Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Three times Warren Gatland has dismantled a Wales squad and with the pieces rebuilt a title-winning team.

While Max Boyce's mythical fly-half factory has been consigned to the past, the production line has continued, from 2008, to 2012 and then 2019.

Now aged 60, can Gatland possibly do it a fourth time?

It is fitting then that in the week teen darts sensation Luke Littler made his Premier League debut in Cardiff, Gatland has placed his faith in youth.

This time last year, eight of the Wales starters for the Six Nations were aged over 30, in a team boasting more than 950 caps and led by the country's oldest ever captain in Ken Owens.

This Saturday, Gatland has named a team with an average age of 25 possessing less than half that experience (413 caps) and skippered by Dafydd Jenkins, the youngest captain for 56 years.

The transition began last summer ahead of the World Cup, but has now been accelerated through circumstances out of Gatland's control.

Retirements, injuries and moves to clubs abroad and even the NFL have denied him at least ten players.

The four regions have already had to throw their lot in with young players and now the national side is having to do the same.

Gatland won titles 11 years apart in his first stint. Achieving another would surely be his biggest achievement with Wales.

Martin Johnson
England's World Cup winning captain on BBC One

If you want to be a legitimate team and win against the Irelands and the Frances, you have to win here.

Image source, Getty Images

Finn Russell says Scotland will face a "raw but dangerous" Wales who have "nothing to lose" under a closed roof at the Principality Stadium.

Due to a worsening weather forecast, Scotland changed their mind about the roof remaining open and the fly-half and captain says their Six Nations opener will be played in "one of the best atmospheres in the world".

Having felt its force in the past, Russell is wary of the impact of the passionate home crowd should Wales get off to a flyer on Saturday.

"Wales will be playing with freedom and with nothing to lose," he said.

"We have to lean on our experience, but on the other side they'll be doing the opposite and having a go. It's a very dangerous team.

"When the Welsh boys put that red jersey on they become different to when they are at their clubs. We can't take this Welsh team lightly at all. It's a massive challenge to come down here and win - but an exciting one.

"We have a few new faces on the back of a disappointing World Cup. We have a point to prove - both teams have."

Chris Paterson
Former Scotland international on BBC One

With a lot of these Welsh players being quite inexperienced, Scotland have to put the pressure on.

Probably kick a bit more early on, and try to force errors from the home side.

Image source, Getty Images

For those of you who love stats, facts and quirky bits...

Head-to-head

• Wales have won 13 of their past 16 Six Nations Tests against Scotland.
• However, Scotland's 35-7 victory at Murrayfield in 2023 was their biggest ever against Wales.
• The Scots have lost 11 games in Cardiff since 2002, with nine of those defeats in the Six Nations.

Wales

• Wales have registered one victory from their past eight Six Nations matches, losing the other seven.
• They've lost four Six Nations home Tests in a row, their worst run since the tournament began in 2000.
• They scored the fewest points of any side last year with a total of 84, five fewer than Italy.

Scotland

• Scotland have won their opening Six Nations fixture in each of the past three years.
• The Scots have recorded three wins in five of the past seven Six Nations tournaments, including last year. By contrast, they picked up a hat-trick of wins just once in their initial 17 campaigns.
• They missed just 75 tackles in 2023, with every other nation registering triple figures.
• Gregor Townsend's first Six Nations match in charge was a 34-7 defeat by Wales in Cardiff on the opening weekend of the 2018 tournament.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

What a cracking game we had last night in Colwyn Bay where Wales' Under-20s scored late to edge a thrilling 11-try contest against their Scottish counterparts.

Scotland led through a brace of tries by both Elliot Young and Freddy Douglas, plus a score for Kerr Yule.

But a late yellow card proved costly as Walker Price and Rhodri Lewis wrapped up a bonus-point win for Wales in coach Richard Whiffin's first game in charge.

Price had already scored in the first half while Huw Anderson, Morgan Morse and captain Harri Ackerman also crossed to hand Wales a first victory in the Under-20 Six Nations for two years.

More of the same today please.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Head coach Gregor Townsend said: "We don't talk about why we've struggled in Cardiff in the past but we talk about the record.

"Not many have played throughout those years, although a few played here two years ago when we we didn't perform and produce our best rugby.

"You have defeats and wins in your Test career and the one against Ireland [the 36-14 loss at the 2023 World Cup] is more in our minds than the one two years ago, and certainly those 10 or 20 years before that."

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Head coach Warren Gatland: "We are at home and Scotland haven't won here in Cardiff for a long time. It is a full stadium and we've got a responsibility to go and deliver a performance.

"The enthusiasm of this young group of players has been exceptional over the last few weeks. I am really excited about this group that we've got, building with some youngsters who I think are really going to grow, develop and impress.

"Those young players get out there and learn what it is like to play in front of 75,000 people where things are happening quicker than you would normally experience.

