Jac Morgan will captain Wales on his World Cup debut against Fiji on Sunday – and looks certain to continue the comparisons being made with Sam Warburton. Like Warburton in 2011, Morgan is a player in his early 20s leading his country into a tournament where few fancy them to do all that well.

Wales number eight Taulupe Faletau has been passed fit to play as coach Warren Gatland named an experienced side to face Fiji in their Rugby World Cup Pool C opener in Bordeaux on Sunday. Faletau, who did not feature in any warm-up fixtures, forms the back row with captain Jac Morgan and Aaron Wainwright.

Wales centre Mason Grady has a tough family act to follow at his first Rugby World Cup. To gain selection for rugby union’s global spectacular just five months after your 21st birthday is no mean feat.

Scarlets scrum half Gareth Davies has revealed he came close to giving up on his international career before Warren Gatland’s return as head coach. The 33-year-old will head to France this weekend for his third World Cup, but only after overcoming an 18-month period in which he lost form and confidence due to a breakdown in his relationship with Wayne Pivac.

So, Wales have announced their World Cup squad – one that coach Warren Gatland reckons “will do something special” in France next month. They go there ranked 10th in the world, meaning just getting out of their pool would exceed expectations.

Wales coach Warren Gatland looks set to hand Scarlets centre Joe Roberts a Test debut among wholesale changes for Saturday’s second Rugby World Cup warm-up game against England. Wales head to Twickenham on the back of an impressive 20-9 victory in Cardiff that saw then score 14 unanswered second-half points through converted tries from Gareth Davies and George North.

Alex King has warned Wales that England will be “hurting” ahead of their Twickenham rematch. England were underwhelming in Saturday’s 20-9 defeat to Wales in Cardiff and received strong media criticism for that poor display ahead of head coach Steve Borthwick naming his 33-man World Cup squad on Monday.

Leigh Halfpenny enjoyed beating England – again – and having done it in a warm-up, he wants to repeat the trick at the World Cup. Halfpenny put the boot into the auld enemy to pick up his fifth win in 12 games against England at the weekend and now wants the chance to do it again.

Like Wales’ Gareth Anscombe, Danny Care has unfinished business with the World Cup but refuses to hold back during England’s warm-up games even if it means repeating one of his career’s most crushing disappointments. Japan-bound half-back Anscombe was injured in a warm-up match against England at Twickenham four years ago and missed the 2019 tournament.

Leigh Halfpenny will finally win his 100th cap for Wales against England on Saturday in a team captained by Jac Morgan. Three players are at the other end of the spectrum and will make their international debuts – Keiron Assiratti (tighthead prop), Corey Domachowski (loosehead prop) and Max Llewellyn (centre).

Wales will be without Taulupe Faletau and Alex Cuthbert, who are among five players from the Wales squad who will not travel for the team’s next training camp in Turkey between July 23-31.

Gareth Davies is enjoying the grind of Warren Gatland’s Rugby World Cup training camp as the Wales scrum-half turned heads with photos posted on social media. The 32-year-old has been working to get into peak physical shape since the end of the season with Scarlets.