Rugby - England v Wales team news:Wales will be without Matthew Rees when they meet England on Saturday after the Lions hooker was ruled out with a groin injury. Gareth Williams will deputise in the frontrow alongside props Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones.
Fullback Lee Byrne starts after winning an appeal last night against a two-week ban imposed on him following his brief appearance as an illegal 16th player during Ospreys’ Heineken Cup victory over Leicester 11 days ago.
And Byrne’s availability means Wales coach Warren Gatland is able to field a centre partnership of James Hook and Jamie Roberts.
Had Byrne been sidelined, then Hook would probably have continued in the number 15 shirt he wore during Wales’ autumn Tests this season.
Elsewhere, Tom James edges out his Blues colleague Leigh Halfpenny for the right-wing role, while Blues scrumhalf Gareth Cooper also starts, filling the vacancy created by injuries to Lions number nines Mike Phillips and Dwayne Peel.
Wales(v England): 15-Lee Byrne, 14-Tom James, 13-James Hook, 12-Jamie Roberts, 11-Shane Williams, 10-Stephen Jones, 9-Gareth Cooper, 8-Ryan Jones (captain), 7-Martyn Williams, 6-Andy Powell, 5-Luke Charteris, 4-Alun-Wyn Jones, 3-Adam Rhys Jones, 2-Gareth Williams, 1-Gethin Jenkins. Replacements:16-Huw Bennett, 17-Paul James, 18-Bradley Davies, 19-Jonathan Thomas, 20-Richard Rees, 21-Andrew Bishop, 22-Leigh Halfpenny.