Ryan Jones leads Wales against Samoa for a record 29th time

The team to take on Samoa on Friday night at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff has been announced, with Ryan Jones leading the Welsh side for a record 29th time, eclipsing the mark he previously held jointly with Ieuan Evans.

But Sam Warburton has been left out of the side. Cardiff Blues flanker Warburton, who captained Wales at the World Cup last autumn, and in their Grand Slam-winning RBS 6 Nations campaign last season, is replaced by Ospreys openside Justin Tipuric.

Wales' interim head coach Rob Howley has made eight changes from the side beaten 26-12 at home by Argentina last weekend, with starts for Tipuric, Jones, centre Ashley Beck, fly-half Dan Biggar, scrum-half Mike Phillips, prop Paul James, hooker Richard Hibbard and lock Bradley Davies.

Centre Jamie Roberts, meanwhile, is named in the starting XV after going off in the first-half against Argentina with what the Welsh Rugby Union described as mild concussion.

Wales team to play Samoa at the Millennium Stadium on Friday, 7.30pm:

L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues); A Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), A Beck (Ospreys), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), G North (Scarlets); D Biggar (Ospreys), M Phillips (Bayonne); P James (Bath), R Hibbard (Ospreys), A Jarvis (Ospreys), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), I Evans (Ospreys), R Jones (Ospreys, capt), J Tipuric (Ospreys), T Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).

Replacements: K Owens (Scarlets), G Jenkins (Toulon), S Andrews (Cardiff Blues), L Charteris (Perpignan), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues), T Knoyle (Scarlets), R Priestland (Scarlets), S Williams (Scarlets).