"I think they can go out there with no fear with the way they have prepared."

Andrew Cotter
BBC commentator

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff will present its familiar atmosphere, yet a lot of the faces will be less well-known with Wales losing experienced names to retirement, injury, or an American football dream.

But what a chance for those such as Winnett, just turned 21, who makes his Welsh debut at full-back. And can Sam Costelow make the fly-half jersey his own?

Scotland have their own absentees - they will certainly miss Kinghorn after his knee injury for Toulouse and the game comes a week too soon for joint-captain Darge on the flank, yet the visitors still start as slight favourites.

That is partly down to the struggles of Welsh clubs, but the red jersey has so often galvanised and lifted players whatever their struggles elsewhere. It is just one of the reasons why Scotland haven't won in the Welsh capital for 22 years.

Wales will hope that the Cardiff - or Gatland effect - is enough to carry them to victory again.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

It's not a match at the Principality Stadium without a bit of a roof row.

Much to Warren Gatland's frustration, both teams have to agree on whether to close the roof.

The Wales coach is very much of the 'our stadium, our rules' mindset so he branded Scotland's initial decision to leave the roof open as "disappointing".

However, Gregor Townsend has made a U-turn on that call and the game will now be played indoors with rain falling all day in south Wales.

Scotland captain Finn Russell says the change will not affect his side.

"I was at Racing for five years and they have an indoor stadium so I am pretty used to it," the fly-half said.

"I think the weather conditions have changed over the week so that's why it is now closed.

"It will make for an exciting, fast, free-flowing game of rugby. It will mean it gets slightly greasier inside with the humidity but both sides will have the same conditions."

Image source, SNS

Glasgow Warriors back Kyle Rowe makes his Six Nations debut at full-back in place of knee-injury victim Blair Kinghorn.

Rowe, a 25-year-old former Sevens international, has featured just once for Scotland before, as a replacement on the 2022 tour of Argentina.

His debut lasted only 12 minutes as a damaged ACL resulted in him being sidelined for most of the following year.

He has scored seven tries for Glasgow Warriors this season.

Star fly-half Finn Russell leads the team with co-captain Rory Darge hoping to be available next week as he recovers from a knee problem.

A thigh injury will keep wing Darcy Graham out for at least the opening two Tests.

Former captain Jamie Ritchie retains his place and is joined in the back row by Luke Crosbie and Matt Fagerson.

Props Alec Hepburn and Elliot Millar-Mills are set for debuts from the bench.

Scotland: Rowe, Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe, Russell, White; Schoeman, Turner, Z Fagerson, R Gray, Cummings, Crosbie, Ritchie, M Fagerson.

Replacements: Ashman, Hepburn, Millar-Mills, Skinner, Dempsey, Horne, Healy, Redpath.

Ian Gough
Former Wales international on BBC Radio Wales

Wales have a young squad, a young captain and they don't know what to expect.

They haven't set their expectations too high and the important thing here is a good performance in a big ask against a settled Scotland side.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff full-back Cameron Winnett makes his Wales debut in a side that shows eight changes to their last Test match - the World Cup quarter-final defeat against Argentina four months ago.

Dragons prop Leon Brown and Cardiff flanker James Botham are both recalled for their first Wales starts since July 2021.

Prop Corey Domachowski makes his Six Nations debut, as does fly-half Sam Costelow.

He lines up alongside Scarlets half-back partner Gareth Davies, who is preferred to the in-form Tomos Williams.

George North has been kept out as he recovers from a shoulder injury and is replaced by Ospreys teammate Owen Watkin.

And of course new captain Dafydd Jenkins is partnered by Adam Beard with Will Rowlands not included in the 23-man squad.

Rowlands has not linked up with Wales yet after his wife gave birth to their child.

There are nine Cardiff players in Wales' 23-man squad with five on the replacements' bench, including uncapped flanker Alex Mann.

Wales: Winnett; Dyer, Watkin, Tompkins, Adams; Costelow, G Davies; Domachowski, Elias, Brown, Jenkins (capt), Beard, Botham, Reffell, Wainwright.

Replacements: Dee, Mathias, Assiratti, Teddy Williams, Mann, Tomos Williams, Lloyd, Grady.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Welcome to Cardiff for the final game of the Six Nations opening weekend.

It's been a cracking weekend of rugby so far in Marseille and then Rome.

Now all eyes switch to the Principality Stadium for the 130th meeting between these old rivals.

It's a new-look Wales against a settled Scotland side with two coaches who know all about each other.

Warren Gatland and Gregor Townsend have been on British and Irish Lions tours together as well as opposite sides of this divide.

Wales appear to have little to lose while Scotland have a major score to settle - without a win in Cardiff since 2002.

So who can kick-off their campaign with a win to keep their Triple Crown, Championship and, who knows, Grand Slam hopes alive?

First, let's have a look at the teams.