Louis Rees-Zammit named among replacements for Wales return against Argentina

Louis Rees-Zammit has been named among the Wales replacements for his international return against Argentina.

Rees-Zammit has not played for Wales since October 2023 – their World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina – after spending 18 months in American Football’s NFL at the Kansas City Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The 24-year-old winger returned to rugby at Bristol in August but has been dealing with a toe injury sustained last month ahead of Wales’ Autumn Nations Series opener.

New head coach Steve Tandy has kept the same back-three – Blair Murray, Tom Rogers and Josh Adams – from Wales’ summer win over Japan in Kobe, which ended their record run of 18 successive Test defeats.

Tandy said: “It’s a real privilege to announce my first match day 23 for Wales.

“I just want to see that 23 really go out there and express themselves on Sunday and enjoy every moment of representing the country in such a unique and special jersey.”

Tandy makes seven changes from the Japan win with skipper Jac Morgan joining Alex Mann and Aaron Wainwright in the back row after being absent in the summer because of British and Irish Lions duty in Australia.

Saracens prop Rhys Carre makes his first Wales appearance for nearly three years after he was initially thought to be ineligible under the Welsh Rugby Union’s selection policy.

Carre has 20 caps, five short of the required number for those playing for clubs outside the country, but the WRU said last month that the Professional Rugby Board had confirmed the 27-year-old’s eligibility.

The former Cardiff forward, who is joined by Dewi Lake and Keiron Assiratti in the front row, made his last Wales appearance in the 2023 Six Nations before falling out of favour under Warren Gatland.

Dafydd Jenkins and Adam Beard unite in the second row having both missed the summer tour to Japan.

Dan Edwards and Tomos Williams, who was on the Lions tour to Australia, are paired at half-back, with Ben Thomas and Max Llewellyn forming a familiar midfield partnership.

Leicester’s Olly Cracknell makes the bench as back-row cover and is line to win his first cap at the age of 31.

Tandy said: “Olly’s impressed us since he came into camp, but I’ve known Olly a long time.

“I was lucky enough to coach him at the Ospreys. He’s an unbelievable professional and you see Olly’s had to have resilience throughout his career.

“He’s shown that, whether it be London Irish, then he goes to Leicester, plays minutes every week and he’s battle-hardened and he’s performing at a big club.

“So I’m just excited to see that transfer to the international arena.”

Wales team: B Murray, T Rogers (both Scarlets), M Llewellyn (Gloucester), B Thomas, J Adams (both Cardiff), D Edwards (Ospreys), T Williams (Gloucester); R Carre (Saracens), D Lake (Ospreys), K Assiratti (Cardiff), D Jenkins (Exeter), A Beard (Montpellier), A Mann (Cardiff), J Morgan (Ospreys), A Wainwright (Dragons).

Replacements: L Belcher (Cardiff), N Smith (Leicester), A Griffin (Bath), F Thomas (Gloucester), O Cracknell (Leicester), K Hardy (Ospreys), J Evans (Harlequins), L Rees-Zammit (Bristol).