Wales retain same formula

Hook's place on the bench subject to recovery from knee injury

Last updated: 18th November 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Wales retain same formula

Cooper: preferred to Peel

For some of the more senior heads in the side, we know we are looking for outstanding performances from each and every one of them if we are to be able to match the opposition.

Warren Gatland
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Wales have named the same team that was beaten by South Africa for Saturday's Test against New Zealand in Cardiff.

Coach Warren Gatland has opted to stay loyal to the starting XV that went down 20-15 to the Springboks on November 8.

Gareth Cooper and Stephen Jones form the half-back pairing, with scrum-half Cooper having been retained despite Gloucester selecting him in their match-day 22 for Guinness Premiership duty on Sunday after the International Rugby Board ruled that Wales did not have to release him.

Ospreys fly-half James Hook is among the replacements, although that is subject to him recovering from the knee injury that saw him limp off after 18 minutes of last Friday's 34-13 victory over Canada.

Dan Biggar, who came on for his debut against Canada, has been bracketed alongside Hook.

Fitness race

"James Hook has shown signs of improvement in the knee injury that forced his withdrawal against Canada," said Gatland.

"Although he will not train today, we will be looking for him to run out later in the week to prove his fitness.

"If he is not available to us, his Ospreys colleague Dan Biggar will provide fly-half cover from the bench."

There are two confirmed changes on the bench - Blues prop John Yapp comes in for an injured Duncan Jones and Newport Gwent Dragons lock Luke Charteris replaces Ian Gough. Biggar, 19, would represent a third switch.

Wales are looking to end a 55-year, 19-Test winless streak against the All Blacks.

Wales 15 L Byrne (Ospreys), 14 L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), 13 T Shanklin (Cardiff Blues), 12 J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), 11 S Williams (Ospreys), 10 S Jones (Scarlets), 9 G Cooper (Gloucester); 1 G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), 2 M Rees (Scarlets), 3 A Jones (Ospreys), 4 A-W Jones (Ospreys), 5 I Evans (Ospreys), 6 R Jones (Ospreys, capt), 7 M Williams (Cardiff Blues), 8 A Powell (Cardiff Blues)
Replacements: 16 R Hibbard (Ospreys), 17 J Yapp (Cardiff Blues), 18 L Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), 19 D Jones (Scarlets), 20 D Peel (Sale Sharks), 21 J Hook (Ospreys)/D Biggar (Ospreys), 22 A Bishop (Ospreys).