Wales have made two personnel and two positional changes for their clash with Australia in their second test on Saturday.

Cameron Winnett and James Botham return for the injured Josh Hathaway and Aaron Wainwright in moves which sees Liam Williams switch from full back to wing and Taine Plumtree from six to eight.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has resisted the temptation to make changes at half back or in midfield opting to stick with the Cardiff trio of Ellis Bevan, Ben Thomas and Mason Grady, with Owen Watkin lining up outside them in the 13 jersey.

On this week’s Sportin Wales podcast, co-founder Alex Cuthbert said: “They need more time.”

“I did like Ben at 10, he’s got that skillset trying to shift the ball wide but whether everyone is on the same page it doesn’t look like it.”

Elaborating on those words from Monday’s podcast Cuthbert said: “In attack, Wales need time to bed those combinations in because it doesn’t happen in a couple of weeks.”

“They need to find a way to hold the defenders short and then beat them with gas on the outside.

“You want to create one-on-ones or to see if you can make the defender will make a mistake like Australia did for Filipo Daugunu’s try.

“I like that Gatland and co. are sticking with the same combination in 10,12 and 13. It’s a must win test match and Wales have the players skillset wise just at the minute they don’t look like a unit.

“The back three looks pretty solid, Liam is really good in the air and Cam is a classy player it’s about getting that 10,12,13 combination working now.”

How To Fuel The Grady Train?

So far Mason Grady’s senior Welsh career reads thus; 13 caps, four wins and three positions played.

Having started games at outside centre and come on at wing, Gatland is now seeing what Grady has to offer at 12, in a similar move to the which saw Jamie Roberts brought in to offer Wales gainline in the summer of 2008.

No one can question the physical attributes of Grady, 6”5, 17 stone and, per his own appearance on the Sportin Wales podcast, quicker than brother Cory Allen.

However, Wales are yet to find a way to get Grady at his tackle busting best, something which will need to change if they are to overturn their run of eight successive test defeats.

“Mason’s playing in a position he’s not used to,” said Cuthbert.

“As a 12 you’re catching the ball in traffic, it’s a different skillset to using your pace or a fend and a step as he’s used to on the wing or at 13.

“That’s why Jamie Roberts was so good. He could catch the ball in traffic and under pressure and get us over the gainline.

“Wales need to find a way of getting Mason those one-on-ones. Sometimes it might mean getting the ball earlier and using more deception and movement at the line.

If he gets a one-on-one with Noah Lolesio, he’s either beating him or getting across the gainline nine times out of ten. Wales’ maul was a real weapon in the first test, they’ll look to use it again in the second, but maybe they can use it to manipulate the Australian back row, draw them in and then give Mason that seam to attack.”

Limit the Errors

In the first test, Wales were guilty of compounding errors at regular intervals, gifting momentum back to the Wallabies.

That, combined with a dominant Aussie scrum allowed the home side to piggy-back up the field with easy territory.

“The most important thing for Wales this week is to the errors down and improve their discipline,” said Cuthbert.

“In the first test the penalty count was way too high. You want to keep below 10 penalties conceded a game and that’s what Mike Forshaw will be looking at this week.

“I thought Wales were a bit too eager at times in defence, getting caught offside and that’s what happens sometimes with young lads.

“In theory, combined with unforced errors, the total should be less than 25, more than that and you’ll never win the game.”

The repeated loss of possession and momentum halted Wales’ attacking game plan and the lack of territory stopped their most impactful weapon and the driving maul.

“Wales’ maul was good they scored one try and had another disallowed, if that had been scored it would have been a completely different ball game,” said Cuthbert.

“Unless you have a really good kicking game or a fluid attack which Wales don’t have at the moment then it’s hard to get territory in international rugby.

“In test match rugby the whole game is pressure and mistakes with the team which makes the fewest mistakes winning.

“If you can keep those errors and penalties down then you can always stay in the game.”