Six Nations 2024: Cameron Winnett wins first Wales cap against Scotland but George North out

Cameron Winnett played for Wales in the 2023 Under-20s Six Nations tournament

Cardiff full-back Cameron Winnett will make his Wales debut in their Six Nations opener against Scotland on Saturday but centre George North misses out through injury.

North is replaced by Owen Watkin, while there are also recalls for flanker James Botham and prop Leon Brown.

At 21 years and 60 days, Dafydd Jenkins becomes Wales' second-youngest captain.

The lock 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.

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Scarlets fly-half Sam Costelow makes his first Six Nations appearance and partners Gareth Davies, who is preferred to the in-form Tomos Williams.

Prop Gareth Thomas is missing with loose-head Corey Domachowski also making his first Six Nations start.

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

Scotland have not won in Cardiff in 22 years and 11 attempts.

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

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

Fresh face

George North has scored 47 tries for Wales

Wales are searching for a new full-back after Leigh Halfpenny and Liam Williams have dominated the number 15 jersey for more than a decade.

Halfpenny has retired from international rugby while Williams is unavailable because of his Japan club commitments.

Winnett, 21, has impressed this season for his club and was one of five new caps in Gatland's squad.

He suffered a jaw injury in the Champions Cup defeat to Harlequins in mid January which threatened to rule him out of the opening couple of games but has returned to training this week.

"Cameron is a lovely footballer and I think he's going to develop into a quality international player in the future," said Wales head coach Warren Gatland.

"He's young and there'll be no pressure on him. We've been impressed with the way he's trained.

"He's done well in training and following consultation with his surgeon everyone was happy for him to be selected."

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Winnett will line up for only his 16th professional game in a back three alongside wings Josh Adams and Rio Dyer, with Mason Grady on the bench.

The number 10 jersey has also needed to be filled after Dan Biggar's international retirement and injury to Gareth Anscombe.

Costelow has been given the opportunity with Scarlets team-mate Ioan Lloyd back on the international stage for the first time in three years after being named on the bench.

More experience lost

Wales have lost stalwarts Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric, Ken Owens, Taulupe Faletau, Halfpenny, Biggar, Liam Williams and Dan Lydiate, with almost 1,000 caps between them.

There are seven survivors from the side who started the World Cup quarter-final defeat against Argentina in October 2023.

To lose centre North, Wales' third-most capped player of all time, is a big blow.

North, capped 118 times, is just one short of 50 Six Nations appearances and became the only Welshman to play in four World Cup quarter-finals last year.

The 31-year-old suffered the problem during the Ospreys' Challenge Cup victory against Lions on 21 January.

"George got quite a big stinger in terms of his shoulder and didn't take part in full training last week so Owen Watkin comes in," said Gatland.

Wales would have been hoping with so much disruption that the World Cup combination of North and Nick Tompkins would have been one area of continuity.

Tompkins will now be partnered by Ospreys centre Watkin, who last played for Wales in the defeat against Georgia in November 2022. This was the partnership that started Wales' victory against Scotland in Cardiff in 2022.

Three is the magic number

Dragons prop Leon Brown has started three of his 23 internationals for Wales

There was always going to be a fresh face in the Wales number three jersey after the trio of World Cup tight-head props Dillon Lewis, Henry Thomas and Tomas Francis were not included in the squad either through unavailability or not selected.

Dragons prop Brown has been given the nod ahead of Keiron Assiratti for his 24th cap in a front-row with Domachowski and Ryan Elias.

Brown's last start came against Argentina in July 2021 while he had a brief replacement appearance in the Six Nations defeat against Scotland in February 2023.

New captain Jenkins forms a lock partnership with Adam Beard with Teddy Williams providing the back-up with Rowlands absence.

"Will hasn't come into the squad yet," said Gatland.

"His wife had a baby a couple of weeks ago in France and unfortunately there were some complications.

"So the message to him has been you stay home and be with your family. We always talk about how important that is and he'll turn up when he's ready."

With injuries to Jac Morgan, Faletau and Josh Macleod, there was a back row position to fill alongside Aaron Wainwright and Tommy Reffell.

Cardiff flanker Botham has been chosen at blind-side flanker for his first Wales appearance since July 2021 and his first tournament start.

Uncapped Mann is preferred as back-row cover on the bench ahead of Mackenzie Martin and Taine Basham.

There are just 130 caps in the starting front five and 50 internationals between the five forwards on the replacements bench, with hooker Elliot Dee having 46 of those.

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