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After a day disrupted by a dispute between players and the WRU, Steve Tandy has named his side to play Fiji on Saturday
Louis Rees-Zammit has been moved back to his favoured wing as Wales named their team to face Fiji on Saturday.
Wales’ opening Nations Championship fixture has been rocked by uncertainty this week, with players having had to flit between training and meetings amid a dispute over match fees. That was finally resolved late on Wednesday afternoon, allowing Steve Tandy to focus once again on a tricky opener at the Cardiff City Stadium.
With trips to Argentina and South Africa to come later this month, an ‘away’ match against the Flying Fijians represents perhaps the best opportunity for Wales to win this summer.
However, having won on their last visit to the Welsh capital, it will be a testing fixture for Wales as they continue to try and rebuild.
Following last week’s uncapped win over the Barbarians at Twickenham, Tandy has made six changes to his side – with the most notable being a return for Rees-Zammit to his favoured position on the wing.
It’s been an interesting first season back in rugby for the 25-year-old, following his return from the NFL.
Having started a couple of games on the wing for Wales in the autumn following his move to Bristol Bears – scoring against Japan and New Zealand – both club and country moved Rees-Zammit to full-back midway through the campaign.
Having scored three tries in his first two starts in the 15 jersey for the Bears, Rees-Zammit then went through 10 matches for Bristol and Wales in the position without dotting down.
Only after he was moved back to the wing by Bears director of rugby Pat Lam did Rees-Zammit score again late in the season.
Those five matches in the Six Nations without a try equal Rees-Zammit’s longest stretches in a Welsh jersey without scoring, having gone five Tests without a try either side of his brace against South Africa in Pretoria in 2022.
Thankfully, Fiji have always tended to be a good team for Fiji to face. Of the 13 international teams Rees-Zammit has faced, Fiji are the only one he has scored against on every occasion – touching down in his last two meetings in 2021 and 2023.
Both of those were on the wing, where Rees-Zammit – who has 16 tries in his previous 40 caps – will start on the weekend. Despite a niggle keeping him out of training on Tuesday, he’s fit to take part this weekend.
Blair Murray keeps his place at full-back from the win over the Barbarians, while Cardiff’s Josh Adams is brought back into the side after being on waterboy duties in London last Saturday.
The only other change in the backline is to bring Saracens-bound Tomos Williams in at scrum-half.
In the pack, there are three changes. Rhys Carre replaces Gareth Thomas at loosehead, while Adam Beard starts alongside Ben Carter after being in Top 14 final action with Montpellier last Saturday.
The other change sees back-row Alex Mann continue to be the only other player alongside captain Dewi Lake to start every Test match under Tandy – with Saturday being his 10th cap under the new Wales coach.
On the bench, Taine Plumtree provides second-row cover, while Ospreys tighthead Ben Warren is in line for his Test debut.
Wales: Blair Murray; Louis Rees-Zammit, Eddie James, Joe Hawkins, Josh Adams; Dan Edwards, Tomos Williams; Rhys Carre, Dewi Lake (c), Dillon Lewis, Ben Carter, Adam Beard, Alex Mann, Jac Morgan, Aaron Wainwright.
Replacement: Ryan Elias, Nicky Smith, Ben Warren, Taine Plumtree, James Botham, Kieran Hardy, Sam Costelow, Ellis Mee.
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