George North RETURNS to Wales team after being dropped for last two matches

George North is in from the cold for Wales, coming straight back from his dropping to start at the unfamiliar position of centre against Italy in the Autumn Nations Cup fifth-place play-off match.

North has only started five of his 97 Wales caps at centre, the last coming also against Italy in the Six Nations when Wayne Pivac‘s men won 42-0.

Having been axed from for the last two matches, this is North’s chance to prove he has rediscovered his form at the Ospreys.

George North will return for Wales in the Autumn Nations Cup against Italy on Saturday

North is one of nine changes Wayne Pivac has made to his side after the loss against England

He is one of nine changes to the side that lost to England as Pivac drastically alters his squad looking to avoid the embarrassment of another defeat in a tough year.

Wales go into the fifth-place playoff this weekend having lost to Ireland and England, in between a victory over Georgia.

Callum Sheedy will partner Kieran Hardy at half-back, the same pairing from the Georgia victory, as Liam Williams returns at full-back having recovered from a cut lip.

Callum Sheedy of Bristol Bears will partner Kieran Hardy at half-back as he did against Georgia

Louis Rees-Zammit and Josh Adams keep their spots on the wings, as Johnny Williams continues at inside centre.

There are further changes up front, though. Nicky Smith, Sam Parry and Tomas Francis form a brand-new front-row as Will Rowlands comes in for Jake Ball at lock alongside skipper Alun Wyn Jones.

Justin Tipuric is back after a concussion to join James Botham, who moves back to blindside, and Taulupe Faletau in the back-row.

‘Saturday is another opportunity for these players and for us as a squad it is another opportunity to continue to build and to see the results of all the hard work in training,’ said Pivac

‘We have blooded eight new caps this campaign and importantly by the end of the match each of them would have had a number of appearances to their name.

‘From the outset we wanted this campaign to be about giving players opportunity and we have done that.

‘The hard work in training is coming through and we want to show that again on Saturday and finish the campaign on a high, with the performance and result we want.’

On the bench Leon Brown, Cory Hill, Gareth Davies, Ioan Lloyd and Jonah Holmes all return with Elliot Dee, Wyn Jones and Aaron Wainwright who were involved in the England game.

Pivac has won just two of nine Tests so far, so will be desperate for a third victory to round off a disappointing year on a positive note.