Gabriel Hamer-Webb is set to make his Wales debut in this weekend’s Six Nations clash against Scotland in Cardiff.
Head coach Steve Tandy has made four changes to the side that fell to a heavy 54-12 defeat to France last weekend.
Scarlets pair Sam Costelow and Taine Plumtree come in as well as Dragons lock Ben Carter. Adam Beard, Ellis Mee, Dan Edwards and Olly Cracknell all drop out of the squad completely.
Gloucester lock Freddie Thomas, Cardiff flanker James Botham and Scarlets full-back Blair Murray are called up to the bench.
The most eye-catching announcement is the inclusion of 25-year-old Hamer-Webb who joined Tigers from Cardiff last summer.
He lines up in the back-three with Louis Rees-Zammit and Josh Adams as Wales look for an improvement having conceded over 100 points across their first two games in this year’s competition.
Wales captain Dewi Lake was full of praise for Louis Rees-Zammit, who will make his first Six Nations appearance in almost three years after returning from a stint in American football
“We feel this is the best team to take on Scotland and with a six-day turnaround you want some freshness as well going into the game,” Tandy said.
“Gabe has really impressed me in the way he’s attacked training, the way he’s learnt, the way he’s adapted and the way he’s just settled into the squad. His training efforts have been outstanding.
“Then when you dig into his background at Leicester, even when he wasn’t in the team, everyone said he was an amazing team player. He also kept pushing, he never gave up and then when he had his Leicester opportunity he took it with two hands and now this opportunity has come up and it’s thoroughly deserved.”
Wales team to face Scotland
Wales starting XV: Louis Rees-Zammit; Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Eddie James, Joe Hawkins, Josh Adams; Sam Costelow, Tomos Williams; Rhys Carre, Dewi Lake (captain), Tomas Francis, Dafydd Jenkins, Ben Carter, Taine Plumtree, Alex Mann, Aaron Wainwright.
Replacements: Ryan Elias, Nicky Smith, Archie Griffin, Freddie Thomas, James Botham, Kieran Hardy, Jarrod Evans, Blair Murray.