WELSH KEEPING UP WITH JONESES

WARREN GATLAND may have arrived in Melbourne ahead of Wales’ second Test against Australia tomorrow but interim coach Rob Howley is still picking the team — and will do so for the remainder of the tour. Left to his own devices, Howley’s grand plan to take the series to a Sydney decider is to call for back-up in the shape of the Joneses — lock Alun-Wyn and No 8 Ryan. Along with hooker Matthew Rees, the three changes to the pack bring nearly 200 caps with them and plenty of old-school guile to toughen up a side that was not ‘streetwise’ enough to win the first Test. Howley (above) is hoping their inclusion will bring the urgency so sorely missed in the early stages last weekend. Ospreys centre Ashley Beck — described as the form player of the year by Howley — comes into the midfield for only his second Test in place of Scott Williams. Captain Sam Warburton believes the experience coming into the pack will help Wales in the battle of the breakdown and to marshal the nuisance of David Pocock. ‘Ryan is one of the most streetwise players I’ve played against,’ said Warburton. ‘He will help us at the breakdown. He, Alun-Wyn and Matthew [Rees] bring a wealth of experience with them.’ Meanwhile, England coach Stuart Lancaster yesterday rejected suggestions that his overhaul of the England back line was a ‘radical’ gamble, after confirming the recall of Toby Flood in place of Owen Farrell and a full Test debut for Jonathan Joseph at Ellis Park tomorrow. The No 10 shirt has been passed from off-colour Saracens rookie Farrell to Flood of Leicester, the most-capped player in England’s touring squad, for the second encounter with the Springboks. Further changes behind the scrum see Manu Tuilagi shift to inside centre to form a new midfield partnership with London Irish sensation Jonathan Joseph, while David Strettle returns to the starting XV on the wing. ‘I’ve never been afraid to trust my instincts and trust the instincts of the other coaches,’ said Lancaster. ‘If you’d sat down at the end of the World Cup and tried to pick the team that would play against Scotland [in the Six Nations] most people would have said, “That is a pretty radical selection”. We have never been afraid to do that if we are confident in the players.’

WALES: L Halfpenny; A Cuthbert, J Davies, A Beck, G North; R Priestland, M Phillips; G Jenkins, M Rees, A Jones, B Davies, AW Jones, D Lydiate, R Jones, S Warburton.

ENGLAND: B Foden; C Ashton, J Joseph, M Tuilagi, D Strettle; T Flood, B Youngs; J Marler, D Hartley, D Cole; M Botha, G Parling; T Johnson, B Morgan, C Robshaw (capt).