Charteris to captain Wales against Chiefs

13 June 2016, 12:00AM

Lock Luke Charteris will captain Wales for the first time when the tourists play two-time Super Rugby champions the Chiefs at Hamilton on Tuesday.

Charteris, who has played 66 tests, will lead a team which contains only a handful of players who took part in Saturday's first test against New Zealand which was won 39-21 by the All Blacks.

Ellis Jenkins, who made his test debut at Eden Park two days ago, will start at flanker in a backrow combination with Josh Turnbull and James King.

The front row of Rob Evans, Scott Baldwin and Tomas Francis featured in all of Wales' matches in the 2016 Six Nations tournament.

Jenkins, Baldwin, Evans, Francis, lock Jake Ball, scrumhalf Gareth Davies, winger Ross Williams and New Zealand-born utility Gareth Anscombe were all on the bench in Saturday's test match. Anscombe played 27 Super Rugby matches for the Chiefs before moving to Britain where he qualified to play for Wales through his Cardiff-born mother.

Flanker Ross Moriarty, who was a member of Wales' starting lineup in Auckland, has been named on the bench.

"Tuesday is a huge opportunity for these players, they have trained hard and are ready to get game time under their belts" coach Warren Gatland said.

"Coming all the way to New Zealand it was important we had a big enough squad for the three tests but also to provide game time for the players on tour and this match gives the players a chance to stake their claim for the final two tests against the All Blacks."

Meanwhile, New Zealand's 2011 Rugby World Cup hero, flyhalf Stephen Donald, will lead an under-strength Chiefs lineup. The Chiefs, who are currently in second place on the Super Rugby table, will be without all eight of their All Blacks regulars.

Donald, who kicked the winning penalty in the 2011 World Cup final against France, has played only 35 minutes on Super Rugby this season and said his appointment to the captaincy was a surprise.

"It's just a huge honor and a huge surprise," Donald said. "It's something I didn't see coming."

"I think the boys will start laughing if I tried to say anything inspirational so no, I won't be saying too much."

Flanker Mitchell Brown will play his first match for the Chiefs while fellow backrower Lachlan Boshier will make his first starting appearance.

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Lineups:

Wales: Matthew Morgan, Eli Walker, Tyler Morgan, Scott Williams, Tom James, Rhys Priestland, Gareth Davies, James King, Ellis Jenkins, Josh Turnbull, Luke Charteris (captain), Jake Ball, Tomas Francis, Scott Baldwin, Rob Evans.

Reserves: Kristian Dacey, Aaron Jarvis, Rhodri Jones, Bradley Davies, Ross Moriarty, Aled Davies, Gareth Anscombe, Rhys Patchell.

Chiefs: James Lowe, Toni Pulu, Anton Lienert-Brown, Andrew Horrell, Sam Vaka, Stephen Donald (captain), Brad Weber, Tom Sanders, Lachlan Boshier, Mitchell Brown, Michael Allardice, Dominic Bird, Hiroshi Yamashita, Rhys Marshall, Mitchell Graham.

Reserves: Hika Elliot, Siegfried Fisi'ihoi, Atu Moli, Taleni Seu, Tevita Koloamatangi, Kayne Hammington, Sam McNicol, Latu Vaeno.

13 June 2016, 12:00AM
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