Wales have handed British & Irish Lions wing Josh Adams a first start at centre for their Six Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.
With centre Willis Halaholo ruled out with a hamstring injury, Adams will partner Nick Tompkins in the Wales midfield.
With George North and Johnny Williams also injured, Adams is preferred to specialist centres Jonathan Davies, who has played 99 Tests for Wales and the Lions, and Owen Watkin, who is among the replacements.
The 26-year-old Adams was selected to play outside centre against Fiji in November 2021 but forced to pull out just before kick-off through a minor injury.
Wales head coach Wayne Pivac has selected 13 of the starting side that defeated Australia in November 2021, with Johnny McNicholl slotting into the vacant wing position left by Adams’ move.
In the only other change, Will Rowlands replaces Seb Davies in the second row.
Flyhalf Dan Biggar will captain the side for the first time.
“We’ve selected Josh at 13, it’s something we’ve been thinking about for a while,” said Pivac. “He’s done it in training and in small doses at the end of a game. We think this is a golden opportunity to answer that question.
“I am really pleased for Ross,” said Pivac.
“He’s wrapped to be back in the match-day 23 and I think it’s just really around game time at the moment. We think coming off the bench he’ll make an impact, so that’s why we’ve gone that way.”
Wales’ long list of injured absentees means they are currently without Lions Alun Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau, Josh Navidi, Dan Lydiate, North and Leigh Halfpenny, who have more than 700 Test caps between them.
Wales – 15 Liam Williams, 14 Johnny McNicholl, 13 Josh Adams, 12 Nick Tompkins, 11 Louis Rees-Zammit, 10 Dan Biggar, 11 Tomos Williams, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Taine Basham, 6 Ellis Jenkins, 5 Adam Beard, 4 Will Rowlands, 3 Tomas Francis, 2 Ryan Elias, 1 Wyn Jones.
Subs: 16 Dewi Lake, 17 Gareth Thomas, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Seb Davies, 20 Ross Moriarty, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Callum Sheedy, 23 Owen Watkin.
