Anscombe retains flyhalf berth for Wales in Georgia test

Gareth Anscombe kept his place at flyhalf, with Dan Biggar still sidelined by injury, as Wales coach Warren Gatland made six changes to his side for the Rugby World Cup Pool C clash with Georgia in Nantes on Saturday.

Anscombe starred in the 40-6 victory over Australia when he took over from Biggar, who has an arm injury and faces a race against time to be fit for Wales’s quarter-final, with Gatland’s side having already booked their place in the knockout rounds.

Hooker Dewi Lake will captain the team with props Gareth Thomas and Tomas Francis either side of him. The second row is made up of Will Rowlands and Dafydd Jenkins. Number eight Taulupe Faletau forms a loose trio with Aaron Wainwright and Tommy Reffell.

Tomos Williams is at scrumhalf, with a centre pairing of Nick Tompkins and George North, and a back three that contains Liam Williams and wings Rio Dyer and Louis Rees-Zammit.

Wales team: 15-Liam Williams, 14-Louis Rees Zammit, 13-George North, 12-Nick Tompkins, 11-Rio Dyer, 10-Gareth Anscombe, 9-Tomos Williams, 1-Gareth Thomas, 2-Dewi Lake (capt.), 3-Tomas Francis, 4-Will Rowlands, 5-Dafydd Jenkins, 6-Aaron Wainwright, 7-Tommy Reffell, 8-Taulupe Faletau

Replacements: 16-Elliot Dee, 17-Nicky Smith, 18-Henry Thomas, 19-Christ Tshiunza, 20-Taine Basham, 21-Gareth Davies, 22-Sam Costelow, 23-Mason Grady.