Wales coach Steve Tandy says handing a start to Louis Rees-Zammit this weekend was a simple decision.
The Bristol wing will make his first appearance in a Wales starting XV since his spell in American football when Japan visit Cardiff on Saturday.
The 24-year-old, who came off the bench against Argentina last Sunday, is one of four personnel changes to Tandy’s side for the second match of the Quilter Nations Series at the Principality Stadium.
Rees-Zammit has tried his luck with NFL outfits Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars since his last Wales start at the 2023 World Cup.
“I think it was pretty straightforward,” Tandy told media, as reported by Wales Online. “We know the quality he brings.
“It’s exciting. He’s been brilliant around the camp. He’s grown as a rugby player, he’s leading really well.
“He was brilliant last week coming off the bench. You can see in the training week what he’s like. He was disappointed not to have one or two tries.”
Injury to captain Jac Morgan has forced changes in the pack with Alex Mann moving to openside flanker and Alan Wainwright starting at blindside.
Leicester’s Olly Cracknell comes into the starting line-up at number eight after making his debut in the 52-28 loss to the Pumas.
Tandy has also rotated his props with Nicky Smith and Archie Griffin coming in for Rhys Carre and Keiron Assiratti, who are among the replacements.
Hooker Dewi Lake takes over as captain from Morgan, who will miss the rest of the autumn programme after dislocating his shoulder in the act of scoring a try.
“It’s a pretty big blow,” said Tandy of Morgan. “At the end of the day, he’s a world-class player and he’s our leader. His performance on the weekend was outstanding.
“You see him in our environment, he’ll be sorely missed. Not just the player, but the man will be missed.”
Morgan faces a lengthy lay-off after confirming he will require surgery. No timescale has yet been put on his return, but there are fears he could miss the start of the Six Nations Championship.
The clash against Japan could have implications for the upcoming draw for the 2027 World Cup with 12th-placed Wales, currently in the second pot of seeds, hoping to stay above Japan in the rankings.
Tandy said: “There’s lots around ranking points on this game, but ultimately as a team we’ve got to focus on ourselves and how we grow as a team. We can’t start worrying on all the things we can’t control.”
