Rugby: Henry gambles on Jones
Llanelli fly-half Stephen Jones will wear Wales’ number 15 jersey after coach Graham Henry today took a major selection gamble for the Six Nations Championship opener against England in Cardiff.
It will be Jones’ first Test match start as full-back, having been preferred to Rhys Williams.
Cardiff youngster Williams, who endured a Heineken Cup nightmare at Gloucester last Saturday, is in the Wales A line-up for Friday night’s appointment with England at Wrexham.
Jones’ last major full-back experience came three years ago when Llanelli played Cardiff in a European play-off game.
But Scarlets team manager Anthony Buchanan said today: ‘‘Stephen is confident, committed, brave and strong. Even though he is sure to be tested by England I have every confidence in him.’’
Williams, centre Allan Bateman, prop Peter Rogers, hooker Garin Jenkins and flanker Nathan Budgett all drop out of the side beaten 23-13 by South Africa last November.
Swansea star Mark Taylor replaces Bateman despite completing just one comeback match since undergoing knee surgery two months ago.
Henry was sufficiently impressed by Taylor’s performance when Swansea crashed out of the Heineken Cup at Leicester two days ago to reunite him with regular club and country midfield partner Scott Gibbs.
Fit-again prop David Young, Wales’ Six Nations skipper last season, returns to lead the side so Darren Morris switches from tight-head to loose-head and Peter Rogers is omitted.
Jenkins, the most-capped hooker in Welsh rugby history, makes way for Llanelli’s Robin McBryde.
The 30-year-old former Scarlets captain made his Test debut against Fiji in 1994 but subsequently took a back seat to Jenkins, making just three further appearances after that.
Cardiff flanker Martyn Williams, whose last Wales outing came as a substitute during the 46-12 defeat by England at Twickenham last season, also wins a recall.
Colin Charvis moves to the blindside, accommodating Williams, with Jenkins and Bateman on replacement duty alongside uncapped Llanelli wing Mark Jones while Budgett drops into the A side.
Wales team to play England in the Six Nations Championship at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday:
S Jones (Llanelli); G Thomas (Cardiff), M Taylor (Swansea), S Gibbs (Swansea), D James (Llanelli); N Jenkins (Cardiff), R Howley (Cardiff); D Morris (Swansea), R McBryde (Llanelli), D Young (Cardiff, capt), I Gough (Newport), C Wyatt (Llanelli), C Charvis (Swansea), M Williams (Cardiff), S Quinnell (Llanelli).
Replacements: G Jenkins (Swansea), S John (Cardiff), A Moore (Swansea), G Lewis (Swansea), R Moon (Llanelli), A Bateman (Northampton), M Jones (Llanelli).
