Wales go for Peel

Sale scrum-half gets the nod ahead of Cooper

Last updated: 25th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Wales go for Peel

Peel: Recalled

The level of performance is improving throughout the squad as we spend more and more time together, and we hope to get a little nearer the peak of our powers at the weekend.

Warren Gatland
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Sale scrum-half Dwayne Peel has been recalled to the Wales line-up for Saturday's clash with Australia at the Millennium Stadium.

The inclusion of Peel, at the expense of Gareth Cooper, is the only change in the Wales line-up from the side that beat Argentina 33-16.

Peel gains his second start of the autumn internationals, having worn the No.9 jersey against Samoa before missing out against the Pumas.

Cooper drops out of the squad completely with Martin Roberts providing cover from the bench, while Tom Shanklin, fit again after suffering a broken nose against Samoa, also misses out.

"We were pretty pleased with the performance against Argentina," said head coach Warren Gatland.

"We matched them up-front, our defence held up well and we are starting to show a more clinical edge in attack.

"There is still improvement left in us, and we feel we need to go up a couple more gears if we are to achieve what we want against Australia, but we are coming to the end of the series and the players feel they are starting to get into their stride.

"The level of performance is improving throughout the squad as we spend more and more time together, and we hope to get a little nearer the peak of our powers at the weekend."

Unlucky

Australia will arrive in Cardiff on the back of a miserable run of results. A scrappy win over England was followed by a draw with Ireland and defeat to Scotland.

However, Gatland is refusing to under-estimate the threat posed by the Wallabies.

"The Wallabies were incredibly unlucky last weekend, and they won't want a repeat of that losing experience in Cardiff," he added.

"They may be coming to the end of a long and gruelling tour, but they won't allow themselves to have one eye on that plane back to the Australian summer until they have thrown everything at us.

"They are one of the top three teams in world rugby, and we have no right to expect anything other than the sternest of tests - both physically and mentally - but we feel we are up to it."

Wales: 15 J Hook (Ospreys), 14 L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), 13 J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), 12 J Davies (Scarlets), 11 S Williams (Ospreys), 10 S Jones (Scarlets), 9 D Peel (Sale Sharks), 1 G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), 2 M Rees (Scarlets), 3 P James (Ospreys), 4 A-W Jones (Ospreys), 5 L Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), 6 A Powell (Cardiff Blues), 7 M Williams (Cardiff Blues), 8 R Jones (Ospreys, capt).
Replacements: 16 H Bennett (Ospreys), 17 D Jones (Ospreys), 18 J Thomas (Ospreys), 19 D Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), 20 M Roberts (Scarlets), 21 A Bishop (Ospreys), 22 T James (Cardiff Blues).

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