WALES v IRELAND at Aviva Stadium, 8.2.2014 (14:30) Head coach Warren Gatland makes three changes all in the pack from the side which beat Italy; Gethin Jenkins comes in for Paul James, Andrew Coombs replaces the injured Luke Charteris and Sam Warburton is preferred to Justin Tipuric. Uncapped Scarlets lock, 22 year old Jake Ball is included on the bench for the first time. Leigh Halfpenny takes over from Dwayne Peel as the youngest Welshman to reach 50 caps. The XV has 693 test caps between them; the bench has a further 180 caps. A third of the total RBS 6 Nations caps in the XV are shared amongst the front-row alone. The average age of the walk-on team is 27.2 years; the average on the bench is 25.6 AGE & EXPERIENCE 110 Total caps 40 100 6NC caps Age 90 35 80 70 30 60 Caps Age 50 25 40 30 20 20 10 0 15 Ball (19) Ball Hook (22) Hook North (11) North Webb (21) Webb Lydiate (6) Lydiate Faletau (8) Faletau James (17) James Hibbard (2) Hibbard Tipuric (20) Tipuric A.Jones (3) A.Jones Owens (16) Owens Coombs (4) Coombs Roberts (12) Roberts M.Phillips (9) M.Phillips Cuthbert (14) Cuthbert G.Jenkins (1) G.Jenkins Warburton (7) Warburton Rh.Jones (18) Rh.Jones A-W.Jones (5) A-W.Jones Priestland (10) Priestland Halfpenny (15) Halfpenny L.Williams (23) L.Williams S.Williams (13) S.Williams (1) GETHIN JENKINS TEST CAREER Caps Starts Rep SNU Try Pts W D L Team: Cardiff Blues Overall 101 71 30 3 4 20 45 2 54 Born: 17.11.1980 (33) in Llantwit Fadre (Wales) RBS 6 Nations 44 30 14 1 1 5 26 1 17 Ht: 1.88m (6'2") Wt: 121kg (19st 0lb) v Ireland 10 7 3 - 1 5 3 - 7 Position: Prop @ Aviva Stadium 3 - 3 - - - - - 3 Test debut: 1.11.2002 v Romania (Wrexham) RBS 6N 2014 - - - - - - - - - RBS 6N debut: 22.2.2003 v England (Cardiff) PRO12 2013/14 7 5 2 - - - 1 - 6 FACTBOX: HC 2013/14 3 3 - - - - 1 - 2 Club debuts: 2001-02 Pontypridd, 2003-04 Celtic Warriors, 2004-05 Cardiff Blues, 2012-13 Toulon EDF Energy Cup winner with Cardiff Blues 2009, skippered Blues to European Challenge Cup title in 2010 Wales test debut came against Romania in Wrexham in November 2002 and is now Wales's most capped front-row forward, becoming the 4th Welshman to gain 100 caps in the autumn international against Argentina Won three grand slams, 2005, 2008 and 2012, then skippered Wales in the Championship decider against England last season Played in two British & Irish Lions tours: to New Zealand in 2005 and South Africa in 2009 playing in five tests. Selected for a third tour in 2013 but injury prevented him from playing. Scored his only RBS 6 Nations try to date in the grand slam deciding game against Ireland in Cardiff in 2005. Compiled by (2) RICHARD HIBBARD TEST CAREER Caps Starts Rep SNU Try Pts W D L Team: Ospreys Overall 27 13 14 5 1 5 14 - 13 Born: 13.12.1983 (30) in Neath (Wales) RBS 6 Nations 10 5 5 1 1 5 8 - 2 Ht: 1.83m (6'0") Wt: 110kg (17st 4lb) v Ireland 1 - 1 - - - 1 - - Position: Hooker @ Aviva Stadium - - - - - - - - - Test debut: 11.6.2006 v Argentina (Puerto Madryn) RBS 6N 2014 1 1 - - - - 1 - - RBS 6N debut: 4.2.2011 v England (Cardiff) PRO12 2013/14 7 1 6 6 - - 6 - 1 FACTBOX: HC 2013/14 6 5 1 - - - 1 - 5 Club debuts: 2004-05 Ospreys Ospreys debut came against Munster in the opening game of 2004/5 season: he has since claimed 4 Celtic titles with the Region, 2005, 2007 & 2010; won EDF Energy Cup in 2008, and won PRO12 in 2012 First six test caps were all gained away from home: has started Wales last five RBS 6 Nations matches at hooker Scored his first and only test try to date in the RBS 6 Nations victory over Scotland at Murrayfield in round 4 of 2013 Announced he will be leaving Ospreys to join Gloucester at the end of the 2013/14 season. Played in 9 games on the British & Irish Lions to Australia, including all 3 tests, scoring a try against Combined Country XV in Newcastle. (3) ADAM JONES TEST CAREER Caps Starts Rep SNU Try Pts W D L Team: Ospreys Overall 90 80 10 - 2 10 45 3 42 Born: 8.3.1981 (32) in Abercrave (Wales) RBS 6 Nations 40 38 2 - 2 10 26 1 13 Ht: 1.83m (6'0") Wt: 120kg (18st 12lb) v Ireland 9 9 - - - - 4 - 5 Position: Prop @ Aviva Stadium 3 3 - - - - 1 - 2 Test debut: 23.8.2003 v England (Cardiff) RBS 6N 2014 1 1 - - - - 1 - - RBS 6N debut: 14.2.2004 v