Faletau Out As Edwards Given First Wales Start

Summer circuit 2nd Test: Japan v Wales

Venue: Noevir (Misaki Park) Stadium, Kobe Date: Saturday, 12 July Kick-off: 06:50 BST

Coverage: Watch unrecorded connected S4C and BBC iPlayer; perceive unrecorded connected BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru & BBC Sounds; matter commentary and highlights connected BBC Sport website and app.

Wales number 8 Taulupe Faletau has been ruled retired of nan 2nd Test against Japan successful Kobe arsenic fly-half Dan Edwards is fixed his first world start.

Faletau, 34, came disconnected during nan 2nd half of nan 24-19 conclusion successful Kitakyushu aft suffering "heat-related cramps" successful nan aggravated conditions and has not recovered.

He will beryllium replaced by Aaron Wainwright arsenic 1 of 4 changes made by interim caput coach Matt Sherratt, who said he wanted to "freshen things up a bit".

Edwards comes successful for Sam Costelow, while prop Archie Griffin starts pinch Keiron Assiratti dropping retired of nan squad.

Gloucester fastener Freddie Thomas replaces Ben Carter, who has been ruled retired because of concussion.

Ospreys duo Reuben Morgan-Williams and Keelan Giles, and Dragons prop Chris Coleman, could make their world debuts from nan replacements bench.

Faletau's absence is simply a awesome rustle arsenic he is Wales' astir knowledgeable subordinate and was nan tourists' astir awesome performer successful nan first crippled against Japan.

He near nan section aft 56 minutes successful Kitakyushu successful noticeable discomfort pinch nan aggravated power and humidity troubling nan visitors, though Sherratt confirmed aft nan lucifer Faletau's withdrawal had been tactical.

Wales had said they would let Faletau clip to retrieve earlier deciding connected their line-up, aft nan Cardiff number 8 did not train pinch nan Wales squad connected Tuesday.

"Toby [Taulupe] had a small spot of power stress-related cramping [following nan game]," said Sherratt.

"We decided it was champion Aaron Wainwright starts astatine No 8."

Scarlets backmost statement Taine Plumtree comes onto nan chair alongside Ospreys guardant James Ratti, who played 79 minutes successful Kitakyushu aft coming connected for Carter.

Lock Thomas will make his 2nd Wales commencement erstwhile he packs down alongside Teddy Williams.

Assiratti has not been capable to train overmuch this week truthful his exit from nan squad allows Bath tight-head Griffin to move up from nan bench, while Coleman will get his first sensation of world rugby if he comes connected nan field.

Cardiff skipper Liam Belcher retains his spot successful nan squad aft nan hooker won his first headdress successful Kitakyushu erstwhile he replaced skipper Dewi Lake.

Ospreys fly-half Edwards made 2 replacement appearances against France and Italy nether erstwhile caput coach Warren Gatland during nan 2025 Six Nations pinch Cardiff centre Ben Thomas starting astatine 10 successful Paris and Rome.

Wales interim leader Sherratt has utilized fly-halves Costelow, Gareth Anscombe and Jarrod Evans during his 4 games successful complaint but now selects Edwards for nan first time.

"Dan's trained brilliantly complete nan 3 weeks," said Sherratt,

"He was awesome successful nan Six Nations truthful we want to person a look astatine him."

Edwards, 22, will person a acquainted look erstwhile he links up pinch his nine half-back partner Kieran Hardy, while different Ospreys scrum-half Reuben Morgan-Williams will dream to declare his first headdress from nan bench.

Morgan-Williams' inclusion intends Rhodri Williams drops retired of nan squad, aft nan Dragons scrum-half was an unused replacement past play pinch Hardy playing nan afloat 80 minutes.

The remainder of nan starting backline remains nan aforesaid pinch helping Giles drafted successful for Scarlets centre Joe Roberts connected nan bench, arsenic 1 of only 2 backmost replacements.

Giles, 27, could extremity a nine-year hold for an elusive first headdress which started erstwhile he was selected arsenic a 18-year-old for nan circuit to New Zealand successful 2016.

He was an unused replacement successful nan constrictive triumph against Japan successful November 2016 and was besides not capped aft being included for nan travel to play Samoa and Tonga nan pursuing summer.

Following important knee issues and a hamstring problem, Giles was picked for nan summertime circuit of Australia successful 2024 but had to propulsion retired because of injury.

The touring Wales players who person not been progressive successful a match-day squad are uncapped duo Macs Page and Garyn Phillips, Cardiff full-back Cameron Winnett and Dragons hooker Elliot Dee.

Wales will decorativeness a dismal play looking to debar becoming nan first tier 1 rugby federation successful history to suffer 19 successive world defeats.

They person not won a Test lucifer successful 21 months since defeating Georgia successful Nantes during nan World Cup successful October 2023.

Wales' first lucifer conclusion to Japan intends they dropped to an all-time world ranking debased of 14th.

Eddie Jones' Japan broadside are bidding to wrap up a first bid triumph against Wales and make history by winning consecutive matches against tier 1 guidance for nan first time.

Jones has made 5 changes to nan starting broadside including nan action of Toulouse scrum-half Naito Saito who was unavailable for nan first crippled having conscionable been portion of nan Top14 winning side.

Kubota prop Keijiro Tamefusa, number 8 Faulua Makisi, helping Halatoa Vailea and full-back Ichigo Nakakusu are besides named, while Australian-born backmost Sam Greene could make his debut from nan bench.

Japan: Ichigo Nakakusu; Kippei Ishida, Dylan Riley, Shogo Nakano, Halatoa Vailea; Seungsin Lee, Naito Sato; Yota Kamimori, Mamoru Harada, Keijiro Tamefusa, Epineri Uluiviti, Warner Deans, Michael Leitch (capt), Jack Cornelsen, Faulua Makisi.

Replacements: Hayate Era, Sena Kimura, Shuhei Takeuchi, Waisake Raratubua, Ben Gunter, Shinobu Fujiwara, Sam Greene, Kazema Ueda.

Wales: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams; Dan Edwards, Kieran Hardy; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake (capt), Archie Griffin, Freddie Thomas, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Josh Macleod, Aaron Wainwright.

Replacements: Liam Belcher, Gareth Thomas, Chris Coleman, James Ratti, Taine Plumtree, Tommy Reffell, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Keelan Giles.

Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)

Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (RFU), Damian Schneider (UAR)

Television Match Official (TMO): Glenn Newman (NZR).