Wales Reshuffle Squad for Japan Clash with Lake Captain

Wales head coach Steve Tandy has named a reshuffled side for Saturday's Autumn Nations Series match against Japan at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, with winger Louis Rees-Zammit set to make his first start since returning from American football and hooker Dewi Lake taking over as captain.

The fixture, kicking off at 5:40 p.m. GMT, marks Tandy's second game in charge following Wales' 52-28 defeat to Argentina last weekend. Rees-Zammit, who came off the bench in that loss after stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars, replaces Tom Rogers on the right wing. The 24-year-old's last start for Wales came in the 2023 World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina in Marseille.

In the pack, Lake leads the team in place of injured flanker Jac Morgan, who suffered a dislocated shoulder and will miss the rest of the autumn campaign. Morgan's absence prompts a back-row reconfiguration: Alex Mann shifts from blindside to openside flanker, Aaron Wainwright moves to blindside, and Olly Cracknell earns his first start at No. 8 after debuting as a replacement against the Pumas.

Tandy has also rotated the front row, with Nicky Smith starting at loosehead prop and Archie Griffin at...