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Wales Online
Sport
Ben James

Wales v Italy team in full as Alun Wyn Jones starts and Pivac rips up half the side

Wayne Pivac has brought Alun Wyn Jones back into the starting XV against Italy this weekend, as he makes seven changes to the side that lost narrowly to France.

With no chance of retaining their title, Pivac has opted to use the clash with winless Italy as an opportunity to try out some different combinations. As a result, there are starts for full-back Johnny McNicholl, centre Uilisi Halaholo, scrum-half Gareth Davies, prop Dillon Lewis and hooker Dewi Lake.

Second-row Jones also comes into the side after his call-up, with the lock in line to win his 150th Test cap for Wales this weekend.

Read next: Win free tickets for Wales v Italy

In the front-row, Lake is handed his first start in a Welsh jersey, having impressed off the bench in each of Wales' Six Nations matches so far. He starts alongside loose-head prop Gareth Thomas, who retains the number one jersey ahead of Wyn Jones, and tight-head Dillon Lewis, who comes in for Tomas Francis.

Pivac retains the same back-row from the France match, while there's one change in the half-backs with Davies starting.

In midfield, Halaholo starts alongside Owen Watkin, while in the back-three, McNicholl and Louis Rees-Zammit both come into the XV, joining Josh Adams. You can follow Pivac's press conference here as he explains his selection.

Wales: Johnny McNicholl; Louis Rees-Zammit, Owen Watkin, Uilisi Halaholo, Josh Adams; Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies; Gareth Thomas, Dewi Lake, Dillon Lewis, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones, Seb Davies, Josh Navidi, Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: Bradley Roberts, Wyn Jones, Leon Brown, Will Rowlands, Ross Moriarty, Kieran Hardy, Callum Sheedy, Nick Tompkins.

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