Wales coach Warren Gatland has dropped three British and Irish Lions forwards — Alun Wyn Jones, Taulupe Faletau and Justin Tipuric — from a revamped starting lineup for Saturday’s Six Nations match against Scotland.
The hugely experienced trio have won nearly 350 Wales caps between them, while also making 18 Test appearances for the Lions.
Flanker Tipuric and lock Jones have been omitted completely from the matchday 23 for the game at Murrayfield, with No. 8 Faletau relegated to the bench.
Gatland has made the dramatic changes after his second spell as Wales coach started with a 34-10 defeat by Ireland in their Six Nations opener in Cardiff last weekend.
Exeter lock Dafydd Jenkins has replaced Jones, with club colleague Christ Tshiunza packing down at blindside flanker in a reshaped back-row where Leicester’s Tommy Reffell is at openside flanker, with Jac Morgan moved to No. 8 instead of Faletau.
Jones, who has made a world-record 168 Test match appearances while representing Wales and the Lions, was fit and available after going off for a head injury assessment during the second half against Ireland.
But Gatland has handed the 20-year-old Jenkins — 17 years younger than the former Wales captain — a first Test start alongside Adam Beard in the second row just months away from the start of the Rugby World Cup in France.
Tshiunza has already won plaudits at club level for his work at the line-out, an area where Wales struggled against Ireland.
Up front, Scarlets prop Wyn Jones has been recalled in place of Gareth Thomas, with tighthead Dillon Lewis replacing Tomas Francis.
Gatland retained the same backs that played against Ireland.
Wales have won on six of their past seven trips to Edinburgh but will be up against a Scotland side fresh from a 29-23 win away to England.
“We’ve made some changes but tried to keep some continuity with the same backline,” Gatland said on Thursday.
“Dafydd Jenkins comes into the second row, looking a bit to the future. Christ Tshiunza as well. We are looking at options at eight if Toby (Taulupe) Faletau picks up an injury, so Jac gets that chance.”
The New Zealander added: “We thought we created opportunities last week but we weren’t clinical enough in terms of finishing off some of those chances.
“We need to start better. We gave away some stupid penalties and unforced penalties when we weren’t really under a lot of pressure, so that has again been an area that we’ve spoken about.”
Wales (15-1)
Liam Williams; Josh Adams, George North, Joe Hawkins, Rio Dyer; Dan Biggar, Tomos Williams; Jac Morgan, Tommy Reffell, Christ Tshiunza; Adam Beard, Dafydd Jenkins; Dillon Lewis, Ken Owens (capt), Wyn Jones
Replacements: Scott Baldwin, Rhys Carre, Leon Brown, Rhys Davies, Taulupe Faletau, Rhys Webb, Rhys Patchell, Alex Cuthbert
Coach: Warren Gatland (NZL)
