Follow
Popular: RWC 2011 | B Habana
Canada in Europe / Preview
Scrum Fantasy
Wales v Canada
Gatland makes sweeping changes
Scrum.com
November 14, 2008
Morgan Stoddart of Scarlets pictured during the EDF Energy Cup match between Northampton Saints and Scarlets at Frankllin's Gardens in Northampton, England on November 1, 2008.
Scarlets full-back Morgan Stoddart has been passed fit to start for Wales © Getty Images
Enlarge

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has made 12 changes for the Millennium Stadium clash against Canada on Friday night.

Skipper Ryan Jones, wing Leigh Halfpenny and centre Tom Shanklin are the only three players retained following Saturday's 20-15 loss to world champions South Africa. There is a surprise call-up from outside Gatland's 32-man autumn Test squad for Cardiff Blues prop John Yapp. Yapp packs down in the front row after Ospreys loosehead Duncan Jones was ruled out by a foot injury.

Yapp's Blues colleague, wing Tom James, will also remain with the squad following the injury withdrawal of Gavin Henson. Morgan Stoddart has been passed fit to start at full-back.

Centre Gavin Henson, meanwhile, was not considered for selection due to an ongoing Achilles problem. Henson withdrew from the Springboks game less than 24 hours before kick-off, and Gatland is now awaiting reports from a specialist about the injury.

Captain Jones moves from blindside flanker to number eight instead of Andy Powell, who was man of the match against South Africa, with flanker positions taken by Dafydd Jones and Robin Sowden-Taylor. It is all change in the front five, where there is a rare start for towering Newport Gwent Dragons lock Luke Charteris, while Scarlets wing Mark Jones returns following a knee injury.

Elsewhere, James Hook wears the number 10 shirt, with two uncapped players named on the bench in Sale Sharks prop Eifion Roberts and Ospreys fly-half Dan Biggar. There is a full Test debut for Scarlets number nine Martin Roberts, with Sale's Dwayne Peel among the replacements.

Gatland said: "We have a short turnaround before we face Canada, and this was always going to be a game in which we tried to utilise our squad. We have a chance to put defeat against South Africa behind us and really try to build some momentum before New Zealand and Australia come to town, so we know what we need to achieve against Canada.

"There are lots of changes from the weekend, but we have maintained consistency by keeping Ryan in there as captain, and we have some experience and impact players, too, on the bench."

Canada coach Kieran Crowley has made two changes to his starting line-up following their drubbing at the hands of Ireland.

Both switches are in the forwards following his side's 55-0 loss at Thomond Park last Saturday. Lock Tyler Hotson features in the second-row, with Michael Burak dropping to the bench, while flanker Jebb Sinclair takes over from Plymouth Albion's Sean-Michael Stephen.

There are just four survivors from the team beaten by Wales in last year's World Cup - skipper Pat Riordan, full-back James Pritchard, fly-half Ander Monro and prop John Thiel. Crowley said: "The defeat against Ireland hurt. We were well beaten, and we are looking to make amends. We want to tick more boxes against Wales than we did against Ireland."

Wales: M Stoddart (Scarlets); L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), T Shanklin (Cardiff Blues), A Bishop (Ospreys), M Jones (Scarlets); J Hook (Ospreys), M Roberts (Scarlets); J Yapp (Cardiff Blues), R Hibbard (Ospreys), R Thomas (Newport Gwent Dragons), I Gough (Ospreys), L Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), D Jones (Scarlets), R Sowden-Taylor (Cardiff Blues), R Jones (Ospreys, capt).

Replacements: M Rees (Scarlets), E Roberts (Sale Sharks), A-W Jones (Ospreys), A Powell (Cardiff Blues), D Peel (Sale Sharks), D Biggar (Ospreys), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues).

Canada: J Pritchard (Bedford); C Hearn (Baymen), B Keys (Velox Valhallians), R Smith (Calgary Irish), J Mensah-Coker (Plymouth Albion); A Monro (Colomo), E Fairhurst (Cornish Pirates); K Tkachuk (Glasgow), P Riordan (University of Victoria, capt), J Thiel (Bayside Sharks), T Hotson (Northern Suburbs), J Jackson (Bordeaux), J Sinclair (Castaway Wanderers), A Kleeberger (University of Victoria), A Carpenter (Brantford Harlequins).

Replacements: M Pletch (Velox Valhallians), F Walsh (Vandals), M Burak (Cornish Pirates), S-M Stephen (Plymouth Albion), M Williams (James Bay Athletic), M Evans (Hartpury College), D Van Camp (Velox Valhallians).

Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)

Assistant Referees: Matt Goddard (Australia), David Changleng (Scotland)
Television Match Official: Geoff Warren (England)
Citing Commissioner: Jean-Etienne Bernard (France)

© Scrum.com
Feedback Print
Live Scores
Results
Fixtures
Sponsored Links
Make Huge income at home
Make Real Profits in Real Time - Full Training for Free
Make Huge income at home
Make Real Profits in Real Time - Full Training for Free
BET NOW on the Six Nations 2012
Season, final and match fixed odds at bet365
© ESPN EMEA Ltd