Wales team vs Australia

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Obviously its a few weeks away but this match is the only bit of international rugby being played until the six nations so I thought I would have a pop at selecting a team for it. I wonder what the Ozzie side will look like. Personally I think this is a game Wales really need to win. Australia coming here is not ideal for them in the middle of their off season with players who wont have kicked a ball for a few weeks. Waels by contrast will have players back from injury and who have been playing Pro12 and HEC so shouldnt be rusty when the team meet up.

Some changes from the World cup are certain, Mike Phillips, Hook, Byrne, Powell, Mitchell will all be unavailable. Adam jones and Rhys Priestland will both probably be back by then, Jones is more of a worry than the young ten. Shane if he is fit is a show in on the wing and I cant see Gatland experimenting too much for this game. Only a couple of changes from the RWC squad as we have smiler available again and possibly Henson. McCusker who should have gone to RWC instead of Powell should come in and whilst I would choose Hibbard I expect Gatts to stick with HB but on the bench. Rhys Webb is going to be putting pressure on Williams and Tavis but I expect Gatts to go for tavis this time, come six nations Tavis could be usurped.

If Adam Jones is not fit then we do have a problem, we could play Paul James there again but it didnt work in the RWC and its time we started doing some succession planning in the tighthead spot. Cai Griffiths has played well there so far this year for the Ospreys, whilst Rhys thomas and Simin Gardiner are starting there for the scarlets. RT still doesnt inspire me with confidence in the scrum whilst Gardiner is a good scrummager his conditioning has not been great in the past and hes been unlucky with injury. Scott Andrew is my pick of the youngsters but havent seen him play since the Aironi game so not sure if he is fit or not. Buck has been starting a lot for the dragons but he is a player I dont know at all, can any dragons fans enlighten me is he welsh qualified and any good?

1. Gethin Jenkins
2. Matthew Rees
3. Adam Jones
4. Luke Charteris - Bradley now with Luke unlikely to be fit
5. AW Jones
6. Danny Lydiate - Ryan I guess with McCusker injured too
7. Sam Warburton (c)
8. T Faletau
9. Lloyd Williams
10. Rhys Priestland
11. Shane Williams
12. Jamie Roberts
13. J Davies
14 George North
15. Halfpenny

16. R Bevvington
17. Bennett
18. Ryan Jones Ian Evans to come in with Ryan probably stepping up to the XV
19. Rob McCusker - JT may have to come in for a bench spot with all the injuries hopefuly Tipuric or McCusker will be fit.
20. Tavis Knoyle - Rhys Webb is looking good as well
21. Jason Tovey
22. Scott Williams

He's tweeted hell be ok and Wales online have said its not as bad as first suspected

Lydiate is set for ankle surgery. I'd pick his deputy Lewis Evans who has been in consistent form throughout his career.

*EDIT - my mistake. It's actually Alun Wyn Jones who is set for surgery on his foot. I read the Sky Sports multiscreen update wrong.

look ffs can we have it written into the Welsh team's contract that THEY CAN'T GET FECKING INJURED EVERY 5 MINUTES

sick of it...AJ, AWJ, LC, RP, DL now Gorgeous, with absences due to playing for the garlic eating surrender monkey sides we are on our chin strap again

Anyone would think that Wales is the only country to experience injured players.

pointless post laurie

Wales have a long habit of getting injuries to their star players just before they are needed, obviously they are not the only team to have injuries but they don't have the same strength in depth as many other sides and when 4 or 5 go down at once it has a disproportionate impact. The loss of priestland at RWC is a great example, if he had remained fit we would have beaten France and no doubt you would have choked again

Honestly why all the angst, The Australians have as bad if not a worse injury list than ours, Georgie is looking like he will be ok, Halfpennt looks like he should make it, Adam Jones should make it. Its really not as bad as some of you are making out