Wales v Barbarians: Teams
Gavin Henson starts at centre against a Barbarians team that contains Welshmen Martyn Williams and Iestyn Thomas.
Last Updated: 02/06/11 2:23pm
Gavin Henson will have the chance to stake his claim for a World Cup place after being recalled by Wales to face Barbarians on Saturday.
The 29-year-old is currently without a club after failing to secure a new contract with Toulon, but will start at inside centre in his first match for Wales since the 2009 RBS 6 Nations.
The former Ospreys star had brief stints with Saracens and Toulon this season, his first competitive rugby since entering a self-imposed exile of more than 18 months from the game following repeated injury setbacks.
He has never played in a World Cup, and Saturday's Millennium Stadium encounter starts Wales' pre-tournament preparations, which continue with August fixtures against England (twice) and Argentina.
Opportunity
"It is an opportunity for players like Gavin to do his talking on the rugby pitch," said coach Warren Gatland.
"We have Andrew Bishop, Jamie Roberts, Jonathan Davies and now Scott Williams, but we need depth, and hopefully Gavin does well and he puts some pressure on the established guys.
"He tells us it's fantastic to be back in this environment, that he has really missed it and he is loving his rugby at the moment, and that is a real positive for us.
"He knows he just needs to let his rugby do the talking now."
Fly-half Stephen Jones will win his 100th cap, joining Gareth Thomas as Wales' second international centurion, lining up in a back division that also includes his fellow Scarlets Morgan Stoddart, George North and Jonathan Davies.
Cardiff Blues flanker Sam Warburton captains a team that sees Newport Gwent Dragons number eight Toby Faletau and Ospreys prop Ryan Bevington make their Test debuts, with three more uncapped players on bench duty - Dragons hooker Lloyd Burns, Blues prop Scott Andrews and Scarlets centre Scott Williams.
Gatland is without the services of several front-line players, including Six Nations skipper Matthew Rees, wing Shane Williams, full-back Lee Byrne, centres Jamie Roberts and James Hook, plus prop Adam Jones.
Familiar faces
Meanwhile, Wales will come up against two familiar faces this weekend after Martyn Williams and Iestyn Thomas were named in the Barbarians' starting line-up.
Flanker Williams lost his place in the Wales team to Warburton but will be looking to impress against his compatriots as he aims to force his way back into the fold ahead of the World Cup.
Italy number eight Sergio Parisse continues as captain after leading the Barbarians to a 38-32 victory over England last Sunday.
Joe van Niekerk starts again at blindside flanker and Paul Tito continues in
the second row, but the rest of the pack has been shuffled.
Thomas is joined in the front row by Toulon prop Carl Hayman and hooker Sebastien Bruno while Samoan lock Joe Tekori is given a starting berth after impressing off the bench at Twickenham.
Clermont Auvergne fly-half Brock James and France international Sebastien Tillous-Borde form a new half-back combination.
There is also a place for Leinster's Isa Nacewa at full-back while Doug Howlett of Munster takes over from Tim Visser on the wing.
Wales team:
Stoddart (Scarlets); North (Scarlets), Davies (Scarlets), Henson (unattached), Brew (Newport Gwent Dragons); S Jones (Scarlets), 9-Phillips (Ospreys); Bevington (Ospreys), Bennett (Ospreys), James (Ospreys), R Jones (Ospreys), Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), Warburton (captain, Cardiff Blues), Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).
Replacements: Burns (Newport Gwent Dragons), Andrews (Cardiff Blues), AW Jones (Ospreys), Turnbull (Scarlets), Knoyle (Scarlets), Priestland (Scarlets), Williams (Scarlets).
Barabarians team: I Nacewa (Leinster and Fiji); P Sackey (Toulon and England), S Rabeni (La Rochelle and Fiji), M Bastareaud (Stade Francais and France), D Howlett (Munster and New Zealand); B James (Clermont Auvergne), S Tillous-Borde (Castres and France), I Thomas (Scarlets and Wales), S Bruno (Toulon and France), C Hayman (Toulon and New Zealand), J Tekori (Castres and Samoa), P Tito (Cardiff Blues), J van Niekerk (Toulon and South Africa), M Williams (Cardiff Blues and Wales), S Parisse (Stade Francais and Italy, capt).
Replacements: L Ghiraldini (Treviso and Italy), D Kubriashvili (Toulon and Georgia), E Lund (Biarritz and Norway), G Smith (Toulon and Australia), L Williams (Cardiff Blues), W Mason (Toulon), B Baby (Clermont Auvergne and France).
