Wales have been forced into wholesale changes for Saturday’s showdown with the world champion Springboks in Cardiff, with Scarlets wing Ellis Mee thrown straight into the starting lineup.

Because the Test falls outside World Rugby’s international window, Wales are without 13 first-choice players who have returned to their English and French clubs. It’s left interim coach Steve Tandy scrambling to reinforce his squad, calling up six new players in the last two weeks, and naming a matchday 23 featuring 14 changes from the group that featured in recent Tests.

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Mee, one of the fresh call-ups, replaces Louis Rees-Zammit and injured hat-trick hero Tom Rogers on the wing and will make his Test debut against the sport’s most formidable defence.

In the backline, Dragons wing Rio Dyer returns for his first appearance since the Six Nations, and Scarlets centre Joe Roberts slots in at outside centre.

In the halves, Kieran Hardy starts ahead of Tomos Williams and partners Ospreys teammate Dan Edwards at flyhalf in a new-look 9-10 axis.

Up front, loosehead Gareth Thomas replaces Rhys Carré, while Wales field an entirely new lock pairing of Ben Carter and Rhys Davies as they brace for a brutal collision with the Springbok pack.

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Tandy admitted this week that preparation has been “far from ideal”, but Wales will attempt to channel the spark of their young, inexperienced squad against a Springbok side undefeated on their tour.

WALES – 15 Blair Murray, 14 Ellis Mee, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Rio Dyer, 10 Dan Edwards, 9 Kieran Hardy, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Alex Mann, 6 Taine Plumtree, 5 Rhys Davies, 4 Ben Carter, 3 Keiron Assiratti, 2 Dewi Lake, 1 Gareth Thomas.
Bench: 16 Brodie Coghlan, 17 Danny Southworth, 18 Chris Coleman, 19 James Ratti, 20 Morgan Morse, 21 Reuben Morgan-Williams, 22 Callum Sheedy, 23 Ben Thomas.

Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images/Getty Images