Hansen Makes One Change

Welsh Rugby Union | Club & Community Published 2:41 pm 19th Jun 2003 post

Wales coach Steve Hansen has drafted the Llanelli back row forward Dafydd Jones into his side to face New Zealand at the Telstra Stadium, Hamilton on Saturday night (8.00am kick-off UK time).
Jones is the only change to the starting line-up from the team that lost 30-10 to Australia in Sydney last weekend. He takes over from Jon Thomas, the young Swansea forward who made his debut last weekend and now reverts to the replacements bench in place of Alix Popham.
Jones has not played since he was sent-off in the Heineken Cup quarter-final against Perpignan at Stradey Park on Friday, 11 April. Suspension and injury have combined to keep him on the sidelines for the past two months.
Hansen explained that Jones was first choice to play against Australia, but that injury had kept him out.
‘He wasn’t 100% last week and we didn’t think it was worth risking him. He is a player we rate very highly,’ said Hansen.
‘Jonathan Thomas performed very well for a 20-year-old on his debut, but we want to see how Dafydd goes now that he is fully fit.
‘Just as with the Six Nations tournament, we don’t think this tour is the time to muck around with selections.’

Wales: Rhys Williams (Cardiff); Mark Jones (Llanelli), Jamie Robinson (Cardiff), Mark Taylor (Llanelli), Tom Shanklin (Cardiff); Stephen Jones (Llanelli), Gareth Cooper (Bath); Iestyn Thomas (Llanelli), Robin McBryde (Llanelli), Gethin Jenkins (Pontypridd), Robert Sidoli (Pontypridd), Gareth Llewellyn (Neath), Dafydd Jones (Llanelli), Martyn Williams (Cardiff, captain), Colin Charvis (Swansea).
Replacements: Ben Evans (Cardiff), Mefin Davies (Pontypridd), Chris Wyatt (Llanelli), Jonathan Thomas (Swansea), Dwayne Peel (Llanelli), Gavin Henson (Swansea), Ceri Sweeney (Pontypridd).

New Zealand: Malili Muliaina (Auckland); Doug Howlett (Auckland), Tana Umaga (Wellington), Daniel Carter (Canterbury), Joe Rokocoko (Auckland); Carlos Spencer (Auckland), Steve Devine (Auckland); Carl Hoeft (Canterbury), Keven Mealamu (Auckland), Kees Meeuws (Auckland), Chris Jack (Canterbury), Ali Williams (Auckland), Reuben Thorne (Canterbury, capt), Marty Holah (Waikato), Jerry Collins (Wellington).
Replacements: Caleb Ralph (Canterbury), Aaron Mauger (Canterbury), Byron Kelleher (Otago), Richie McCaw (Canterbury), Brad Thorn (Canterbury), Dave Hewett (Canterbury), Anton Oliver (Otago).