Wales head coach Steve Tandy is set to name his team to face Fiji in the Nations Championship opener at Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday, following a day of off-field turmoil. Preparations were thrown into chaos on Wednesday after a dispute between players and the Welsh Rugby Union over match fees led to the cancellation of a scheduled press conference, with fears of strike action threatening the fixture.
On the field, Tandy faces several key selection calls after Dafydd Jenkins' injury, with Scarlets forward Taine Plumtree in contention for a surprise first Test start in the second row. There is also uncertainty at full-back, where Louis Rees-Zammit is nursing a niggle, while Ben Warren could be handed his Test debut from the bench.
Meanwhile, Fiji prop Luke Tagi will miss the clash after dropping out of their Nations Championship squad due to personal reasons. The Flying Fijians confirmed that the 20-stone Bayonne tighthead has been replaced by veteran prop Mesake Doge, who was a surprise omission from the original 32-man squad despite impressing for the Fijian Drua in Super Rugby Pacific.
In other news, the Welsh Rugby Union has confirmed the permanent appointment of Steve Salvin as Wales Women's forwards coach. Salvin, who initially joined on an interim basis during this year's Six Nations, has now joined Sean Lynn's coaching team full-time. He said: 'The chance to work at Test match level during the recent W6N campaign was an opportunity that I relished and to get to do this on a full-time basis is an exciting one.'
