Jenkins recalls old heads

Wales head coach Gareth Jenkins has recalled experienced trio Stephen Jones, Gareth Thomas and Colin Charvis for Saturday’s pivotal World Cup clash with Australia in Cardiff.

Jones returns at fly-half in place of James Hook, who drops to the bench, while Thomas replaces Kevin Morgan at full-back and regains the captaincy.

Charvis is preferred in the back-row ahead of Alix Popham and packs down at blind-side flanker, with Jonathan Thomas switching to number eight.

The three senior players, who share 251 caps between them, came off the bench last weekend and helped turn the game as Wales hit back from 17-9 down to open their World Cup with a 42-17 win over Canada.

A victory for Wales would boost their chances of finishing top of Pool B and earning a quarter-final against struggling England rather than the dangerous South Africans.

Wales team for Saturday's game World Cup Pool B game against Australia at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff:

G Thomas (Cardiff Blues, capt); M Jones (Llanelli Scarlets), T Shanklin (Cardiff Blues), S Parker (Ospreys), S Williams (Ospreys); S Jones (Llanelli Scarlets), D Peel (Llanelli Scarlets); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), M Rees (Llanelli Scarlets), A Jones (Ospreys), I Gough (Ospreys), A-W Jones (Ospreys), C Charvis (Newport Gwent Dragons), M Williams (Cardiff Blues), J Thomas (Ospreys).

Replacements: TR Thomas (Cardiff Blues), D Jones (Ospreys), M Owen (Newport Gwent Dragons), A Popham (Llanelli Scarlets), M Phillips (Ospreys), J Hook (Ospreys), K Morgan (Newport Gwent Dragons).