faces of those two old friends and teammates, Alun Wyn Jones, 37, and Ken Owens, 36, as they roared the final words of the anthem, their arms wrapped tight around each other’s shoulders.

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