Wayne Pivac is shorn of (deep breath) Alun Wyn Jones, Taulupe Faletau, Justin Tipuric, Josh Navidi, Ken Owens, Josh Adams, Uilisi Halaholo and Leigh Halfpenny to name a non-exhaustive list of those injured at present.
In the backs, Owen Watkin and Alex Cuthbert return, while the pack sees a debut for Osprey Jac Morgan at 6 and Ross Moriarty replaces Aaron Wainwright at No 8. Centurion-cap man Jonathan Davies returns on the bench.
Gregor Townsend surprisingly makes five changes to the team that beat England. Sam Johnson is jettisoned out of the 12 shirt and the squad entire, replaced by fellow Glasgow Warrior, Sione Tuipulotu. In the pack, there’s an entirely new front row with Pierre Schoeman, Stuart McInally and WP Nel swapping places from the bench with Rory Sutherland, George Turner and Zander Fagerson. Sam Skinner replaces the injured Jamie Ritchie in the back row.
It says much for Scotland’s forwards depth that such changes register a barely negligible drop in quality.
Wales: Liam Williams; Alex Cuthbert, Owen Watkin, Nick Tompkins, Louis Rees-Zammit; Dan Biggar (captain), Tomos Williams; Wyn Jones, Ryan Elias, Tomas Francis, Will Rowlands, Adam Beard, Taine Basham, Jac Morgan, Ross Moriarty.
Replacements: Dewi Lake, Gareth Thomas, Dillon Lewis, Seb Davies, Aaron Wainwright, Gareth Davies, Callum Sheedy, Jonathan Davies.
Scotland: Stuart Hogg (captain); Darcy Graham, Chris Harris, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe; Finn Russell, Ali Price; Pierre Schoeman, Stuart McInally, WP Nel, Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist, Sam Skinner, Hamish Watson, Matt Fagerson.
Replacements: George Turner, Rory Sutherland, Zander Fagerson, Magnus Bradbury, Rory Darge, Ben White, Blair Kinghorn, Cameron Redpath.
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