Johnny McNicholl set for Wales’ Six Nations debut in opener against Italy

Johnny McNicholl, the 29-year old New Zealander who qualified for champions Wales last year after spending three seasons with the Scarlets, will make his international debut on Saturday in the Six Nations opener against Italy at the Principality Stadium.

The wing is the only uncapped player in the starting team and he gets his opportunity, after impressing the new Wales head coach Wayne Pivac in the victory over the Barbarians last month, because George North has been redeployed with the outside-centre Jonathan Davies absent for the whole campaign.

The other two major selection debates were at scrum-half where Tomos Williams starts in place of the injured Gareth Davies, who was one of Wales’s stand-outs during the World Cup, with the available again Rhys Webb on the bench, and in the back row where the fit again Taulupe Faletau returns in place of Josh Navidi, who has a hamstring strain.

Navidi is Wales’s most effective player over the ball and that responsibility will pass to Aaron Wainwright, a 22-year who came of age in the World Cup and starts at blind-side flanker. Faletau, who missed last year’s Six Nations and the World Cup because of injury, is picked after making three starts for Bath in his latest comeback. Ross Moriarty is a replacement.

Jake Ball partners the captain Alun Wyn Jones in the second row while the Saracens centre Nick Tompkins, who is the only other uncapped player in the 23, is on the bench for Pivac’s first competitive match since succeeding Warren Gatland.

“I am really happy with the side,” said Pivac, who resisted any temptation to blood the 18-year old Gloucester wing Louis Rees-Zammit. “It is a great opportunity for Johnny who played really well against the Barbarians and we have been impressed by George in the centre in training. Five players were not quite ready for selection but the whole team has a great vibe.”

L Halfpenny (Scarlets); J McNicholl (Scarlets), G North (Ospreys), H Parkes (Scarlets), J Adams (Cardiff Blues); D Biggar (Northampton), T Williams (Cardiff Blues); W Jones (Scarlets), K Owens (Scarlets), D Lewis (Cardiff Blues), J Ball (Scarlets), A W Jones (Ospreys, capt), A Wainwright (Dragons), J Tipuric (Ospreys), T Faletau (Bath).

Replacements: R Elias (Scarlets), R Evans (Scarlets), L Brown (Dragons), C Hill (Dragons), R Moriarty (Dragons), R Webb (Toulon), J Evans (Cardiff Blues), N Tompkins (Saracens)

source: theguardian.com