{"id":290874,"date":"2023-09-13T15:35:40","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T15:35:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/?p=290874"},"modified":"2023-09-13T15:35:40","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T15:35:40","slug":"wales-make-13-changes-for-second-world-cup-clash-against-portugal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/rugby-union\/wales-make-13-changes-for-second-world-cup-clash-against-portugal\/","title":{"rendered":"Wales make 13 changes for second World Cup clash against Portugal"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Wales head coach Warren Gatland has made 13 changes to the starting line-up for Saturday\u2019s Rugby World Cup Pool C encounter against Portugal in Nice.<\/p>\n
Gatland retains just two of the side \u2013 wing Louis Rees-Zammit and number eight Taulupe Faletau \u2013 that overcame Fiji 32-26 in a ferocious contest last weekend.<\/p>\n
Co-captain Dewi Lake leads Wales after recovering from a knee injury, while scrum-half Tomos Williams wins his 50th cap and there are first World Cup starts for the likes of centre Mason Grady and lock Christ Tshiunza.<\/p>\n
Lake suffered a knee problem during Wales\u2019 World Cup warm-up game against England, but he now returns to pack down alongside front-row colleagues Nicky Smith and Dillon Lewis.<\/p>\n
Tshiunza forges an all-Exeter lock partnership alongside Dafydd Jenkins, with fly-half Gareth Anscombe also back after injury.<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n
Grady, meanwhile, is partnered in midfield by Johnny Williams, Leigh Halfpenny wins his 101st cap at full-back and another experienced campaigner \u2013 flanker Dan Lydiate \u2013 also features.<\/p>\n
Prop Henry Thomas is the only player in Wales\u2019 33-strong World Cup squad who will not have started or been named on the bench across the first two games.<\/p>\n
Wales\u2019 bonus-point success against Fiji has set them up for a repeat performance against Portugal, who are the Pool C minnows.<\/p>\n
They are at their first World Cup since 2007, although their pre-tournament form has been reasonable, including a 46-20 victory over the United States.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video<\/p>\n
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video<\/p>\n
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial<\/p>\n
Gatland said: \u201cWe\u2019ve made a few changes this week given the six-day turnaround.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an opportunity now for this matchday 23. I have said before, but there is some great competition within the squad, which is what we want to see.<\/p>\n
We’ve done a thorough debrief of last week’s game and know the areas we need to improve<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a chance now for this group to go out Saturday and to put down their own marker in the tournament.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve done a thorough debrief of last week\u2019s game and know the areas we need to improve.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a clear plan of how we want to play on Saturday, and it is about going out there and executing that as we have prepared.<\/p>\n
\u201cPortugal are a skilful side and will be raring to go this weekend in their first match of the tournament. We are excited to get back out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
Wales team to play Portugal: L Halfpenny (unattached); L Rees-Zammit (Gloucester), M Grady (Cardiff), J Williams (Scarlets), R Dyer (Dragons); G Anscombe (Suntory Sungoliath), T Williams (Cardiff); N Smith (Ospreys), D Lake (Ospreys, capt), D Lewis (Harlequins), C Tshiunza (Exeter), D Jenkins (Exeter), D Lydiate (Dragons), T Reffell (Leicester), T Faletau (Cardiff).<\/p>\n
Replacements: R Elias (Scarlets), C Domachowski (Cardiff), T Francis (Provence), A Beard (Ospreys), T Basham (Dragons), G Davies (Scarlets), S Costelow (Scarlets), J Adams (Cardiff).<\/p>\n