Dan Biggar set to join exclusive club with landmark 100th Wales appearance

Fly-half will become the seventh Welshman to reach a century for their country

Dan Biggar will win his 100th Wales cap in the Guinness Six Nations game against Italy

(PA Wire)

Dan Biggar will win his 100th Wales cap in Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash against Italy.

Only six other Welshmen – Alun Wyn Jones, Gethin Jenkins, Stephen Jones, George North, Martyn Williams and Gareth Thomas – have clocked up a century for their country.

Wyn Jones, meanwhile, is poised to collect cap number 150 for Wales – an ongoing world record – after being named in the starting line-up.

The 36-year-old has not played since suffering a shoulder injury during Wales’ Autumn Nations series opener against New Zealand in late October.

Jones had two operations, and most medical forecasts were that he would miss the entire Six Nations, but he is back ahead of schedule and partners Adam Beard in the second-row.

Alun Wyn Jones will return to the Wales starting line-up against Italy (David Davies/PA)

(PA Archive)

Fly-half Biggar captains a team showing seven changes following the 13-9 defeat against title and Grand Slam-chasing France last Friday.

Jones apart, other players called up are full-back Johnny McNicholl, wing Louis Rees-Zammit, centre Uilisi Halaholo, scrum-half Gareth Davies, hooker Dewi Lake and prop Dillon Lewis.

Players dropping out include Liam Williams, Alex Cuthbert, Jonathan Davies, Ryan Elias and Will Rowlands.