IRELAND, MEET THE Wales team you’ll face in the 2011 Rugby World Cup quarter-final.
Warren Gatland this morning named a side with four changes from that which booked their place in the last eight.
In-form Leigh Halfpenny gets the nod ahead of James Hook and Lee Byrne at full-back; Hook is fit again after a shoulder injury ruled him out of their last two pool games.
Flanker Dan Lydiate is drafted back in however, having recovered from ankle ligament damage.
Winger Shane Williams, too, returns to the starting XV having worked out a thigh strain
“This is Rugby World Cup quarter-final time, and we had some tough decisions to make with the likes of Dan, Shane and James returning from injury and the side having done so well in their recent absence,” Gatland said earlier.
“But this is the side we have gone with and, as a 22, we believe it is the team which gives us the best chance of winning this game against an Ireland team which not only topped their group, but beat Australia on the way.”
More to follow
Here’s the full line-up: L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues); G North (Scarlets), J Davies (Scarlets), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), S Williams (Ospreys); R Priestland (Scarlets), M Phillips (Bayonne); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), H Bennett (Ospreys), A Jones (Ospreys), L Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), A-W Jones (Ospreys), D Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues, c), T Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).
Replacements: L Burns (Newport Gwent Dragons), P James (Ospreys), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), R Jones (Ospreys), L Williams (Cardiff Blues), J Hook (Perpignan), S Williams (Scarlets).
What do you think of that?
Best of luck to him.
Fair play to him but is an article really necessary. I doubt that the lad wants to make a big public deal of it
@RiskFreeDuck: I can’t see the club going into that much detail on his issues without his input and consent. I would guess that he knew this type of statement would attract attention to him and he is ok with that. A lot of sportspeople are leading the way trying to show that it is nothing to be ashamed of.
Eitherway, best of luck to the lad.
Best of luck to James. My son is a Ball Boy at UCD & said that James was the most pleasant to all of them. A great keeper as well.
Best of luck to him. A very good keeper. hopefully the knuckle draggers don’t let themselves down and give him unwarranted abuse.
Thank you James for your honesty and bravery in highlighting the mental wellbeing that affects many people. Some try and hide and only get dragged into a situation they don’t want or need.
There is no shortage of help for these people and it is no slight on their character if they are accessing this help!
Good luck and thanks James!!