Australia’s Rugby World Cup pool rivals Wales have named uncapped prop Rhys Carre and wing Owen Lane in their 42-man training squad, which includes 36 players who featured in the team’s 2019 Six Nations Grand Slam triumph.
But there are some notable absentees, including loose-forward Dan Lydiate and veteran back Jamie Roberts, while Thomas Young will be considered when he returns from injury.
Wales coach Warren Gatland has selected 18 players with previous World Cup experience for the training squad, which will be put through their paces in the Swiss Alps and Turkey as part of their preparation for the global event that runs from September 20 to November 2 in Japan.
Apart from the Wallabies – runners up at the last World Cup in 2015, Wales have also been drawn in Pool D with Georgia, Uruguay and Fiji.
The Wales squad will be led by lock Alun Wyn Jones, who will be appearing at his fourth World Cup, and sees 72-cap loose-forward Taulupe Faletau return from injury.
“We’ve named a 42-man squad packed with experience. A good number of the Grand Slam-winning squad are in there plus some players who have returned from injury,” Gatland said in a media release by Welsh Rugby on Tuesday.
“The last couple of years have been about building depth and exposing players, and we have done that well, so we have kept the numbers down to make the squad as manageable as possible.”
Gatland said Cardiff pair Carre and Lane deserve an opportunity to stake a claim for a World Cup place having been on the radar for some time.
The squad will head to altitude training in the Swiss Alps, before home and away warm-up internationals against England in August followed by warm-weather work in Turkey.
They have a home international against Ireland on August 31, and Gatland will name his final 31-man squad the following week.
Wales’ 42-man World Cup training squad:
FORWARDS (23)
Leon Brown (Dragons) (5 Caps)
Rhys Carre (Cardiff Blues) (*Uncapped)
Rob Evans (Scarlets) (35 Caps)
Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs) (40 Caps)
Wyn Jones (Scarlets) (12 Caps)
Samson Lee (Scarlets) (40 Caps)
Dillon Lewis (Cardiff Blues) (12 Caps)
Nicky Smith (Ospreys) (28 Caps)
Elliot Dee (Dragons) (18 Caps)
Ryan Elias (Scarlets) (7 Caps)
Ken Owens (Scarlets) (64 Caps)
Jake Ball (Scarlets) (32 Caps)
Adam Beard (Ospreys) (13 Caps)
Bradley Davies (Ospreys) (64 Caps)
Cory Hill (Dragons) (24 Caps)
Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys) (125 Caps)
James Davies (Scarlets) (3 Caps)
Taulupe Faletau (Bath) (72 Caps)
Ross Moriarty (Dragons) (31 Caps)
Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues) (16 Caps)
Aaron Shingler (Scarlets) (17 Caps)
Justin Tipuric (Ospreys) (64 Caps)
Aaron Wainwright (Dragons) (8 Caps)
BACKS (19):
Aled Davies (Ospreys) (16 Caps)
Gareth Davies (Scarlets) (41 Caps)
Tomos Williams (Cardiff Blues) (7 Caps)
Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues) (26 Caps)
Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints) (70 Caps)
Jarrod Evans (Cardiff Blues) (1 Cap)
Rhys Patchell (Scarlets) (11 Caps)
Jonathan Davies (Scarlets) (73 Caps)
Hadleigh Parkes (Scarlets) (15 Caps)
Owen Watkin (Ospreys) (13 Caps)
Scott Williams (Ospreys) (57 Caps)
Josh Adams (Worcester Warriors) (10 Caps)
Hallam Amos (Dragons) (18 Caps)
Steff Evans (Scarlets) (12 Caps)
Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets) (81 Caps)
Owen Lane (Cardiff Blues) (*Uncapped)
George North (Ospreys) (83 Caps)
Jonah Holmes (Leicester Tigers) (2 Caps)
Liam Williams (Saracens) (55 Caps).
