Wales' young players urged to seize chance to impress against Georgia
Andrew Baldock -
Wales' new kids on the block have been challenged to grasp their chance in Saturday's Principality Stadium clash against Georgia.
Head coach Warren Gatland has made 14 changes from the side beaten by Australia last weekend, with four players handed first Test match starts and the front five forwards containing a combined total of just 29 caps.
For the likes of centre Owen Watkin, prop Leon Brown, lock Adam Beard, flanker Sam Cross and number eight Seb Davies, it is an opportunity to put down an early marker with a two-year World Cup countdown under way.
"We need to see what they can offer, both short term - we need to win the game - but long term as well in terms of stretching these youngsters," Wales assistant coach and forwards specialist Robin McBryde said.
"These young players are aware that the opportunity does not come around very often. They realise the opportunity is theirs to take (on Saturday).
"That is short term, and long term we are looking to see are there individuals that we should be investing in, looking ahead to the World Cup.
"We need to find out about these players this far out from a World Cup, to know whether we are going to invest in them.
"It is a 31-man squad (in 2019), so every one of those positions will be under scrutiny."
Wales have often struggled at home against lower-ranked teams during their autumn campaigns, highlighted by a defeat against Samoa and draw with Fiji during Gatland's reign, while it took a late Sam Davies drop-goal to edge them past Japan 12 months ago.
And Georgia would like nothing more - especially given their RBS 6 Nations aspirations - to upset the apple-cart this weekend.
"It could be a number of reasons, really (Wales' record), but we have experienced heads in (captain) Dan Lydiate and (fly-half) Rhys Priestland," McBryde added.
"They have been excellent this week and have made everyone aware of that history with that fourth (autumn) fixture. We are aware of it, and by raising everyone's awareness, we are ready for it.
"Nobody likes to lose at any time, so we are not thinking on those lines."
Georgia have beaten Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Canada and the United States since the 2015 World Cup, with the Canadians suffering a 54-22 drubbing in Tbilisi last weekend.
"As much as we are aware of the threats they pose up front and in the tighter aspect of the game, our attitude is keeping the ball alive, moving that big pack around so it takes a little bit of the wind out of their sails, so they are hopefully not as effective in that tighter aspect either," McBryde said.
"We've got to be accurate in our game, we've got to be disciplined. Our discipline last week was excellent.
"So if we can maintain possession and move them around a little bit, it is going to make our work as a front five just that little bit easier.
"I expect them (Georgia) to play to their strengths. The test is coming at the right time for us as well.
"We conceded a bit of a soft try early on in the game last week against Australia from a driving maul point of view, so we know they are going to come at us."