Warren Gatland has made some surprising choices by calling up four uncapped players and omitting three regulars from his Wales squad for their one-off Test against the Springboks.
Wales vs Springboks at Twickenham
Wales will face the Springboks in an away fixture at Twickenham on 22 June before heading to Australia for a two-Test series against the Wallabies.
Notable Squad Changes
The announcement of the squad for the Springboks showdown included some major surprises, most notably the inclusion of four uncapped players among the 22 forwards and 15 backs named.
DRAGONS TO UNLEASH NEW FIRE
The newcomers are Ellis Bevan (scrumhalf) and Jacob Beetham (fullback) from Cardiff Rugby, along with wingers Keelan Giles (Ospreys) and Josh Hathaway (Gloucester).
Additionally, Ben Carter, Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan, Taine Plumtree, and Christ Tshiunza are back in the squad after missing this year’s Six Nations campaign due to injury.
Returning players also include hooker Sam Parry, tighthead prop Henry Thomas, second rows Cory Hill and Matthew Screech, and utility back Liam Williams, bringing the average age of the squad to 25.
The most high-profile omissions by Gatland are Josh Adams, Ryan Elias, and Will Rowlands.
An updated squad of 34 players for the Australia tour will be confirmed following the Springboks encounter.
WALES COACH EXPLAINS HIS SELECTION CALLS
Gatland commented on his selection decisions: “We’ve selected a bigger squad because we don’t have the English club-based players available for the South Africa match. So we will be reducing the squad from 36 to 34 players for Australia.
“I think everyone appreciates and realises we’re building towards 2027. There were moments during the Six Nations where we played some really good rugby and put the opposition teams under some pressure, but we probably weren’t accurate enough,” he said.
“It’s about playing for longer periods, putting halves together, and delivering an 80-minute performance, which ultimately builds confidence and increases our chances of winning games. We need to build on that and keep working hard. We’ve got some experience returning to the squad and some exciting new players, which is promising.
“Our focus is on improving our game management and collision dominance, whether in attack or defense, and creating more depth and competition within the squad.”
Regarding the captaincy, Gatland added: “We will establish a leadership group that is important for us moving forward. We’ll name a captain for the South Africa game and then a captain for the tour.”
WALES SQUAD FOR SPRINGBOKS SHOWDOWN
Backs:
Ellis Bevan, Gareth Davies, Kieran Hardy, Sam Costelow, Mason Grady, Ben Thomas, Nick Tompkins, Owen Watkin, Rio Dyer, Keelan Giles, Josh Hathaway, Liam Williams, Jacob Beetham, Cameron Winnett.
Forwards:
Corey Domachowski, Kemsley Mathias, Gareth Thomas, Elliot Dee, Dewi Lake, Evan Lloyd, Sam Parry, Keiron Assiratti, Archie Griffin, Dillon Lewis, Harri O’Connor, Henry Thomas, Ben Carter, Cory Hill, Dafydd Jenkins, Matthew Screech, Christ Tshiunza, Mackenzie Martin, Jac Morgan, Taine Plumtree, Tommy Reffell, Aaron Wainwright.
