Five uncapped players including Dragons youngster Taine Basham have been included in Wayne Pivac’s first Wales squad for their upcoming clash with the Barbarians.
The game at Principality Stadium on November 30 will be Pivac’s first game since taking over from Warren Gatland, with the three-time Grand Slam champion set to coach the Baa-Baas in a game that is part of a double header with Wales women also taking on the Barbarians.
Basham gets his opportunity after impressing for the Dragons early this season, with the former Wales Under-20s back-rower having scored a hat-trick against Castres in Europe on Saturday.
He is joined in the squad by fellow back-rower Shane Lewis-Hughes of Cardiff Blues, as well as Dragons teammate Ashton Hewitt.
Hewitt is one of three new faces in the backs, with Willis Halaholo and Johnny McNicholl also making the squad.
In all, 22 players from the World Cup squad will feature in the uncapped game with Pivac excited to see what his new charges are capable of ahead of next year’s Guinness Six Nations.
He said: “It is great to get the squad announced and get the ball rolling on our first meet-up and first fixture next week.
“This Barbarians game is a great chance for us as a new squad and management to get together and to set the scene for what we are looking to do. Having this opportunity ahead of tournament rugby in the Guinness Six Nations is ideal for us.
“It is also a great chance for some players to really put their hand up and show what they are about and take to the field in front of a big crowd at home.
“We will be bringing a few additional players in to train with the squad during the week, just to see them in the environment and will also be bringing some of the injured players in for some of the scene setting style sessions.”
WALES SQUAD FOR BARBARIANS FIXTURE (SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30 KO 14.45)
Forwards:
Elliot Dee (Dragons) (29 Caps) Ryan Elias (Scarlets) (9 Caps) Ken Owens (Scarlets) (73 Caps) Rob Evans (Scarlets) (36 Caps) Wyn Jones (Scarlets) (22 Caps) Nicky Smith (Ospreys) (35 Caps) Leon Brown (Dragons) (6 Caps) Samson Lee (Scarlets) (41 Caps) Dillon Lewis (Cardiff Blues) (22 Caps) Jake Ball (Scarlets) (42 Caps) Adam Beard (Ospreys) (20 Caps) Bradley Davies (Ospreys) (66 Caps) Seb Davies (Cardiff Blues) (7 Caps) Taine Basham (Dragons) (Uncapped) Ollie Griffiths (Dragons) (1 Cap) Shane Lewis-Hughes (Cardiff Blues) (Uncapped) Ross Moriarty (Dragons) (41 Caps) Aaron Shingler (Scarlets) (26 Caps) Justin Tipuric (Ospreys) (72 Caps) Aaron Wainwright (Dragons) (18 Caps)
Backs:
Aled Davies (Ospreys) (20 Caps) Gareth Davies (Scarlets) (51 Caps) Tomos Williams (Cardiff Blues) (16 Caps) Sam Davies (Dragons) (8 Caps) Jarrod Evans (Cardiff Blues) (3 Caps) Willis Halaholo (Cardiff Blues) (Uncapped) Hadleigh Parkes (Scarlets) (25 Caps) Owen Watkin (Ospreys) (22 Caps) Owen Lane (Cardiff Blues) (2 Caps) Josh Adams (Cardiff Blues) (21 Caps) Steff Evans (Scarlets) (13 Caps) Ashton Hewitt (Dragons) (Uncapped) Johnny McNicholl (Scarlets) (Uncapped) Hallam Amos (Cardiff Blues) (22 Caps) Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets) (85 Caps)
