Navidi gets the nod as captain to face Ireland
JOSH Navidi looks set to captain Wales for the first time in their third World Cup warm-up clash with Ireland at Principality Stadium on Saturday.
Head coach Warren Gatland is also poised to hand Test debuts to uncapped duo Rhys Carre and Owen Lane with Jarrod Evans getting a run out in the flyhalf jersey.
The Rugby Paper understands Gatland will select an experimental side with it being the last chance for many fringe players to impress before he confirms his final World Cup squad.
Gatland will announce his 31-man party for the tournament in Japan on Sunday, just 24 hours after the Ireland game.
It means the likes of Hallam Amos, Steffan Evans, Owen Watkin, Scott Williams and Bradley Davies will all get a lastgasp chance to prove their worth.
Gatland had long planned to use the home Ireland clash as a chance to run the rule over his whole squad and he could make up to 14 changes from the team which beat England 13-6.
Navidi is poised to skipper the side from No.8 after recovering from elbow and hamstring injuries to make an impressive cameo off the bench against England.
He is set to be joined in the pack by props Carre and Samson Lee, hooker Ryan Elias, and flanker Aaron Shingler.
Despite fears his World Cup hopes may have evaporated after he came off early with concussion against England, James Davies is expected to get another chance at openside.
Jake Ball is set to be the only player to retain his place alongside Bradley Davies at lock.
Behind the scrum Scott Williams will play his first Test match since facing Argentina last June after missing the Six Nations with a back injury.
The 28-year-old will link up with his Ospreys midfield partner Watkin with Steffan Evans and Amos alongside Lane in the back three.
Jarrod Evans will make his first Test start at No.10 alongside scrum-half Aled Davies.
Gatland has previously stated both he and Ireland coach Joe Schmidt had agreed to play weakened sides for this fixture with stronger outfits expected when Wales travel to Dublin on September 7.
POSSIBLE WALES XV TO FACE IRELAND: Amos; Lane, Watkin, Williams, S Evans; J Evans, A Davies; Carre, Elias, Lee, Ball, B Davies, Shingler, J Davies, Navidi (capt).