Six Nations 2023: Warren Gatland omits veteran Wales trio against Scotland

Alun Wyn Jones, Taulupe Faletau and Justin Tipuric have been left out of Wales' starting team for Saturday's Six Nations visit to Scotland.

Warren Gatland has rung the changes to his pack following last week's heavy defeat by Ireland.

It includes first Wales starts for Exeter Chiefs pair Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza while Tommy Reffell completes a new-look back-row.

Ken Owens, Adam Beard and Jac Morgan are the only forwards kept in.

The backline is unchanged, but the omissions in the pack signal the start of a changing of the guard for Wales.

Having opted for experience in the opening game against Ireland, Gatland is using the trip to Murrayfield to blood new players, with one eye on the World Cup later this year.

"We need to think about what's important in this tournament," said Gatland.

"We lost that first game so we can't win the Grand Slam or the Triple Crown. We still want to do well in this tournament.

"But we need to think long term as well in the next seven or eight months. We've got a huge disparity between those experienced players with the number of caps they've got and a lot of incredibly talented youngsters with a limited number of caps. We just need to find that balance."

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Former Wales captains Jones and Tipuric have both been omitted completely from the matchday squad, while their Ospreys team-mate Rhys Davies is poised to make his Test debut off the bench.

Dragons tight-head Leon Brown is also among the replacements, and is set for his first Wales appearance since last year's Championship.

Back-row gamble

Christ Tshiunza, Jac Morgan and Tommy Reffell have just 20 caps between them

Faletau will travel to Edinburgh having been dropped to the bench as Gatland gambles on youth as he looks to the long-term future.

The rookie back-row of Tshiunza, 21, Reffell, 23 and Morgan, 23, have just 20 international appearances between them, mostly as replacements, and face a Scotland team that beat England at Twickenham last week.

Gatland said: "We've made changes but tried to keep some continuity with the same backline.

"Wyn [Jones] has been working really hard in the last three weeks in camp and he gets an opportunity.

"Dafydd Jenkins comes into the second-row, looking to the future, and Christ is a great athlete.

"We're looking at options at eight if Toby picks up an injury who's going to cover there, so Jac gets that chance. It could have been someone like Aaron Wainwright as well."

Prop Gareth Thomas is dropped while Tomas Francis is ruled out with the calf injury he picked up during the first half of the 34-10 defeat by Ireland in Cardiff.

Alun Wyn Jones, the world record cap-holder, had initially been ruled out, but was available for selection after medics said he suffered a blow to the neck, rather than head.

"We spoke to Alun Wyn before the campaign about not playing all the games as we need to see some of the youngsters in that position where we've got some talent, but they're young and inexperienced," added Gatland.

"I was delighted with the players after we named the team. There were changes but the rest of the boys were brilliant in terms of congratulating people. To me, that was a real positive in the squad."

George North has been passed fit after picking up a couple of knocks against Ireland while Liam Williams, a try-scorer against Ireland as a late replacement for Leigh Halfpenny, holds onto the jersey in an unchanged back line.

Scarlets fly-half Rhys Patchell is included on the replacements bench instead of Owen Williams.

However, Gatland says Wales must find a clinical edge as well as improve their discipline against Scotland.

He said: "We've tried to focus on the positives and the things that we can address ourselves. We created opportunities last week but weren't clinical enough [and] we need to start better.

"We gave away some stupid penalties and unforced penalties when we weren't really under a lot of pressure so that's again been an area we've spoken about.

"Scotland have experience in that squad, so it's going to be a good test of the improvements that we can make from last week."

Wales: L Williams; Adams, North, Hawkins, Dyer; Biggar, T Williams; W Jones, Owens (capt), Lewis, Jenkins, Beard, Tshiunza, Reffell, Morgan.

Replacements: Baldwin, Carre, Brown, Davies, Faletau, Webb, Patchell, Cuthbert.

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