Arabic version: ويلز تختار ثنائياً قوياً في مركزي الوسط لمواجهة اليابان الافتتاحية

According to BBC News, Wales head coach Steve Tandy has selected Max Llewellyn and Eddie James as a powerful centre pairing for Saturday’s Nations Championship match against Japan, which begins at 16:40 GMT.

Gloucester’s Llewellyn, who has 13 Wales caps, will wear number 12 alongside Scarlets player James, who has 11 caps. Llewellyn is 6ft 6in and 16st 12lbs, while James is 6ft 4in and 16st 3lbs, creating one of Wales’ biggest midfield combinations.

Tandy has moved away from selecting a more recognised ball-player at inside centre. Sam Costelow starts at fly-half ahead of Dan Edwards, while Josh Adams, Louis Rees-Zammit and Blair Murray make up the back three. Nicky Smith and Archie Griffin start with captain Dewi Lake, and Dafydd Jenkins returns from a knee injury to partner Ben Carter.

Alex Mann, Jac Morgan and Aaron Wainwright form the back row. Tandy has made seven personnel changes from the Wales side beaten 43-0 by South Africa in July. Nine starters against Japan, including six forwards, play club rugby in England.

“There’s lots of competition for positions within the squad, which is where we want to be,” Tandy said. Wales opened their Nations Championship campaign with a win over Fiji before defeats by Argentina and South Africa. They will host New Zealand and Australia after facing Japan.