James makes Wales comeback

Ospreys prop Paul James will win his second Wales cap, six years after his international debut, when he plays against New Zealand at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.

James will fill the problem tighthead position while club mate James Hook will play at fullback, another position affected by injury.

Regular fullback Lee Byrne and number three Adam Jones are both injured.

James, who can play on both sides of the scrum, made his international debut against Romania in 2003 and packs down at tighthead alongside Scarlets and Lions hooker Matthew Rees and Blues and Lions stalwart Gethin Jenkins at loosehead.

Fellow Ospreys Duncan Jones and Huw Bennett provide the cover from the bench.

'We wanted Gethin Jenkins to start so it was a case of seeing which of the other three props (Jones, James and Osprey Craig Mitchell) stood out in training this week,' said coach Warren Gatland.

'Paul has edged it and we know he won't let us down, he may have just had the one cap but he has been around this Wales squad since making the tour to North America in the summer and at 27 years old has had plenty of experience and should be coming into his prime as a front row forward.

'Elsewhere the coaches have looked for consistency of selection, we have asked James to play at fullback before and it is a boost for any side to be able to have someone of his calibre on the field in whatever position that may be.

'We have an experienced pairing at centre, two exciting wingers and the Lions playmaker running the back line at flyhalf, so we think we have a pretty good side out there.

'New Zealand will be looking to get the European part of their tour off to a winning start and were pretty slick in their demolition of Australia at the weekend. We are looking forward to facing them at the Millennium Stadium again and are expecting an exciting game.'

Scarlets wing Mark Jones has been ruled out of the rest of the autumn internationals with a knee injury he picked up on Sunday.

He is waiting to see a consultant but is likely to require keyhole surgery.

Wales team to face New Zealand at the Millenium Stadium, Cardiff on Saturday 7 November at 5.15pm:

James Hook, Leigh Halfpenny, Tom Shanklin, Jamie Roberts, Shane Williams, Stephen Jones, Gareth Cooper, Gethin Jenkins, Matthew Rees, Paul James, Alun Wyn Jones, Luke Charteris, Andy Powell, Martyn Williams, Ryan Jones (captain).

Replacements: Huw Bennett, Duncan Jones, Bradley Davies, Dafydd Jones, Martin Roberts, Jonathan Davies, Tom James.