Prop Gethin Jenkins will lead Wales in their Rugby World Cup third-place playoff against Australia at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday.

Coach Warren Gatland has made three changes to the team that lost 9-8 to France at the weekend.

Jenkins has been named captain in the place of Sam Warburton, who is serving a three-match ban after receiving a red card for a spear tackle on France's Vincent Clerc in Saturday's semi-final.

Toby Faletau will move from his usual position at No.8 to openside flanker to replace Warburton, while former Wales captain Ryan Jones will play at No.8.

There was no place for injured fly-half Rhys Priestland with James Hook named to start in the position again.

Lock Bradley Davies will start after he replaced Alun Wyn Jones during the semi-final while the absence through injury of prop Adam Jones will see Paul James start the match.

"We are sticking with the majority of the side which has put together a string of performances for us so far in this tournament," Gatland said.

"The one change which wasn't forced, in the second row, is based on the fact that Alun-Wyn Jones ran himself into the ground when we had 14 men against France."

"We face Australia back home at the Millennium Stadium in just over a month's time, and we are single-minded in our assertion that we want that homecoming to be a celebration of us achieving the status of one of the top three teams in the world."

"We have come a long way and put together a string of performances that the nation can be proud of so far in New Zealand."

"And we need to ensure that the history books reflect what we know we are capable of. And it is only by beating the Wallabies on Friday that we feel this will be achieved."

Wales: 1. Gethin Jenkins (captain), 2. Huw Bennett, 3. Paul James, 4. Bradley Davies, 5. Luke Charteris, 6. Danny Lydiate, 7. Toby Faletau, 8. Ryan Jones, 9. Mike Phillips, 10. James Hook, 11. Shane Williams, 12. Jamie Roberts, 13. Jonathan Davies, 14. George North, 15. Leigh Halfpenny

 

Follow ITV Rugby on Twitter

Sign up for our ITV Rugby email alerts

Like ITV Rugby on Facebook and play our Ultimate Fan game