Wales team to face South Africa as Warren Gatland gives players final chance to impress

Warren Gatland has made wholesale changes to his side once again ahead of Wales' final World Cup warm-up match against South Africa.

The game against the world champions is the final chance for players to impress before Gatland names his final World Cup squad on Monday.

Full-back Liam Williams and flanker Dan Lydiate are the only players who remain in the starting XV after the defeat to England last week.

Alex Cuthbert and Johnny Williams both return from injury just in time to stake a World Cup claim, starting on the wing and in the centre.

Rio Dyer completes the back three, with young Mason Grady earning his fourth cap outside Williams in the midfield.

Dan Biggar and Kieran Hardy - who was due to start last week but withdrew for personal reasons - link-up at half-back.

In the forwards, Cardiff props Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti return to the side, with Elliot Dee sandwiched between them.

Ben Carter gets an opportunity to impress at lock, alongside Will Rowlands.

Lydiate is joined by captain Jac Morgan and Aaron Wainwright in a back-row that could be Gatland's preferred choice heading into the World Cup.

Taine Basham, who was on the receiving end of a high tackle from Owen Farrell last week, has been named on the bench.

Basham failed his in-game head injury assessment and was not allowed to return to the field of player. But he appears to have passed the two subsequent tests that players have to go through and is available for selection under World Rugby guidelines.

Head coach Gatland said: “Preparations have gone well. We’re really pleased with the whole squad. We’re trying to build some depth within the team and there’s been a great atmosphere.

“In the first couple of games what was really pleasing for me was the physicality we brought and the way we defended. There are still things for us to work on in terms of being much more accurate.

"There’s been a lot of learning from that second England game and hopefully we put that into practice against South Africa. There’s another opportunity for this group of 23 players to put their hand up before we select the world cup squad.

“We’re expecting confidence and physicality from South Africa. They don’t make a lot of mistakes. It’s a very experienced team for them.

"But we’ve got a great chance to go out there in front of a home crowd and produce some of the good things that we did in both the games against England. We just need to make sure we play for 80 minutes and are accurate for 80 minutes.”

Wales: Liam Williams; Alex Cuthbert, Mason Grady, Johnny Williams, Rio Dyer; Dan Biggar, Kieran Hardy; Corey Domachowski, Elliot Dee, Keiron Assiratti; Ben Carter, Will Rowlands; Dan Lydiate, Jac Morgan (C), Aaron Wainwright.

Reps: Sam Parry, Nicky Smith, Henry Thomas, Teddy Williams, Taine Basham, Tomos Williams, Max Llewellyn, Cai Evans.

Read everything you need to know about the Wales v South Africa game on Saturday.

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