Gabriel Hammer-Webb is set to make his Wales debut in this weekend’s Six Nations clash with Scotland in Cardiff.
Coach Steve Tandy made four changes to the team that lost 54-12 to France last weekend.
Scarlets pair Sam Costelow and Taine Plumtree feature, while Dragons lock Ben Carter features. Adam Beard, Ellis Mee, Dan Edwards and Olly Cracknell were all left out of the squad entirely.
Gloucester lock Freddie Thomas, Cardiff flanker James Botham and Scarlets full-back Blair Murray are called up to the bench.
The most eye-catching announcement is the arrival of 25-year-old Hamer-Webb, who joined the Tigers from Cardiff last summer.
He lines up in a back three alongside Louis Rees-Zammit and Josh Adams as Wales look for improvement after conceding more than 100 runs in their first two games in this year’s competition.
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Wales captain Dewi Lake has heaped praise on Louis Rees-Zammit, who will feature in his first Six Nations in almost three years since returning from football.
“We think this is the best team that can take on Scotland and we want to have a six-day turnaround to add some freshness to the game,” Tandy said.
“Gabe has really impressed me with the way he trains, the way he learns, the way he adapts and the way he adapts to the squad. His training effort has been outstanding.
“And if you look at his background at Leicester, even when he wasn’t in the team everyone said he was an incredible team player. He also kept pushing, never gave up and when the opportunity came at Leicester he took it with both hands and now this opportunity has come and it is well deserved.”
Wales national team against Scotland
Wales starting XV: Louis Rees-Zammit; Gabriel Hammer-Webb, Eddie James, Joe Hawkins, Josh Adams; Sam Costellow, Tomos Williams; Reece Curry, Dewi Lake (captain), Thomas Francis, Daphyd Jenkins, Ben Carter, Thane Plumtree, Alex Mann, Aaron Wainwright.
shift: Ryan Elias, Nicky Smith, Archie Griffin, Freddie Thomas, James Botham, Kieran Hardy, Jared Evans, Blair Murray.
