Scrum-half Tomos Williams will miss Wales’ autumn international clash against Australia on Sunday.
Williams is understood to have suffered a shoulder injury during the 24-19 defeat against Fiji, which equalled a record run of 10 successive Test match defeats.
Gloucester number nine Williams is replaced by Ellis Bevan, while Ospreys flanker Jac Morgan will make his first Test start since the 2023 World Cup.
Morgan last featured in a Wales Test line-up against World Cup quarter-final opponents Argentina 13 months ago, before knee and hamstring injuries sidelined him for last season’s Six Nations and the summer tour to Australia.
Morgan replaces openside flanker Tommy Reffell, while James Botham also earns a back-row opportunity, wearing the number six shirt instead of Taine Plumtree.
In a fourth change, Scarlets wing Tom Rogers takes over from an injured Mason Grady, who was unwittingly involved in a Wales blunder against Fiji as fly-half Sam Costelow was mistakenly sent on to replace the stricken wing.
Having opted for a 6-2 split on the bench with only two backs as cover, Gatland admitted after the game that Bevan should have replaced Grady and not Costelow.
Gatland has gone for more a conventional 5-3 bench appearance this week, with Rhodri Williams, Costelow and Eddie James providing back division cover.
Wales’ demoralising Fiji result matched a run of losses in 2002 and 2003 under Gatland’s fellow New Zealander Steve Hansen, although that sequence included two reversals against each of New Zealand, England and Ireland.
This time around, Italy and Fiji have triumphed at the Principality Stadium, and there appears no immediate end in sight, with Australia, world champions South Africa and France in Paris lurking as their next three opponents.
It is more than 400 days since Wales won a Test, beating Georgia in the 2023 World Cup, and a far cry from Gatland’s first stint as head coach when he oversaw World Cup semi-final appearances, Six Nations titles. Grand Slams and world number one status.
The Wallabies, meanwhile, are fresh from a spectacular victory over England last weekend, while they have beaten Wales nine times from their last 11 visits to Cardiff.
Gatland said: “We have had honest reviews after last week’s match.
“There were some things we did well that we are looking to build on, but we need to be more accurate and disciplined, especially in key moments.
“We are expecting an Australia side on a high after their win against England. They are a much-improved side since the summer and have played a number of Test matches since we last met.
“We know we need to put in an 80-minute performance on Sunday.”
— Welsh Rugby Union (@WelshRugbyUnion) November 13, 2024
Wales team to play Australia
Forwards: 1 Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), 2 Dewi Lake (Captain, Ospreys), 3 Archie Griffin (Bath Rugby), 4 Will Rowlands (Racing 92), 5 Adam Beard (Ospreys), 6 James Botham (Cardiff Rugby), 7 Jac Morgan (Ospreys), 8 Aaron Wainwright (Dragons)
Backs: 9 Ellis Bevan (Cardiff Rugby), 10 Gareth Anscombe (Gloucester Rugby), 11 Blair Murray (Scarlets), 12 Ben Thomas (Cardiff Rugby), 13 Max Llewellyn (Gloucester Rugby), 14 Tom Rogers (Scarlets), 15 Cameron Winnett (Cardiff Rugby)
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias (Scarlets), 17 Nicky Smith (Leicester Tigers), 18 Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff Rugby), 19 Christ Tshiunza (Exeter Chiefs), 20 Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers), 21 Rhodri Williams (Dragons), 22 Sam Costelow (Scarlets), 23 Eddie James (Scarlets)