Warren Gatland is still holding out hope that Rhys Webb will be available for Wales next season.

The Wales coach has recalled Webb to the starting line-up to face Georgia on Saturday for the scrum-half’s first Test since the controversial new 60-cap ruling was introduced by the WRU.

That new selection policy will exclude the Ospreys No.9 from the end of this season if he goes through with his intended move to Toulon.

But Gatland is keen to keep the door open to Webb and clearly believes nothing is yet cast in stone as official new signings for French clubs cannot be registered until next year – giving the Lions star still time to reconsider.

Gatland confirmed he has not held further talks with Webb since the 28-times capped player joined up with the squad last week but added: “I spoke to him at the Vale before we announced the squad.

“He’s disappointed with the situation and he hasn’t trained much the last two weeks because he’s been carrying an injury.

“That’s the thing with Rhys, he’s had a lot of injuries the last few years and if he hadn’t had those injuries he might now be nearer the 60-cap limit.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen in the future we just have to make sure we don’t close him off fully. We have to be smart about keeping him in the frame but also make sure we give other No.9s a chance.”

Gatland has made wholesale changes to the Wales starting line-up for Saturday’s clash in Cardiff.

Only Liam Williams remains from the side beaten 29-21 by Australia – and he moves from wing to full-back – as Gatland looks at a number of players before Wales tackle world champions New Zealand next week.

Ospreys flanker Sam Cross, who was part of Great Britain’s silver medal-winning sevens squad at the 2016 Rio Olympics, makes a first Wales start in what will be just his fourth game of professional 15-a-side rugby.

Cross featured as a second-half substitute against the Wallabies, while fellow replacements from last weekend – centre Owen Watkin, hooker Kristian Dacey, prop Leon Brown and lock Cory Hill – also start.

Elsewhere, Ospreys lock Adam Beard is named as Hill’s second-row partner, with 21-year-old Cardiff Blues lock Seb Davies chosen at number eight.

Webb has recovered from knee trouble and starts, while Scott Williams fills the outside centre position vacated by an injured Jonathan Davies, but there is no sign of flanker Justin Tipuric, who has a thigh injury.

Experienced campaigners like wing Alex Cuthbert, fly-half Rhys Priestland and flanker Dan Lydiate also feature – Lydiate captains the team – with Priestland, who has been in superb form for Bath this season, wearing Wales’ number 10 shirt for the first time since their opening game of the 2015 World Cup against Uruguay.

Like Australia, Georgia are in Wales’ 2019 World Cup pool, and they will arrive at the Principality Stadium fresh from a 54-22 victory over Canada last weekend.

Uncapped Dragons hooker Elliot Dee is among the replacements, but Gatland has also named plenty of experience on the bench in number eight Taulupe Faletau, prop Tomas Francis and fly-half Dan Biggar.

Lydiate, meanwhile, captains his country for a third time in what will be the first meeting between Wales and Georgia.

“We felt this week was really important to give a number of the squad as much exposure as possible to Test match rugby,” Gatland said.

“It is an exciting opportunity for some of the younger guys to take the field and show us what they are capable of.

“We have got a fair amount of experience to throw into the mix, too, both with players who have got a decent number of cap numbers, but also players who have been around this environment for a good while.

“Georgia are coming to Cardiff on the back of a good victory last weekend, and they will be looking to show what they can do on this stage. We have to be ready for that.”

Wales: L Williams (Saracens); A Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), S Williams (Scarlets), O Watkin (Ospreys), H Amos (Dragons); R Priestland (Bath), R Webb (Ospreys); N Smith (Ospreys), K Dacey (Cardiff Blues), L Brown (Dragons), A Beard (Ospreys), C Hill (Dragons), D Lydiate (Ospreys, capt), S Cross (Ospreys), S Davies (Cardiff Blues).