Hooker Davies lines up in the front row after impressing against England last week. 21 year-old Merriman, who is highly rated by the Gloucester management team, will captain the U21s in Turin on Friday night.
The official Gloucester website rounds up all of the latest news from the full Welsh side and the Wales U21s.
Wales
Wales Coach Mike Ruddock has asked for the 'same again' after his Wales side defeated England in Cardiff for the first time in 12 years last Saturday, for the trip to Italy in the second round of the RBS Six Nations Championship this weekend
Ruddock's side, led by captain Gareth Thomas, will run out unchanged against the Azzurri on Saturday (Kick-off 1.30pm GMT).
The only change to the match day 22 comes on the bench, Ryan Jones ruled out with a shoulder injury and is replaced by lock Ian Gough on the bench. Gough will provide cover for the second row with the versatile Jonathan Thomas able to come on in either the back or 2nd row.
"We have been striving for a level of continuity with this side from the start and it is a good feeling to be able to ask the same personnel to just go out there and do it again," said Ruddock. "We have obviously taken the victory against the World Champions in good spirits, but we also know we did not play to the very highest standards of which we know we are capable."
WALES:
15 Gareth THOMAS (TOULOUSE, CAPTAIN)
14 Hal LUSCOMBE (DRAGONS)
13 Tom SHANKLIN (BLUES)
12 Gavin HENSON (OSPREYS)
11 Shane WILLIAMS (OSPREYS)
10 Stephen JONES (CLERMONT AUVERGNE)
09 Dwayne PEEL (SCARLETS)
01 Gethin JENKINS (BLUES)
02 Mefin DAVIES (GLOUCESTER)
03 Adam JONES (OSPREYS)
04 Brent COCKBAIN (OSPREYS)
05 Robert SIDOLI (BLUES)
06 Dafydd JONES (SCARLETS)
07 Martyn WILLIAMS (BLUES)
08 Michael OWEN (DRAGONS)
REPLACEMENTS
16 Robin McBRYDE (SCARLETS)
17 John YAPP (BLUES)
18 Ian GOUGH (DRAGONS)
19 Jonathan THOMAS (OSPREYS)
20 Gareth COOPER (DRAGONS)
21 Ceri SWEENEY (DRAGONS)
22 Kevin MORGAN (DRAGONS
Wales U21s
Gloucester's James Merriman will take over the captaincy of the Wales Under 21 when they try to follow up their opening victory over England in this season's Six Nations Championship with a second triumph against Italy in Turin on Friday night.
Highly rated Gloucester Academy player Merriman, who hails from Pembrokeshire, sat out the first-half of the 32-21 victory over the English at Rodney Parade before joining the fray as a second half replacement for try scorer Ryan Shellard.
Now Shellard gives way for the new skipper, who takes over the captaincy from fellow back row man Jonathan Mills.
Merriman is one of two changes in the starting line-up. The other is at centre, when Pontypridd's Tom Riley moves up off the bench to win his first cap in place of the injured Gavin Evans.
Coaches Chris Davey and Dai Rees have also made two changes among the replacements. Harlequins lock Ben Thomson gets involved with a national Welsh side for the first time, while Cardiff Dafydd Hewitt takes Riley's place on the bench.
The Italians managed to match their Irish counterparts on tries last weekend, scoring three, but the visitors ran out 33-21 victors in the end. Wales Under 21 have an unbeaten record against Italy at this level, notching six wins in a row.
The last time they played in Italy Wales ran our 27-16 victors with a certain Gavin Henson kicking 12 points and Michael Phillips, Richie Pugh and Matthew Nuthall grabbing tries.
ITALY UNDER 21 V WALES UNDER 21
Chieri, Turin, Friday, 11 February
15 Ricky Williams (Newport)
14 Aled Brew (Ospreys)
13 Andrew Bishop (Neath)
12 Tom Riley (Pontypridd)
11 Chris Czekaj (Cardiff)
10 Matthew Jones (Ospreys)
9 Wayne Evans (Carmarthen Quins)
1 Scott Roberts (Bridgend)
2 Duane Goodfield (Pontypridd)
3 Cai Griffiths (Neath)
4 Alun Wyn-Jones (Swansea)
5 Ian Evans (Pontypridd)
6 Chris Davies (Bridgend)
7 James Merriman (Hartpury College/Gloucester, captain)
8 Jonathan Mills (Scarlets)
Replacements
16 Rhys James (UWIC)
17 Ross Davies (Newbridge)
18 Ben Thomson (Harlequins)
19 Tom Smith (Neath)
20 Aled Thomas (Carmarthen Quins)
21 Dafydd Hewitt (Cardiff)
22 Rhodri McAtee (Penzance)
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