Wales pick Kiwi in Six Nations squad

New Zealand-born Gareth Anscombe is one of four uncapped players included in Wales’s Six Nations squad, with experienced back James Hook and veteran prop Adam Jones omitted by coach Warren Gatland.

Cardiff Blues five-eighth Anscombe only moved to Wales earlier this season and has made just nine appearances for the regional side.

Anscombe, 23, qualifies to play for his adopted country through a Welsh-born mother.

He is one of an uncapped quartet that also includes centre Tyler Morgan, prop Rob Evans and hooker Kristian Dacey.

The omission of talented five-eighth Hook was no surprise given he has rarely won favour with Kiwi coach Gatland and was left out of the squad for the November internationals.

However, a recall had been forecast by some pundits for Adam Jones given Scarlets forward Rhodri Jones’s shoulder injury.

But with Gatland selecting three tighthead props in Samson Lee, Aaron Jarvis and Scott Andrews, there are now doubts over the extent of Adam Jones’s future as an international front-row forward.

Anscombe, in common with Hook, can play at both five-eighth and fullback although it remains to be seen if he will feature in Wales’s matchday 23 for their Six Nations opener against England in Cardiff on February 6.

Rhys Webb, Mike Phillips and the fit-again Gareth Davies are Wales’s halfbacks.

“It’s great to be able to name such an experienced squad that also boasts some exciting young talent,” Gatland said.

“The four uncapped players have all been going well for their respective regions, and it will be good to see them in this environment and we hope they take the opportunity.

“They come into a squad packed with experience, and that experience will be important to us over the next eight weeks and the year as a whole,” added Gatland, whose side defeated South Africa in November but lost to world champions New Zealand and Australia.

“We all know how tough the Six Nations is, and we kick the tournament off with a huge game against England, and that is something you have to be excited about and look forward to,” added Gatland, whose side will also face England in their World Cup pool later this year.

Wales Squad

Backs

Mike Phillips, Rhys Webb, Gareth Davies, Dan Biggar, Rhys Priestland, Gareth Anscombe, Cory Allen, Jamie Roberts, Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams, Tyler Morgan, Hallam Amos, Alex Cuthbert, George North, Liam Williams, Leigh Halfpenny.

Forwards

Gethin Jenkins, Paul James, Rob Evans, Aaron Jarvis, Samson Lee, Scott Andrews, Richard Hibbard, Kristian Dacey, Scott Baldwin, Alun Wyn Jones, Jake Ball, Bradley Davies, Luke Charteris, Dan Lydiate, James King, Sam Warburton (capt), Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau.

Wales’s 2015 Six Nations Fixtures

Feb 06: v England, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

Feb 15: v Scotland, Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Feb 28: v France, Stade de France, Paris

Mar 14: v Ireland, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

Mar 21: v Italy, Olympic Stadium, Rome

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