Match: Wales v Argentina
Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Date: Sunday 9 November
Kick-off: 15:10 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and live text on BBC Sport online
Wales head coach Steve Tandy has named Rhys Carre in the starting front row for Sunday’s Autumn Nations Series opener against Argentina, with Louis Rees-Zammit back in the matchday 23 on the bench. Uncapped Leicester number eight Olly Cracknell is also among the replacements.
Carre, the 27-year-old Saracens loose-head, starts an international for the first time since 2023 after being recalled by Tandy. He left Cardiff for Saracens last year and had previously been ineligible under the Welsh Rugby Union’s selection policy for players based outside Wales because he had fewer than the required cap threshold. Tandy said that eligibility factors did not drive his decision and has named Carre ahead of Nicky Smith, who is on the bench.
Tandy has made seven changes from the side that beat Japan in July to end an 18-match losing run. Alongside Carre, changes include Keiron Assiratti in the front row, locks Adam Beard and Dafydd Jenkins returning, centre Max Llewellyn back in the midfield, and British and Irish Lions pair Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams returning to the matchday 23. Tandy described it as a “real privilege” to announce his first Wales matchday 23 and urged the squad to enjoy representing the country and express themselves on the field.
The starting front row is Carre, Ospreys hooker Dewi Lake and Cardiff prop Assiratti. Beard and Jenkins form the second row. The back row sees Lions captain Jac Morgan alongside Cardiff flanker Alex Mann and Dragons number eight Aaron Wainwright.
Replacements include Liam Belcher, Nicky Smith, Archie Griffin, Freddie Thomas, Olly Cracknell, Kieran Hardy, Jarrod Evans and Louis Rees-Zammit.
Rees-Zammit returns to a Wales squad for the first time since the World Cup quarter-final defeat by Argentina in October 2023. The 24-year-old wing spent time with NFL practice squads in the United States before returning to rugby and signing for Bristol in August. He has not played since sustaining a toe injury against Saracens on 4 October but has been cleared to be part of the matchday 23.
Wales’ starting back three for the Argentina match is Blair Murray, Tom Rogers and Josh Adams. Gloucester centre Max Llewellyn pairs with Cardiff’s Ben Thomas in midfield. At half-back, Edwards retains the fly-half role and is partnered by Lions scrum-half Tomos Williams. Jarrod Evans and Kieran Hardy are the half-back replacements.
This Argentina fixture is the first of four November internationals for Wales, with Japan, New Zealand and South Africa to follow.
Wales team:
Murray; Rogers, Llewellyn, B Thomas, Adams; Edwards, T Williams; Carre, Lake, Assiratti, D Jenkins, Beard, Mann, Morgan (capt), Wainwright.
Replacements: Belcher, Smith, Griffin, F Thomas, Cracknell, Hardy, J Evans, Rees-Zammit.
