Gatland announces Welsh team for Six Nations Opener

The Kiwi coach understands the importance of Wales’ Six Nations opener against Ireland in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin on Sunday.

Now the Cardiff Blues flyer, Wales’ form wing this season with George North struggling to get his hands on the ball and Alex Cuthbert not quite the player he was, is once more back in the starting line-up.

Evans is joined in the front-row by Scott Baldwin and Samson Lee and Luke Charteris and Alun Wyn Jones continue their second row partnership.

Gatland said: “We have been impressed with Tom James’ form for Cardiff Blues, and we are excited by the mix of the back row which has played well together before”.

“You always want to play for Wales but the first season when I went to Exeter I didn’t really think about it”.

“He has come back, and his form for the Blues has been outstanding, so he has been selected on merit”.

“He was unlucky not to be involved in the World Cup because of his injuries and his opportunity to come back into the Welsh team”.

Former Whitland RFC product Jonathan Davies returns to the side from injury for the first time since last year’s Six Nations and he is named alongside Jamie Roberts in midfield to reform Wales’ most capped centre pairing.

Replacements: Ken Owens (Scarlets), Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Bradley Davies (Wasps), Dan Lydiate (Ospreys), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues), Rhys Priestland (Bath Rugby), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues).

But there is no place in the match-day 23 for full-back Liam Williams, despite him playing 60 minutes for the Scarlets last Saturday as he returns to fitness following a foot injury. Lock Bradley Davies will win his 50th cap if he comes off the bench.

Davies is hoping to see more attacking threats from Wales over the course of the tournament, saying: “The defence is very solid, but looking at the World Cup, that (in attack) is where we need to develop our game”.

“It’s very experienced along with one eye looking to the future”.

“Rob (Evans) gets a start at loosehead”.

Gareth Davies starts at scrum-half, while Rob Evans is selected at loose-head.

And 28-year-old James’ impressive consistency in Blues colours this season means he features for his country for the first time since November 2010, when Wales lost 37-25 to New Zealand in Cardiff.

“It’s great to see Jonathan [Davies] back and alongside Jamie [Roberts], which makes a pretty experienced midfield”.

Ireland and Wales shared the last four championships between them, so it promises to be a big one in Dublin. I was told I was going to be a big part of the game.

‘Ireland have won the championship in the last two years, and we respect them tremendously as a team.

Gatland admitted that the appointment of French referee Jerome Garces, who repeatedly penalised prop Jenkins in two games against England a year ago, had affected his front-row thinking.

‘Young men make mistakes in life and do things they regret, ‘ said Gatland.

He criticised team-mate Mark Jones, who was handed the starting jersey, and said at the time: ‘I thought it was rubbish.