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Fit-again lock Jones to win 150th Wales cap against Italy

Guinness Six Nations: Wales v Italy
Campus: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Date: Saturday, March 19 Kick off: 14:15 GMT
Coverage: Watch live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and online from 13:45 GMT; Hear it on live sports extra from BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru; text commentary on the BBC Sport website and mobile app.

Dan Biggar and Alun Wyn Jones will hit major milestones in Wales’ Six Nations final against Italy.

Jones, 36, has returned from a shoulder injury and will win his 150th cap for Wales in their first game since October.

Biggar retains the captaincy and will become the seventh Welshman to win 100 caps for his country.

The 31-year-old follows in the footsteps of Jones, Gethin Jenkins, Stephen Jones, George North, Gareth Thomas and Martyn Williams.

Head coach Wayne Pivac has made seven changes from the team beaten by France 13-9 last Friday.

Johnny McNicholl, Louis Rees-Zammit, Willis Halaholo and Gareth Davies are remembered on the baseline, while Dewi Lake, Dillon Lewis and Alun Wyn Jones are the forwards coming on.

Liam Williams, Alex Cuthbert, Jonathan Davies, Tomos Williams, Ryan Elias, Tomas Francis and Will Rowlands are leaving the starting lineup.

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Northampton fly half Biggar will once again captain the team and join scrum half Davies, who replaces head injury victim Tomos Williams.

Biggar celebrated his 100th international appearance in February’s win against Scotland, with his games for Wales complemented by three British and Irish tests.

World cap record holder Alun Wyn Jones starts alongside his Opsreys teammate Adam Beard on the second row as Will Rowlands drops to the bench.

For the second time in less than a year, veteran lock Jones has defied medical predictions to return to action soon.

Last summer he captained the Lions in their test series against South Africa after quickly overcoming a shoulder injury.

And after suffering another shoulder problem in Wales’ autumn test against New Zealand five months ago, requiring two operations, many forecasts suggested Jones could struggle to play again this season.

But Jones is back and ready to win his 150th cap for Wales along with his 12 Lions Tests to extend his world cap appearance record to 162 caps.

“Dan and Al are great players for Wales and have been for many years,” said Pivac.

“We’ve said with other players reaching 100 appearances what an achievement it is and for Dan I know he’s been waiting for this moment for a long time.

“For him to make it with Al, who is also achieving the milestone of 150 caps, which no other player has ever done, I think it’s fitting that those two share the day.

“They played a lot of rugby together and have a healthy respect for each other. They have given a lot to the game in Wales.”

More to follow.

Welsh: McNicholl; Rees-Zammit, Watkin, Halaholo, Adams; Biggar (captain), G Davies; Thomas, Lake, Lewis, Beard, AW Jones, S Davies, Navidi, Faletau.

Replacements: Roberts, W Jones, L Brown, Rowlands, Moriarty, Hardy, Sheedy, Tompkins

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