Warren Gatland has made wholesale changes for Saturday's match in Rome As reported by Sportsmail, Thomas Young will also come in for Six Nations bow
By Will Kelleher For The Daily Mail
Published: 22:34 GMT, 7 February 2019 | Updated: 22:34 GMT, 7 February 2019
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Warren Gatland does not think making 10 changes for Italy is a gamble for Wales, as he rolled the dice having trained a drop-kick away from Monte Carlo this week.
Wales have trained in Nice since their opening-day miracle win in Paris last Friday and from that game to this, the head coach has shuffled his pack.
He will be hoping Thomas Young, Aaron Wainwright, Aled Davies and Jonah Holmes — all on their first Six Nations starts — will come up trumps against Italy.
Jonathan Davies will captain a much-changed Wales XV for the Italy Six Nations match
And having been criticised for making 10 changes for the 38-14 win which started Wales’ 10-match unbeaten run last year, Gatland is not worried about perceptions that his selections disrespect Conor O’Shea’s side.
'I've never been a person who has worried about external influences,' he said.
'People can say, write or imply whatever they like. It doesn't change the fact that we've been put into a role to make what we think are the best decisions.
'I thought we answered that criticism emphatically last year with the performance.
'It's a challenge this year, making changes. Guys have got to go out there and prove themselves.
Wasps star Thomas Young is also poised to make his Six Nations bow this Saturday
WALES: L Williams; Holmes, J Davies (c), Watkin, Adams; Biggar, A Davies; Smith, Dee, Lee, Ball, Beard, Wainwright, T Young, Navidi.
Replacements: Elias, W Jones, Lewis, AW Jones, Moriarty, G Davies, Anscombe, Amos.
ITALY: Hayward; Padovani, Campagnaro, Morisi, Esposito; Allan, Palazzani; Quaglio, Ghiraldini, Ferrari, Sisi, Budd, Negri, Steyn, Parisse.
Replacements: Bigi,
