USA v WALES Venue: Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Chicago Date: Saturday, 6 June May Kick-off: 1910 BST Coverage: Live on S4C, full commentary on BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru, plus Sunday highlights on Scrum V (BBC TWO Wales & online, 1830-1920 BST)
 Nicky Robinson will win his first cap since the summer of 2006 |
Tour coach Robin McBryde has told fly-half Nick Robinson to justify his recall ahead of Dan Bigger when Wales face the United States on Saturday. Robinson, 27 partners another returnee in Dwayne Peel at half-back as Wales seek a second tour win after seeing off Canada 32-23 at the weekend. "It was a tough call on... Dan Biggar, who was man of the match, deservedly so, against Canada," said McBride. "He's [Biggar] really set the standard for Nicky." McBryde added: "Nicky deserves a start, we feel, so I'm sure he'll be looking to make the most of it, as will Gareth Williams [at hooker] who's had to wait quite a long time for his start. "And Mark Jones was carrying an injury last week so he's keen to get in the fray as well."  | With Dwayne Peel at number nine it adds a certain edge to the team as well Wales caretaker coach Robin McBryde |
Facing the US will be Robinson's first cap since 2006, the last of his 12 appearances coming on that year's summer tour of Argentina. And McBryde believes Robinson is well worth his place. "He's been playing well with the Blues, he's had some high-intensity matches under pressure and shown a level of composure in being able to keep Cardiff in games or pull away from other teams," added McBryde. "His kicking game, his all-around passing ability, he's a running threat and I think he's got a good balance to his game at the moment, hence his inclusion on the trip and he's got an opportunity on Saturday." Robinson also has the chance to stake his claim for a possible call-up to the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa, the Blues fly-half being on the standby list for Ian McGeechan's squad.  | 606: DEBATE |
McBryde said putting Robinson in the shop window for the Lions selector was not a major influence on his selection. "It wasn't in the front of my mind really, just a case of we feel he deserves an opportunity to start a game," he said. "With Nicky, it's a just reward for a good season and it's been mentioned that he's on Lions standby but with our Welsh hats on I think it will be good to see how good Nicky can be on the international stage for our strength in depth."
Wales: Daniel Evans (Scarlets); Mark Jones (Scarlets), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Andrew Bishop (Ospreys), Tom James (Cardiff Blues); Nicky Robinson (Gloucester), Dwayne Peel (Sale); Duncan Jones (Ospreys), Gareth Williams (Cardiff Blues), John Yapp (Blues), Ian Gough (Ospreys), Deiniol Jones (Blues), Dafydd Jones (Scarlets), Robin Sowden-Taylor (Blues), Ryan Jones (Ospreys, capt). Replacements: Richard Hibbard (Ospreys), Craig Mitchell (Ospreys), Luke Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), Sam Warburton (Blues), Gareth Cooper (Blues), Daniel Biggar (Ospreys), Jonathan Spratt (Ospreys).
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