Wales caretaker coach Rob Howley has named four uncapped players in a 38-man training squad to prepare for next month’s clash against rugby’s Barbarians and three-Test Australia tour.
The group will assemble on May 21 with the exception of a sizeable Ospreys contingent that will be preparing for the PRO12 final against Leinster five days later.
Scarlets fullback Liam Williams, his team-mate prop Rhodri Jones, Ospreys centre Ashley Beck and Cardiff Blues wing Harry Robinson are the Test rookies involved.
Six players, meanwhile, have been called up from outside Wales’ title and Grand Slam-winning squad this season, including flanker Martyn Williams, who is set to win his 100th cap against the Barbarians in Cardiff on June 2.
“We have been pretty consistent with selection,” Howley said.
“It’s now down to these players to pick up where we left off in the Six Nations to prove to us that they should be on that plane to Australia.
“We hope to get the summer off to a winning start against the Baa-Baas, and everyone who figures in that game will be playing for a place on the tour.”
France-based Mike Phillips and James Hook will be with the squad from the start while skipper Sam Warburton remains firmly on course to recover in time from a shoulder injury.
“We have a tough series ahead of us with five matches in four weeks, but we are fully focussed on the prize of that elusive southern hemisphere scalp.”
Two players are unavailable for the tour due to injury – Cardiff Blues centre Jamie Roberts and Ospreys hooker Huw Bennett.
Wales’ 38-man training squad for Barbarians game on June 2 and Australia tour.
Backs: A Beck (Ospreys), D Biggar (Ospreys), A Bishop (Ospreys), A Brew (Newport Gwent Dragons), A Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), J Davies (Scarlets), L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), W Harries (Newport Gwent Dragons), J Hook (Perpignan), G North (Scarlets), M Phillips (Bayonne), R Priestland (Scarlets), H Robinson (Cardiff Blues), R Webb (Ospreys), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues), S Williams (Scarlets), Liam Williams (Scarlets).
Forwards: R Bevington (Ospreys), L Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), I Evans (Ospreys), T Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons), R Gill (Saracens), R Hibbard (Ospreys), P James (Ospreys), G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), A Jones (Ospreys), A-W Jones (Ospreys), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Ryan Jones (Ospreys), D Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), K Owens (Scarlets), M Rees (Scarlets), A Shingler (Scarlets), J Tipuric (Ospreys), J Turnbull (Scarlets), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues, capt), M Williams (Cardiff Blues.
