Wales U21 emulated the senior side by winning the Grand Slam last season, with Czekaj a key member of the squad. In the opening round he bagged a brace of tries against England at the team’s new home this season – Rodney Parade – to set the side on their way to the title.
Neath No.8 Tom Smith will captain the side as he makes his seventh appearance for Wales at this level. There are five new caps in the side – Llanelli flyer Darren Daniel on the right wing, Neath points-machine James Hook at outside-half, Llanelli scrum-half Liam Davies, Worcester’s backrow giant Craig Everett and Cardiff’s highly rated loosehead prop Rhys Gill.
There are also five uncapped players on the bench – Craig Mitchell (Neath), Ian Jones (Llanelli), Will Jones (Newport), Ben Lewis (Swansea) and Martin Roberts (Neath).
Wales U21 v England
15 JAMIE ROBERTS CARDIFF / BLUES ACADEMY
*14 DARREN DANIEL LLANELLI / SCARLETS ACADEMY
13 ANDREW BISHOP OSPREYS
12 DAFYDD HEWITT CARDIFF / BLUES ACADEMY
11 CHRIS CZEKAJ CARDIFF BLUES
*10 JAMES HOOK NEATH / OSPREYS ACADEMY
*09 LIAM DAVIES LLANELLI / SCARLETS ACADEMY
08 TOM SMITH (CAPTAIN) NEATH
07 RHYS SHELLARD PONTYPRIDD / BLUES ACADEMY
*06 CRAIG EVERETT WORCESTER ACADEMY
05 DOMINIC DAY CARMARTHEN QUINS / SCARLETS ACADEMY
04 ALUN WYN JONES SWANSEA / OSPREYS ACADEMY
03 PHIL OSBORNE NEWPORT / DRAGONS ACADEMY
02 DUANE GOODFEILD PONTYPRIDD / BLUES ACADEMY
*01 RHYS GILL CARDIFF / BLUES ACADEMY
16 ED SHERVINGTON NEATH
*17 CRAIG MITCHELL NEATH / OSPREYS ACADEMY
*18 IAN JONES LLANELLI / SCARLETS ACADEMY
*19 WILL JONES NEWPORT / DRAGONS ACADEMY
*20 BEN LEWIS SWANSEA
21 ALED THOMAS NEWPORT / DRAGONS ACADEMY
*22 MARTIN ROBERTS NEATH / OSPREYS ACADEMY
* New Cap at U21 Level
