Gatland names 42-man Wales training squad for the World Cup

Warren Gatland at Wales training squad announcement for Rugby World Cup

Uncapped Cardiff Blues players Owen Lane and Rhys Carre have been named in a 42-man Wales World Cup training squad.

Prop Carre, who will join Saracens later this year, and wing Lane are in a group that comprises 19 backs and 23 forwards.

Head coach Warren Gatland has included 36 of his squad selected for this season's Six Nations, when Wales were crowned Grand Slam champions.

Bath's British and Irish Lions number eight Taulupe Faletau, who has missed much of this season due to injury, is selected, along with back-row colleagues Aaron Shingler and James Davies.

There is also a place for experienced Ospreys lock Bradley Davies as Wales face a busy summer of preparation that features four warm-up Tests.

Injured flankers Ellis Jenkins and Thomas Young are both excluded, but could come into consideration later this summer depending on their recoveries.

Gatland said: "It is exciting to name our training squad and to get the RWC ball rolling.

"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.

"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.

"We have been really impressed with Rhys and with Owen. They have both been on our succession plan for a while, and it will be good to have them in camp with us and to see what they are able to do."

Wales kick off their World Cup campaign in Japan against Georgia on September 23, which is followed by pool stage appointments with Australia, Fiji and Uruguay.

It will be Gatland's last campaign before he steps down as Wales boss, with many pundits feeling his players could match - or better - reaching the 2011 semi-finals.

Wales' busy summer of preparation will be highlighted by home and away games against England and Ireland, starting at Twickenham on August 11 and finishing in Dublin 27 days later.

Gatland is set to name his final World Cup squad during the week of the second Ireland game.

The New Zealander will also oversee training camp trips to Switzerland in July and Turkey the following month.

Wales will replicate their 2015 World Cup build-up in Switzerland, again basing themselves at Fiesch in the Swiss Alps for two weeks.

On August 18 they will depart for warm-weather training at Turkey's Gloria Sports Arena before heading to Japan just over three weeks later and a further training camp in Kitakyushu.


Wales training squad for Rugby World Cup

Forwards: Leon Brown (Dragons), Rhys Carre (Cardiff Blues), Rob Evans (Scarlets), Tomas Francis (Exeter), Wyn Jones (Scarlets), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Dillon Lewis (Cardiff Blues), Nicky Smith (Ospreys), Elliot Dee (Dragons), Ryan Elias (Scarlets), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Adam Beard (Ospreys), Bradley Davies (Ospreys), Cory Hill (Dragons), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), James Davies (Scarlets), Taulupe Faletau (Bath), Ross Moriarty (Dragons), Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons).

Backs: Aled Davies (Ospreys), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Tomos Williams (Cardiff Blues), Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues), Dan Biggar (Northampton), Jarrod Evans (Cardiff Blues), Rhys Patchell (Scarlets), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Hadleigh Parkes (Scarlets), Owen Watkin (Ospreys), Scott Williams (Ospreys), Josh Adams (Worcester), Hallam Amos (Dragons), Steff Evans (Scarlets), Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets), Owen Lane (Cardiff Blues), George North (Ospreys), Jonah Holmes (Leicester), Liam Williams (Saracens).

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