Steve Tandy, head coach of the Wales rugby team, has decisively revamped his squad after a crushing defeat to France, incorporating seven new players into the 23-man lineup for the upcoming clash against Scotland. Notably, four changes have been made to the starting XV, including the Test debut for winger Gabriel Hamer-Webb, as Wales aims to secure their first victory in this year's Six Nations at the Principality Stadium.
The Welsh team, eager to rebound from their initial losses to England and France, sees Sam Costelow stepping in as fly-half alongside scrum-half Tomos Williams. The reshuffled back-row features Taine Plumtree at blindside, Aaron Wainwright at number eight, and Alex Mann taking over at openside. Newcomer Ben Carter joins Dafydd Jenkins in the second row, replacing Adam Beard.
In the front row, stalwarts Tomas Francis, captain Dewi Lake, and Rhys Carre remain unchanged. The bench also gets a refresh with Freddie Thomas, James Botham, and Blair Murray providing backup, alongside the experienced Ryan Elias, Nicky Smith, Archie Griffin, Kieran Hardy, and Jarrod Evans.
"There are some changes to the team this week. We feel this is the best team to take on Scotland and with a six-day turnaround you want some freshness as well going into the game,"
Tandy explained.
Debutant Hamer-Webb is particularly singled out by Tandy for his exceptional training performance and adaptability.
"Gabe has really impressed me in the way he’s attacked training, the way he’s learnt, the way he’s adapted and the way he’s just settled into the squad. His training efforts have been outstanding,"
Tandy remarked, praising the young winger's perseverance and impact during his tenure at Leicester.
As Wales looks forward to rectifying their Six Nations campaign, the spotlight is not just on winning, but on building consistent, back-to-back performances that could steer them closer to the desired outcomes in future games.
Wales team in full Starting XV: 15 Louis Rees-Zammit, 14 Gabriel Hamer-Webb, 13 Eddie James, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Alex Mann, 6 Taine Plumtree, 5 Ben Carter, 4 Dafydd Jenkins, 3 Tomas Francis, 2 Dewi Lake (c), 1 Rhys Carre Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Archie Griffin, 19 Freddie Thomas, 20 James Botham, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Jarrod Evans, 23 Blair Murray Date: Saturday, 21 February, 2026 Kick-off: 16:40 GMT Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU) Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (RFU), Adam Leal (RFU) TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU) FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
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Steve Tandy, head coach of the Wales rugby team, has decisively revamped his squad after a crushing defeat to France, incorporating seven new players into the 23-man lineup for the upcoming clash against Scotland. Notably, four changes have been made to the starting XV, including the Test debut for winger Gabriel Hamer-Webb, as Wales aims to secure their first victory in this year's Six Nations at the Principality Stadium.
The Welsh team, eager to rebound from their initial losses to England and France, sees Sam Costelow stepping in as fly-half alongside scrum-half Tomos Williams. The reshuffled back-row features Taine Plumtree at blindside, Aaron Wainwright at number eight, and Alex Mann taking over at openside. Newcomer Ben Carter joins Dafydd Jenkins in the second row, replacing Adam Beard.
In the front row, stalwarts Tomas Francis, captain Dewi Lake, and Rhys Carre remain unchanged. The bench also gets a refresh with Freddie Thomas, James Botham, and Blair Murray providing backup, alongside the experienced Ryan Elias, Nicky Smith, Archie Griffin, Kieran Hardy, and Jarrod Evans.
"There are some changes to the team this week. We feel this is the best team to take on Scotland and with a six-day turnaround you want some freshness as well going into the game,"
Tandy explained.Debutant Hamer-Webb is particularly singled out by Tandy for his exceptional training performance and adaptability.
"Gabe has really impressed me in the way he’s attacked training, the way he’s learnt, the way he’s adapted and the way he’s just settled into the squad. His training efforts have been outstanding,"
Tandy remarked, praising the young winger's perseverance and impact during his tenure at Leicester.As Wales looks forward to rectifying their Six Nations campaign, the spotlight is not just on winning, but on building consistent, back-to-back performances that could steer them closer to the desired outcomes in future games.
Wales team in full
Starting XV: 15 Louis Rees-Zammit, 14 Gabriel Hamer-Webb, 13 Eddie James, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Alex Mann, 6 Taine Plumtree, 5 Ben Carter, 4 Dafydd Jenkins, 3 Tomas Francis, 2 Dewi Lake (c), 1 Rhys Carre
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Archie Griffin, 19 Freddie Thomas, 20 James Botham, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Jarrod Evans, 23 Blair Murray
Date: Saturday, 21 February, 2026
Kick-off: 16:40 GMT
Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (RFU), Adam Leal (RFU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)