Scarlets second rows Morgan Jones and Jac Price line up together in the Wales Under-20s side to take on hosts Argentina in the opening round of the U20 World Rugby Championship at the Racecourse in Rosario on Tuesday (KO 5pm BST).
Jones missed the Six Nations campaign because of injury, but is recalled as one of five Scarlets in the starting XV.
He partners Carmarthen’s Price in the boilerhouse; Jac Morgan starts at No. 8, Kemlsey Mathias gets the nod at loose-head prop, while fellow Pembrokeshire product Ryan Conbeer is named on the wing. Iestyn Rees and Tomi Lewis are included among the replacements.
Wales find themselves in a demanding pool with defending champions France and Fiji arriving in Argentina with big expectations and Williams is fully aware playing the Pumitas on their home patch will be no easy task.
In last year’s championship, Argentina defeated Wales comfortably in the 5–8th place play-offs to eventually end the tournament in sixth place, one spot ahead of Wales.
There are four survivors from that defeat in the starting line-up with captain Dewi Lake, winger Conbeer, centre Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler and fly-half Cai Evans all aiming for a better result this time round, while replacements Rhys Davies and midfielder Max Llewellyn were also on the wrong end of the result in Narbonne.
“We have come to Argentina wanting to be as successful as possible, but are very aware that wins at international level do not just happen, especially against a quality team like Argentina in their opening match of a home World Cup,” said Williams.
“The challenge for us is to be at our best from a tactical, technical, physical, and mental point of view to achieve those results.
“If we can harness those areas in our preparation, we’ll hopefully fall the right side of the scoreline come the end of 80 minutes.”
Wales
15 Ioan Davies (Cardiff Blues)
14 Rio Dyer (Dragons)
13 Aneurin Owen (Dragons)
12 Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler (Ospreys)
11 Ryan Conbeer (Scarlets)
10 Cai Evans (Ospreys)
9 Harri Morgan (Ospreys);
1 Kemsley Mathias (Scarlets)
2 Dewi Lake (Ospreys – Capt)
3 Ben Warren (Cardiff Blues)
4 Morgan Jones (Scarlets)
5 Jac Price (Scarlets)
6 Lennon Greggains (Dragons)
7 Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers)
8 Jac Morgan (Aberavon/Scarlets)
Reserves: Will Griffiths (Dragons), Garin Lloyd (Ospreys), Rhys Davies (Ospreys), Tom Devine (Dragons), Nick English (Bristol Bears), Teddy Williams (Cardiff Blues), Ed Scragg (Dragons), Iestyn Rees (Scarlets), Dafydd Buckland (Dragons), Max Llewellyn (Cardiff Blues), Deon Smith (Dragons), Tomi Lewis (Scarlets).
KO 5pm BST, Live on S4C.cymru/clic & facebook.com/s4cchwaraeon