England v Wales: Dewi Lake captains new Wales side as Joe Roberts handed first cap

Joe Roberts (left) and Dewi Lake (right) are among 15 changes for Wales to face England at Twickenham on Saturday

Hooker Dewi Lake will captain a completely new Wales side to face England at Twickenham with centre Joe Roberts winning his first cap on Saturday.

Warren Gatland has made 15 changes to the team that defeated England 20-9 in Cardiff.

Lake will lead Wales for the first time after taking over the captaincy from Jac Morgan.

Taine Plumtree is handed his first start at number eight.

Plumtree impressed as a replacement in Cardiff last weekend and will be handed a chance in the middle of a back row that also consists of Dan Lydiate and Tommy Reffell.

Prop Kemsley Mathias and centre Keiran Williams are set to make their international debuts off the bench in Saturday's World Cup warm-up match (17:30 BST).

Ospreys fly-half Owen Williams is given a chance after missing the World Cup warm-up camps in Turkey and Switzerland and will partner Tomos Williams at half-back.

New skipper

Dewi Lake's last international was against South Africa in July 2022

Gatland had indicated he would use three different captains for the warm-up matches, with Morgan impressing in his first audition with a man-of-the-match performance.

Lake, 24, has played eight internationals for Wales but missed the 2022 autumn campaign and 2023 Six Nations through injury.

"I've been really impressed with Dewi," said Gatland.

"He's well-respected in the group, he's got a voice and he has confidence about himself and his own ability.

"We're in a bit of transition, so in the back of my mind I was thinking we are building not only for the next few months but also starting to think about what we need to do with the next cycle of players going forwards towards 2027."

Centre stage

Joe Roberts made his Scarlets debut in 2020

Roberts, 23, will partner Nick Tompkins at centre, while Scarlets wing Tom Rogers will be handed only his third international start, two years after his first couple of appearances against Canada and Argentina.

There is a familiar front-five, which features Ospreys quartet Lake, Gareth Thomas, Rhys Davies and Adam Beard. Prop Tomas Francis completes the unit having left Ospreys at the end of last season to join Provence.

"There's an opportunity for another group of players who weren't involved last week," said Gatland.

"There's some great competition within the squad. I was pretty pleased with the team performance and the result last week.

"It wasn't perfect but there's a chance now for this group to go out Saturday and to put down their own marker.

"There's some real competition and perhaps a bit of pressure on this group as well. Then we'll look potentially what the make-up of the team is the following week against South Africa."

50 up for Adams

Josh Adams was the top try scorer at the 2019 World Cup

Rogers will form a back-three with British and Irish Lions duo Liam Williams and Josh Adams, who will win his 50th Wales cap.

"I have a huge amount of respect for Josh," said Gatland.

"I had a chat to him when he came into the squad - I felt he wasn't as sharp as I've seen him in the past and he agreed with that.

"He's worked hard. He's looking sharp in training at the moment; so to get to earn his 50th cap is a fantastic achievement.

"He's been through some adversity - he had to leave Wales to go to the Premiership before we could get him back - but he's come through it and he's a popular member of the group.

"Josh always gives 100% and I'm absolutely delighted for him."

Teddy Williams, Cai Evans, Gareth Anscombe, Alex Cuthbert, Taulupe Faletau and Johnny Williams are the six members of the 48-man squad who will play no part in the first two warm-up matches.

Wales face world champions South Africa in the final warm-up game in Cardiff on 19 August with Gatland due to name his 33-man squad a couple of days later.

Gatland's side open the World Cup campaign against Fiji in Bordeaux on 10 September before further group games against Portugal, Australia and Georgia.

Wales side to face England: L Williams; Adams, Roberts, Tompkins, Rogers; O Williams, T Williams; G Thomas, Lake (capt), Francis, Beard, R Davies, Lydiate, Reffell, Plumtree.

Replacements: Parry, Mathias, Lewis, Tshiunza, Basham, G Davies, Biggar, K Williams.

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