Scotland (Cardiff) PRO12 2013/14 10 6 4 - 1 5 6 - 4 FACTBOX: HC 2013/14 4 3 1 - - - - - 4 Club debuts: 2000-01 Neath, 2003-04 Ospreys Has won three grand slams and played throughout the Championship winning campaign last year Celtic League winner with Ospreys in 2005, 2007 and 2010, PRO12 winner 2012. EDF Energy Cup winner with them in 2008, finalist 2007 Toured with the 2009 British & Irish Lions playing in the first two tests until injury ended his tour. Selected again in 2013 playing in 6 matches including starting all 3 tests His only 2 test tries both came in the RBS 6 Nations and were scored 6 years apart - against Scotland in 2004 and England at Twickenham in 2010. Has played in Wales' last 12 RBS 6 Nations games on tighthead He has started more test games at prop than any other Welshman. (4) ANDREW COOMBS TEST CAREER Caps Starts Rep SNU Try Pts W D L Team: Newport Gwent Dragons Overall 7 4 3 1 - - 5 - 2 Born: 27.10.1984 (29) in Merthyr Tydfil (Wales) RBS 6 Nations 5 3 2 1 - - 4 - 1 Ht: 1.93m (6'4") Wt: 109kg (17st 2lb) v Ireland 1 1 - - - - - - 1 Position: Back-row/Lock @ Aviva Stadium - - - - - - - - - Test debut: 2.2.2013 v Ireland (Cardiff) RBS 6N 2014 1 - 1 - - - 1 - - RBS 6N debut: 2.2.2013 v Ireland (Cardiff) PRO12 2013/14 6 3 3 - - - 2 - 4 FACTBOX: ACC 2013/14 5 4 1 - - - 2 - 3 Club debuts: 2009-10 Dragons, 2009-10 Newport Made his senior debut for Newport RFC against Ebbw Vale in 2006 and went on to captain them in the 2008/2009 season. Played for Newport in the British & Irish Cup in season 2009/10, when he captained the team and was also named Principality Premiership Player of the Year that season Newport Gwent Dragons regional debut was in Galway v Connacht in PRO12 game March 2010. Now captains the region Made his test debut starting in the RBS 6 Nations first round game against Ireland at the Millennium Stadium 2013, has been in the matchday squad for all games in the Championship since Went on summer tour to Japan, but did not figure in the autumn internationals Compiled by (5) ALUN-WYN JONES TEST CAREER Caps Starts Rep SNU Try Pts W D L Team: Ospreys Overall 75 66 9 2 7 35 35 - 40 Born: 19.9.1985 (28) in Swansea (Wales) RBS 6 Nations 27 26 1 - 1 5 18 - 9 Ht: 1.95m (6'5") Wt: 118kg (18st 8lb) v Ireland 5 5 - - - - 3 - 2 Position: Lock @ Aviva Stadium - - - - - - - - - Test debut: 11.6.2006 v Argentina (Puerto Madryn) RBS 6N 2014 1 1 - - - - 1 - - RBS 6N debut: 4.2.2007 v Ireland (Cardiff) PRO12 2013/14 - - - 1 - - - - - FACTBOX: HC 2013/14 5 5 - - 1 5 - - 5 Club debuts: 2004-05 Ospreys Current Ospreys skipper, he won EDF Energy Cup with Ospreys in 2008, Magners League in 2007 & 2010 and the RaboDirect PRO12 in 2012 Has represented Wales to two Rugby World Cups, 2007 & 2011 Played in three games during Wales' 2008 grand slam and repeated the feat in 2012. Also played in the last 3 rounds of the Championship winning team of 2013 Skippered his country for the first time against Italy in 2009 RBS 6 Nations in Rome, then again last week in Cardiff against the same opponents. Scored his only try to date in the opening round 2009 against Scotland Toured with 2009 British & Irish Lions to South Africa and 2013 to Australia, scoring a try in both opening fixtures, going on to play in all 3 tests on each tour, and skippering the side in the 3rd and decisive test in Sydney. (6) DAN LYDIATE TEST CAREER Caps Starts Rep SNU Try Pts W D L Team: Racing-Metro 92 Overall 31 30 1 - - - 14 1 16 Born: 18.12.1987 (26) in Salford (England) RBS 6 Nations 10 10 - - - - 8 - 2 Ht: 1.93m (6'4") Wt: 114kg (17st 13lb) v Ireland 2 2 - - - - 2 - - Position: Flanker @ Aviva Stadium - - - - - - - - - Test debut: 21.11.2009 v Argentina (Cardiff) RBS 6N 2014 1 1 - - - - 1 - - RBS 6N debut: 4.2.2011 v England (Cardiff) PRO12 2013/14 3 1 2 - - - 1 - 2 FACTBOX: HC 2013/14 4 3 1 - - - - 1 3 Club debuts: 2006-07 Dragons, 2013-14 Racing Club Won his first 2 test caps during the 2009 autumn internationals, and has been Wales No6 for the last three tests. Had to wait until 2011 to make his bow in the RBS 6 Nations and played in 5 games during the RWC later the same year Won a grand slam with Wales in 2012, but injury precluded him from playing in the tournament in 2013.