Louis Rees-Zammit will start at full-back for Wales in their Six Nations opener against England on Saturday, making his first appearance in the tournament for three years. The Bristol Bears speedster, who returned to rugby last year after a brief stint in the NFL, is named at No 15 with Josh Adams and Ellis Mee on the wings.
Captain Dewi Lake leads the side from hooker, while Archie Griffin is preferred to veteran Tomas Francis at tighthead prop. The back row features Aaron Wainwright, Alex Mann and Josh Macleod, with Ben Thomas providing an additional playmaking option at inside centre alongside Eddie James.
Wales have lost their last two Six Nations campaigns and face an England team on an 11-match winning run. Head coach Steve Tandy, taking charge of his first Six Nations match, acknowledged the challenge: “Wales v England is always a special game with all the history behind the fixture. We know they're playing some outstanding rugby and they're in great form.”
Tandy added: “I want to see us get out and really attack the game on Saturday and give the best account of ourselves.” Like England, Wales have named six forwards on the bench, including uncapped Harri Deaves, who earned his first cap against New Zealand in November. Mason Grady provides outside back cover.
