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Wales are set to name their team to play Fiji at Cardiff City Stadium this Saturday and one player could be changing position
Wales are considering handing Taine Plumtree a first Test start in the second-row against Fiji on Saturday.
With Steve Tandy’s squad light on locks following the injury to squad “lynchpin” Dafydd Jenkins, Tandy could yet decide to move the Scarlets back-row into the boiler room for the clash with Fiji. Selection would likely have been far away from Welsh players’ thoughts on Wednesday, given the Test week has been rocked by a last-minute dispute over match fees.
In the end, while sources suggest there were momentarily fears over Saturday’s game at different parts of the week, an agreement was eventually reached.
Quite why it took so late into a Test week for terms on match fees and other payments to be struck is another question, but with that resolved, attention turns back to Saturday’s clash with the Flying Fijians at the Cardiff City Stadium.
And Tandy could be ready to hand Plumtree his first Test outing in the second-row.
The 26-year-old has won 14 caps for Wales since arriving in Llanelli from Auckland ahead of the 2023 World Cup.
While Plumtree is a versatile player, throwing him into the second-row for the clash with Fiji would be some call by Tandy.
His last start in the position in senior rugby came while playing for Wellington in the NPC back in August 2022, while he also played a handful of games there for New Zealand U20s.
Part of the selling point when he signed for the Scarlets was his ability to play in the second-row, but Plumtree has tended to be used exclusively as a blindside flanker or No. 8.
Whether Plumtree is being considered as a second-row due to further injuries remains to be seen, but following the news that Jenkins – who was described as Wales’ “lynchpin” by Matt Sherratt on Tuesday – will miss the summer after undergoing shoulder surgery, there are only three specialist second-rows left in the squad.
Ben Carter emerged as a starter in the Six Nations, usurping Adam Beard – who has only just joined up with Wales camp following Montpellier’s run to the Top 14 final.
The other lock is Teddy Williams, who played his first match since October in the win over the Barbarians on Saturday.
Ryan Woodman has remained in camp despite missing out on Tandy’s reduced 33-man squad for the Nations Championship, with the Dragons youngster able to cover second-row and back-row.
Part of the appeal of Plumtree in the second-row, if Tandy does pick him there, could be his athleticism against a Fijian side that will stretch Wales.
On the bench, tighthead Ben Warren is in line for a Test debut – having made a cameo in the uncapped match against the Baa-Baas last week.
It’s unclear what Tandy will do at full-back.
Blair Murray started there last week, but Louis Rees-Zammit was the man in possession of the 15 jersey in the Six Nations.
He missed Tuesday’s session with a niggle, but even if he is fit, he could well prefer a switch back to the wing.
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