Wales name Winnett and Botham to face Australia

Men’s world friendly: Australia v Wales

Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne Date: Saturday, 13 July Kick off: 10:45 BST

Coverage: Listen connected BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru, BBC Sounds, nan BBC Sport website and app, positive unrecorded matter commentary, followed by study and guidance connected nan BBC Sport website and app.

Full-back Cameron Winnett and flanker James Botham will switch nan injured Josh Hathaway and Aaron Wainwright for nan 2nd Test against Australia successful Melbourne.

Head coach Warren Gatland has made 2 unit changes and 2 further position alterations from nan broadside that mislaid 25-16 in nan first Test successful Sydney.

Full-back Liam Williams switches to wing, pinch flanker Taine Plumtree slotting successful astatine number eight.

Botham comes into nan backmost statement astatine blind-side flanker, pinch Cardiff number 8 Mackenzie Martin promoted to nan replacements bench.

Plumtree's only commencement astatine number 8 this play was for Wales successful a World Cup warm-up crippled against England astatine Twickenham successful August 2023.

Wainwright suffered his hamstring injury successful nan last infinitesimal aft his outstanding show successful his 50th cap.

Wing Hathaway has besides been ruled retired because of an elbow wounded pinch Williams switching positions and Winnett fixed nan full-back role.

Williams and loose-head prop Gareth Thomas are fresh aft limping disconnected past weekend, but tight-head prop Dillon Lewis and fastener Ben Carter are still missing.

Ben Thomas retains his starting spot astatine fly-half pinch Sam Costelow again nan backmost up connected nan bench.

The conclusion successful Sydney was Wales' eighth world nonaccomplishment connected nan bounce and they person not won a Test lucifer since beating 2023 World Cup pool-stage opponents Georgia past October.

Wales person besides slipped to 11th successful nan world rankings, their lowest ever position.

Another conclusion against Australia would time off Wales 1 short of their worst Test run, a 10-game series from 2002 to 2003 nether New Zealander Steve Hansen.

Gatland has a 30% occurrence complaint during his 2nd stint arsenic Wales boss, pinch six wins and 14 defeats successful 20 internationals since he took complete from Wayne Pivac earlier nan 2023 Six Nations.

"We're looking guardant to getting backmost retired connected nan transportation this play successful Melbourne," said Gatland.

"This week we've been going done our processes, building connected what worked good and sharpening nan areas that request improvement.

"We expect Australia to spell up different level this play and we cognize we request to arsenic well.

"We want to commencement good and make judge we are disciplined and meticulous from nan off.

"Then it's astir keeping successful nan arm-wrestle for nan duration."

Wales v Australia: Cameron Winnett; Liam Williams, Owen Watkin, Mason Grady, Rio Dyer; Ben Thomas, Ellis Bevan; Gareth Thomas, Dewi Lake (capt), Archie Griffin, Christ Tshiunza, Dafydd Jenkins, James Botham, Tommy Reffell, Taine Plumtree.

Replacements: Evan Lloyd, Kemsley Mathias, Harri O'Connor, Cory Hill, Mackenzie Martin, Kieran Hardy, Sam Costelow, Nick Tompkins.