Jonathan Humphreys has been ruled out of the Wales team to face Ireland on Saturday, and he could miss the entire championship. The Cardiff hooker, who has captained Wales 17 times and has 29 caps to his name, will have an operation on a back problem and is likely to be out of action for between four to six weeks.
Barry Williams, of Richmond, will come in at hooker in one of the three certain changes announced from the Wales side beaten 33-20 by Scotland at Murrayfield. Second row Craig Quinnell (Richmond), who missed the Edinburgh defeat, has proved his recovery from a knee ligament injury and takes over from Ian Gough in the powerhouse.
As expected, Mark Taylor (Swansea) takes over from Allan Bateman in the centre after the Richmond back damaged a hamstring playing for his club last Sunday.
Captain Robert Howley and number eight Scott Quinnell have shrugged off minor knocks to take their respective places in the starting line-up.
Wales will give Cardiff prop David Young until tomorrow to prove his fitness to pack down in the front row.
Swansea's Chris Anthony is on stand-by to continue at tighthead prop if Young fails to make it.
Meanwhile, Jonny Wilkinson has been handed a golden opportunity to come of age as an England international player. The 19-year-old Newcastle prospect will forge a new centre partnership with Jeremy Guscott when England kick-off their Five Nations Championship campaign against Scotland at Twickenham on Saturday.
Wilkinson, who takes over in midfield from the injured Phil de Glanville, will also be first choice goal-kicker.
He is one of two changes from the side that which beat South Africa two months ago. Injury-plagued Sale wing David Rees returns instead of Tony Underwood.
England coach Clive Woodward has kept changes to a minimum, meaning no place in the starting line-up for his regular full back Matt Perry or prolific goal-kicking out-half Paul Grayson.
Perry, in erratic form for Bath this season, must content himself with a seat on the substitutes' bench because Nick Beal retains the full back berth, while Mike Catt stays at number 10. Grayson is also among the replacements.
Woodward keeps the same pack that took on South Africa - a decision that was a certainty once second-row forward Tim Rodber reported no ill effects from a rib injury that has sidelined him for almost four weeks.
Wales (v Ireland, Wembley, Saturday): S Howarth (Sale); M Robinson (Swansea), M Taylor (Swansea), S Gibbs (Swansea), D James (Pontypridd); N Jenkins (Pontypridd), R Howley (Cardiff); D Morris (Swansea), B Williams (Richmond), D Young (Cardiff) or C Anthony (Swansea), C Quinnell (Richmond), C Wyatt (Llanelli), C Charvis (Swansea), M Williams (Pontypridd), S Quinnell (Llanelli). Replacements: K Morgan (Pontypridd), L Davies (Cardiff), D Llewellyn (Ebbw Vale), G Lewis (Pontypridd), M Voyle (Llanelli), G Jenkins (Swansea), I Gough (Pontypridd), A Lewis (Cardiff), Young or Anthony.
England (v Scotland, Twickenham, Saturday): N Beal (Northampton); D Rees (Sale), J Wilkinson (Newcastle), J Guscott (Bath), D Luger (Harlequins); M Catt (Bath), M Dawson (Northampton); J Leonard (Harlequins), R Cockerill, D Garforth, M Johnson (all Leicester), T Rodber (Northampton), L Dallaglio (Wasps, capt), R Hill (Saracens), N Back (Leicester). Replacements: K Bracken (Saracens), P Grayson (Northampton), M Perry (Bath), D Grewcock (Saracens), G Rowntree (Leicester), N McCarthy (Gloucester).
Australian captain John Eales could miss the World Cup in October after tearing fibre from the bone during routine gym work with his Queensland state team in Brisbane on Monday.
Eales (28), said yesterday he would be out for at least five months, and perhaps a year. He will undergo surgery tomorrow.
