Warren Gatland has taken the biggest gamble of his Wales tenure by backing the fly-half Rhys Priestland against South Africa. The 24-year-old economics graduate is a shock inclusion to face the defending World Cup champions in Wellington on Sunday. James Hook is shifted to full-back, again relinquishing his hopes of wearing the No10 jersey.
After losing the captain Matthew Rees and Gavin Henson last month, Wales have failed to get many of their injured players fit in time for the game in Pool D. Ryan Jones, who missed the 2007 tournament through injury, must wait for his World Cup debut due to a calf injury while Gethin Jenkins has a similar problem.
Stephen Jones, who is stalled on 99 caps, has not recovered from a back problem that forced him out of all three summer Tests, opening the door for Priestland.
Hook was widely expected to start at fly-half after match-winning displays against England and Argentina last month. But the Perpignan-bound player is again forced to switch positions after Gatland lost faith in Lee Byrne, with South Africa expected to test Wales under the high ball.
The Wales coach clearly wants Hook on the field in any shape but there will be huge frustration among the player's admirers that the team's most potent attacker is again being shifted around.
That is especially the case given that Priestland, who is second choice to Jones at the Scarlets, has only twice started at fly-half at international level. He won his first Wales cap less than seven months ago but now faces the biggest moment of his career after impressing against England at Twickenham this summer.
The Lions Shane Williams, Mike Phillips, Jamie Roberts and Alun Wyn Jones all start but the Test regular Bradley Davies misses out to Luke Charteris. Sam Warburton will become Wales's youngest World Cup captain when he leads his country at the Regional Stadium aged 22.
Gatland said: "We are going into this game looking for a win. If you get the world champions in your pool, you want to play them first up and throw everything you've got at them. We've got the toughest group in the competition but we know if we can come through we will be in good shape. The players have done everything we have asked of them so far; they have worked incredibly hard."
Andy Powell merits a place on a bench that includes the novices Lloyd Burns, Ryan Bevington and Scott Williams.
Wales: J Hook; G North, J Davies, J Roberts, S Williams; R Priestland, M Phillips; P James, H Bennett, A Jones, L Charteris, AW Jones, D Lydiate, T Faletau, S Warburton (capt). Replacements: L Burns, R Bevington, B Davies, A Powell, T Knoyle, S Williams, L Halfpenny.
