KEY POINTS:
NANTES - Halfback Dwayne Peel leads Wales for the first time in their opening World Cup Pool B match against Canada at the Stade de la Beaujoire on Sunday.
Captain Gareth Thomas has been dropped to the bench alongside first five-eighths Stephen Jones, who has just recovered from injury. Both could see second half action.
Peel, who wins his 56th cap, will be partnered at halfback by James Hook. The pair played together in Wales' last two warm-up tests against Argentina and France.
Thomas' place was handed to 30-year-old New Zealand-born Sonny Parker who is partnered at centre by Tom Shanklin.
"Gareth (Thomas) put in three royal performances for us during August but this is the first time Sonny Parker has been available to us to start a game so we are giving him a chance in the centre," coach Gareth Jenkins said in a Welsh Rugby Union news release.
Wales will be looking for a repeat of their first half performance against Argentina on Aug. 18 when they ran in three tries before holding out for a 27-20 victory.
The match came between the far less encouraging, record 62-5 mauling by England and 34-7 defeat by World Cup hosts France.
Wales start the match with 11 veterans of previous World Cups and four tournament debutants; Hook, hooker Matthew Rees and locks Ian Gough and Alun-Wyn Jones.
"Canada will be tough, first-up opponents for us, but we must concentrate on refining our own game and it is time now for everything to begin to click into place," said Jenkins with an eye on tougher pool games against Australia and Fiji.
"We are absolutely clear this is going to be one of our toughest games. The Canadians have always represented themselves strongly in RWC tournaments, they have a lot of knowledge of us and they will have a tactical approach that will challenge us," Jenkins said.
Canada, set for a shot at reaching the last eight for the first time since 1991, have the experience of several veterans of previous World Cup campaigns, notably 37-year-old Rod Snow, fellow prop Jon Thiel and lock Mike James.
"We all want success, and whether or not that is pressure is open for suggestion. We can use that to our advantage and if we all perform to 100 per cent we will succeed," Thiel told reporters this week.
Thiel, 32, who played club rugby in Wales for Bridgend, had open heart surgery to repair a valve little more than a year ago but, remarkably, was back in the game within five months.
TJames, 34, who has just ended a successful career in France by leaving Stade Francais, was persuaded by Canada coach Ric Suggitt to postpone his retirement for a couple of months to be a part of his World Cup side.
Wales, who have won 11 of their 12 meetings with Canada, were comfortable winners in the last three, including the 41-10 victory in Melbourne at the 2003 World Cup.
- REUTERS
