Wales name Max Llewellyn and Eddie James in centre for Nations Championship opener with Japan
Wales head coach Steve Tandy has selected Gloucester centre Max Llewellyn and Scarlets centre Eddie James to start in midfield for Wales' Nations Championship opener against Japan on Saturday (16:40 GMT) at home. The pairing will form one of Wales' largest midfield combinations.
Llewellyn, who has 13 caps for Wales, and James, on 11 caps, measure 6ft 6in (1.96m) and 16st 12lbs (107kg), and 6ft 4in (1.90m) and 16st 3lbs (103kg) respectively. Tandy has moved away from his recent policy of naming a more recognised ball-player at inside centre by handing Llewellyn the number 12 jersey. Sam Costelow is preferred at fly-half to Dan Edwards, while Josh Adams, Louis Rees-Zammit and Blair Murray make up the back three.
The starting forwards include props Nicky Smith and Archie Griffin flanking captain Dewi Lake, with Dafydd Jenkins restored to a Six Nations-era partnership with Ben Carter after recovering from a knee problem. The back row is Alex Mann, Jac Morgan and Aaron Wainwright. Wales named the following 15: Murray; Rees-Zammit, James, Llewellyn, Adams; Costelow, Tomos Williams; Smith, Lake (capt), Griffin, Jenkins, Carter, Mann, Morgan, Wainwright, with replacements Elias, Carre, Francis, Teddy Williams, Botham, Morgan-Williams, D Edwards, Hennessey.
Tandy has made seven personnel changes from the side that lost 43-0 to South Africa in July. Nine of the 15 starters against Japan, including six of the eight forwards, and 12 of the 23-strong squad play their club rugby in England; the squad contains three Scarlets, two Cardiff players, one Dragon and no Ospreys. Half-backs Dan Edwards and Reuben Morgan-Williams are included among the replacements.
"There's lots of competition for positions within the squad, which is where we want to be," said Tandy. This selection marks Tandy's sixth different centre partnership in his 13th international in charge; Joe Hawkins or Ben Thomas had occupied the number 12 jersey across the previous 12 internationals. Ben Thomas, who started alongside Llewellyn against South Africa in July, is absent with a calf injury and Hawkins has been omitted from the 23-player squad for the autumn games.
Llewellyn spent the bulk of his early senior career at Cardiff as an inside centre before moving to Gloucester, where he has featured more frequently at outside centre alongside England midfield player Seb Atkinson at Kingsholm. He told BBC Sport Wales before the season that inside centre was his preferred position; he has worn the number 12 shirt for Gloucester once this season and made a single start at inside centre for Wales in a World Cup warm-up against England in August 2023. James progressed through the Scarlets as a natural 12, but Tandy envisions his Wales future at 13.
Wales began their Nations Championship in July with a win over Fiji, followed by defeats to Argentina and South Africa. "We're excited to be to back at home," said Tandy; Wales and Japan currently sit fifth in their respective hemisphere tables. Japan beat Italy but lost to Ireland and France in their opening three games.
Wales resume the Nations Championship against Japan on Saturday at 16:40 GMT and will then host New Zealand and Australia on successive Saturdays before travelling to the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham on the final weekend of November for the play-off fixtures.