Boot boy: BBC Man of the Match James Hook
Wales have said ‘same again’ to the side so narrowly defeated by reigning world champions South Africa five days ago for the second round Rugby World Cup 2011 Pool D clash with Samoa at the Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on Sunday (kick-off 3.30pm).
Head coach Warren Gatland and his coaching team have named the same starting XV who claimed a bonus point as they went down 17-16 to the Springboks in Wellington.
One change appears on the bench with 76-times capped British & Irish Lions prop Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues) completing his return from a calf injury to be named in place of Ospreys front row forward Ryan Bevington.
“We were extremely disappointed to lose last week against the Springboks, but we did maintain momentum with aspects of the performance providing a host of positive points to take into Sunday’s match against Samoa,” said Gatland.
“We have re-grouped and the players are looking forward to getting back out on the pitch to largely pick up where they left off last weekend.
“There are one or two areas we know we need to work on but we are looking for much of the same from all involved.
“We could not fault the effort, passion and commitment of the players last week and we have simply said we are looking for the same again against Samoa on Sunday.”
Gatland will take his Wales side to his hometown of Hamilton for the first time during RWC 2011 when they line-up for their ‘Captain’s Run’ at Waikato Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
And the Hamilton-born former Waikato captain and hooker, who made 140 playing appearances for his home province and also coached them to Air New Zealand Cup success in 2006, has called on the Waikato people to get behind his current charges against the popular Samoans.
“Samoa are going to have a lot of support, as will Fiji when we come back to play them in the final game of our Pool, but we are hoping some of the Waikato people will be getting behind Wales as well.
“We played there on our summer tour of New Zealand last year and I told all of the players what to expect then and we all really enjoyed the experience and the welcome we had in Hamilton.
“It is a special atmosphere on match day, it will be very much like coming home for me and we are hoping all the locals bring their Mooloo Bells and ring them for Wales!”
WALES: James Hook; George North, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, Shane Williams; Rhys Priestland, Mike Phillips; Paul James, Huw Bennett, Adam Jones, Luke Charteris, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton (captain), Toby Faletau
REPLACEMENTS: Lloyd Burns, Gethin Jenkins, Bradley Davies, Andy Powell, Tavis Knoyle, Scott Williams, Leigh Halfpenny.
WALES
15 James HOOK (PERPIGNAN – Cap No 1,047)
DoB: 27.06.85. 6’0” / 1.83m. 14st 12lbs / 94kgs
International record: 55 caps (W 23, L 30, D 2; 314 pts – 12T, 40C, 54PG, 4DG)
14 George NORTH (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,078)
DoB: 13.04.92. 6’4” / 1.92m. 16st 5lbs / 104kgs
International record: 9 caps (W 2, L 6, D 1; 30 pts – 6T)
13Jonathan DAVIES (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,066)
DoB:05.04.88. 6’1” / 1.86m. 16st 3lb / 103kgs
International record: 15 caps (W 7, L 8; 10 pts – 2T)
12 Jamie ROBERTS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,057)
DoB: 08.11.86. 6’4” / 1.93m. 17st 5lbs / 110kgs
International record: 33 caps (W 15, L 18; 10 pts – 2T)
11 Shane WILLIAMS (OSPREYS – Cap No 976)
DoB: 26.02.77. 5’7” / 1.71m. 12st 1lb / 77kgs
International record: 82 caps (W 39, L 41, D 2; 270 pts – 54T)
10 Rhys PRIESTLAND (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,080)
DoB: 07.01.87 1.82m / 6’0”. 13st 9lbs / 87kgs
International record: 5 caps (W 2, L 3; 10 pts – 2C, 2PG)
9 Mike PHILLIPS (BAYONNE – Cap No 1,022)
DoB: 29.08.82. 6’3” / 1.91m. 15st 10lb / 101kgs
International record: 55 caps (W 25, L 28, D 2; 30 pts – 6T)
1 Paul JAMES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,021)
DoB: 13.05.82. 6’1” / 1.86m. 18st 2lbs / 115kgs
International record: 27 caps (W 10, L 16, D 1)
2 Huw BENNETT (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,017)
DoB: 11.06.83. 6’0” / 1.83m. 16st 8lbs / 105kgs
International record: 43 caps (W 20, L 22, D 1)
3 Adam JONES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,018)
DoB: 08.03.81. 6’0” / 1.83m. 18st 12lb / 120kgs
International record: 71 caps (W 32, L 36, D 3; 10 pts – 2T)
4 Luke CHARTERIS (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS – Cap No 1,030)
DoB: 09.03.83. 6’9” / 2.06m. 19st 10lbs / 125kgs
International record: 26 caps (W 12, L 14)
5 Alun Wyn JONES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,046)
DoB: 19.09.85. 6’5” / 1.96m. 18st 10lbs / 119kgs
International record: 53 caps (W 21, L 32; 30 pts – 6T)
6 Dan LYDIATE (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS – Cap No 1,071)
DoB: 18.12.87. 1.93m / 6’4”. 17st 10lbs / 112kgs
International record: 15 caps (W 6, L 8, D 1)
7 Sam WARBURTON (CARDIFF BLUES, CAPTAIN – Cap No 1,070)
DoB: 05.10.88. 1.88m / 6’2”. 16st 4lbs / 103kgs
International record: 18 caps (W 8, L 10; 5 pts – 1T)
8 Toby FALETAU (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS – Cap No 1,082)
DoB: 12.11.90. 1.88m / 6’2”. 17st 5lbs / 110kgs
International record: 4 caps (W 1, L 3; 5 pts – 1T)
REPLACEMENTS
16 Lloyd BURNS (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS – Cap No 1,085)
DoB: 09.12.84. 6’0” / 1.83m. 17st 0lbs / 108kgs
International record: 3 caps (W 1, L 2)
17 Gethin JENKINS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,006)
DoB: 17.11.80. 6’2” / 1.88m. 18st 9lbs / 118kgs
International record: 76 caps (W 33, L 41, D 2; 15 pts – 3T)
18 Bradley DAVIES (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,065)
DoB: 09.01.87. 6’6” / 1.98m. 19st 1lbs / 121kgs
International record: 25 caps (W 10, L 14, D 1)
19 Andy POWELL (SALE SHARKS – Cap No 1,061)
DoB: 23.08.81. 6’4” / 1.94m. 18st 0lbs / 114kgs
International record: 18 caps (W 9, L 9; 5 pts – 1T)
20 Tavis KNOYLE (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,076)
DoB: 02.06.90. 6’1” / 1.85m. 14st 5lbs / 91kgs
International record: 5 caps (W 2, L 3)
21 Scott WILLIAMS (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,084)
DoB: 10.10.90. 6’0” / 1.83m. 15st 3lbs / 97kgs
International record: International record: 4 caps (W 2, L 2)
22 Leigh HALFPENNY (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,060)
DoB: 22.12.88. 5’10” / 1.77m. 13st 2lbs / 83kgs
International record: 20 caps (W 8, L 12; 62 pts – 7T, 9PG)