Ospreys prop Aaron Jarvis is set to make his Wales debut against
renowned scrummagers Argentina at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on
Saturday after replacing injured set-piece anchorman Adam Jones.
Wales interim head coach Rob Howley, in charge now Warren Gatland is
overseeing the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, also
sprung a surprise by selecting Tavis Knoyle at scrum-half instead of
Mike Phillips.
However, Phillips, whose career has been blighted by several unsavoury
incidents away from the game, was suspended by French club Bayonne
earlier this season for his "intolerable behaviour off the pitch".
In the back-row Josh Turnbull starts at blindside flanker in the absence through injury of both Dan Lydiate and Ryan Jones.
Scarlets centre Jonathan Davies has also been sidelined, so club colleague Scott Williams partners Jamie Roberts in midfield.
There are seven changes to the team that kicked-off Wales's last match, a
20-19 defeat by Australia in Sydney in June, with Williams, Roberts,
Knoyle, No 8 Toby Faletau, Turnbull, lock Ian Evans and Jarvis all
starting.
The 26-year-old Jarvis was born in Exeter, south-west England but qualifies for Wales through a Welsh grandmother.
He has starred for the Ospreys this season and impressed the Six
Nations' champions coaches during last week's training camp in Poland.
"One or two injuries have forced our hands in certain areas in terms of
selection," said former Wales and Lions scrum-half Howley.
"But the fact that we are still able to field a side packed with Grand
Slam experience shows that we have been able to develop some depth in
recent years.
"There are obvious opportunities for the likes of Aaron, Tavis and Josh
to pull on the jersey against Argentina and try to make it their own.
"We all know how important a good start against the Pumas will be to our November series.
"They will be looking to silence the Millennium Stadium crowd from the
outset and we know we can't afford to let that happen, with a successful
campaign this autumn vital to our ambitions for the future."
Argentina were due to name their side later Tuesday.
Saturday's match is the opening Welsh fixture of a European autumn
series that also sees Howley's men at home to Samoa, world champions New
Zealand and Australia.
Wales are currently sixth in the International Rugby Board's world
rankings but need to move up to fourth if they are to be one of the top
seeds in next month's draw for the 2015 World Cup in England.
Wales
Leigh Halfpenny; Alex Cuthbert, Scott Williams, Jamie Roberts, George
North; Rhys Priestland, Tavis Knoyle; Toby Faletau, Sam Warburton
(capt), Josh Turnbull; Ian Evans, Alun-Wyn Jones; Aaron Jarvis, Matthew
Rees, Gethin Jenkins
Replacements: Richard Hibbard, Ryan Bevington, Paul James, Rob McCusker, Justin Tipuric, Mike Phillips, James Hook, Liam Williams
http://www.supersport.com/rugby/international/news/121106/Wales_to_debut_prop_Jarvis_against_Pumas
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