Matt Sherratt. Alamy Stock Photo

Matt Sherratt names unchanged Wales side, Darcy Graham returns for Scotland

Wales will field the same XV for the first time since the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

WALES’ INTERIM HEAD coach Matt Sherratt has named an unchanged team for the Guinness Six Nations clash against Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Sherratt has predictably retained the starting line-up that gave title favourites Ireland a major scare in Cardiff 12 days ago.

It is the first time since 2019 and World Cup games against Georgia and Australia in Japan that Wales have fielded the same XV.

Two switches among the replacements see returns for former captain Dewi Lake, who was recently recalled to the squad after recovering from biceps surgery, and Cardiff prop Keiron Assiratti.

Lake, Wales skipper in Australia last summer and throughout this season’s Autumn Nations Series, takes over from Evan Lloyd and will provide hooking cover for Elliot Dee, with Assiratti chosen instead of Henry Thomas.

Darcy Graham is back in Scotland’s starting XV. The Edinburgh wing missed the 16-15 defeat against England last time out after suffering a concussion in the home defeat to Ireland almost four weeks ago.

Graham passed his HIA before the match at Allianz Stadium on 22 February but Scotland coaches and medics opted to take a precautionary approach and give him more time to ensure he was fully recovered given the severity of his collision with team-mate Finn Russell.

Having trained this week, the 27-year-old – Scotland’s second-highest try-scorer of all-time – has been selected to start against Wales in place of Kyle Rowe in the only change to the side that started the Calcutta Cup match.

Head coach Gregor Townsend reverts to a 5-3 bench after going with a 6-2 split against England, with forward Sam Skinner and back Jamie Dobie dropping out of the 23, and scrum-half George Horne joining Rowe on the bench.

Scotland, aiming to recover from back-to-back championship defeats against Ireland and England, are aiming to make it three wins in a row over Wales for the first time in the Six Nations era.

Scotland:

  • 15. Blair Kinghorn
  • 14. Darcy Graham
  • 13. Huw Jones
  • 12. Tom Jordan
  • 11. Duhan van der Merwe
  • 10. Finn Russell (co-capt)
  • 9. Ben White
  • 1. Pierre Schoeman
  • 2. Dave Cherry
  • 3. Zander Fagerson
  • 4. Jonny Gray
  • 5. Grant Gilchrist
  • 6. Jamie Ritchie
  • 7. Rory Darge (co-capt)
  • 8. Jack Dempsey

Replacements:

  • 16. Ewan Ashman
  • 17. Rory Sutherland
  • 18. Will Hurd
  • 19. Gregor Brown
  • 20. Matt Fagerson
  • 21. George Horne
  • 22. Stafford McDowall
  • 23. Kyle Rowe

Wales:

  • 15. Blair Murray
  • 14. Tom Rogers
  • 13. Max Llewellyn
  • 12. Ben Thomas
  • 11. Ellis Mee
  • 10. Gareth Anscombe
  • 9. Tomos Williams
  • 1. Nicky Smith
  • 2. Elliot Dee
  • 3. WillGriff John
  • 4. Will Rowlands
  • 5. Dafydd Jenkins
  • 6. Jac Morgan (capt) 
  • 7. Tommy Reffell
  • 8. Taulupe Faletau 

Replacements:

  • 16. Dewi Lake
  • 17. Gareth Thomas
  • 18. Keiron Assiratti
  • 19. Teddy Williams
  • 20. Aaron Wainwright
  • 21. Rhodri Williams
  • 22. Jarrod Evans
  • 23. Joe Roberts
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