The Wales head coach has stuck with the majority of his much hailed Rugby World Cup side, adding just four players who did not feature in either his extended 45-man pre-RWC training squad or the December international against Australia at the Millennium Stadium at the start of this season.
Saracens prop Rhys Gill, uncapped Ospreys pair Ashley Beck and Rhys Webb and young Blues wing Harry Robinson are the only players in the squad who have not been in the international selector’s plans this season so far, with Gill earning his only international cap two years ago as a 2010 RBS 6 Nations replacement against Ireland.
Robinson, Webb, Beck, Scarlets prop Rhodri Jones and colleague Liam Williams – who both featured in the training squad which faced the Wallabies last month – and Scarlets lock Lou Reed (lock) are the only uncapped players selected.
The squad is set to be reduced again after Wales return from an intense seven-day period at the specialist training camp which utilizes cryotherapy chambers to improve recovery and allow players to cram more training sessions into a given day.
But Gatland is confident he has the right blend of youth, talent and experience to mount a highly credible challenge on the 2012 RBS 6 Nations title next month, which begins with a Celtic double header against Ireland, away, and Scotland, at home at the Millennium Stadium, on the first two weekends in February.
Three players – Mitchell, Gill and Sale Sharks back row Andy Powell – join the squad from English clubs and Wales have also called upon the services of France based trio James Hook, Mike Phillips and Lee Byrne, with all six available to Wales for a reduced amount of time on the camp (three days), the maximum stipulated by IRB regulations.
“We have had to strike a balance with this squad, the majority are those players who excelled for Wales during the Rugby World Cup, but are also taking the opportunity to look at one or two youngsters before probably cutting our numbers even further before the start of the RBS 6 Nations,” said Gatland.
“We have kept a couple of older heads and we have injuries, with Alun Wyn Jones, Josh Turnbull, Rob McCusker and Luke Charteris all unavailable to us, but the emphasis on development and planning for the future is there for everyone to see.
“These are exciting times for Welsh rugby, we showed a huge amount of potential at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and we will be working as hard as humanly possible to ensure that we reach our potential in this year’s 6 Nations championship.”
WALES
BACKS
Mike PHILLIPS (BAYONNE – Cap No 1,022)
DoB: 29.08.82. 6’3” / 1.91m. 15st 10lb / 101kgs
International record: 60 caps (W 28, L 29, D 2; 40 pts – 8T)
Lloyd WILLIAMS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,087)
DoB: 30.11.89. 6’0” / 1.83m. 13st 9lbs / 87kgs
International record: 5 caps (W 3, L 2; 10 pts – 2T)
Rhys WEBB (OSPREYS – Uncapped)
DoB: 09.12.88. 6’0” / 1.83m. 13st 12lbs / 88kgs
International record: Uncapped
Rhys PRIESTLAND (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,080)
DoB: 07.01.87 1.82m / 6’0”. 13st 9lbs / 87kgs
International record: 10 caps (W 6, L 4; 53 pts – 1T, 12C, 8PG)
James HOOK (PERPIGNAN – Cap No 1,047)
DoB: 27.06.85. 6’0” / 1.83m. 14st 12lbs / 94kgs
International record: 59 caps (W 25, L 32, D 2; 326 pts – 12T, 40C, 58PG, 4DG)
Jamie ROBERTS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,057)
DoB: 08.11.86. 6’4” / 1.93m. 17st 5lbs / 110kgs
International record: 39 caps (W 18, L 21; 20 pts – 4T)
Jonathan DAVIES (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,066)
DoB: 05.04.88. 6’1” / 1.86m. 16st 3lb / 103kgs
International record: 21 caps (W 11, L 10; 25 pts – 5T)
Scott WILLIAMS (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,084)
DoB: 10.10.90. 6’0” / 1.83m. 15st 3lbs / 97kgs
International record: 8 caps (W 4, L 4; 20 pts – 4T)
Gavin HENSON (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 990)
DoB: 01.02.82. 6’0” / 1.83m. 15st 10lbs / 100kgs
International record: 33 caps (W 18, L 14, D 1; 130 pts – 3T, 29C, 18PG, 1DG)
Ashley BECK (OSPREYS – Uncapped)
DoB: 15.04.90. 6’3” / 1.91m. 15st 10lbs / 100kgs
International record: Uncapped
George NORTH (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,078)
DoB: 13.04.92. 6’4” / 1.92m. 16st 5lbs / 104kgs
International record: 16 caps (W 6, L 9, D 1; 45 pts – 9T)
Leigh HALFPENNY (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,060)
DoB: 22.12.88. 5’10” / 1.77m. 13st 2lbs / 83kgs
International record: 27 caps (W 12, L 15; 72 pts – 9T, 9PG)
Alex CUTHBERT (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,089)
DoB: 05.04.90. 6’6” / 1.98m. 16st 5lbs / 104kgs
International record: 1 cap (L 1)
Harry ROBINSON (CARDIFF BLUES – Uncapped)
DoB: 16.04.93. 5’10” / 1.78m. 12st 13lbs / 82kgs
International record: Uncapped
Liam WILLIAMS (SCARLETS – Uncapped)
DoB:09.04.91. 6’2” / 1.88m. 13st 5lbs / 85kgs
International record: Uncapped
Lee BYRNE (ASM CLERMONT AUVERGNE – Cap No 1,041)
DoB: 01.06.80. 6’3″ / 1.91m. 14st 12lb / 94kgs
International record: 46 caps (W 20, L 24, D 2; 50 pts – 10T)
FORWARDS
Craig MITCHELL (EXETER CHIEFS – Cap No 1,068)
DoB: 03.05.86. 6’1” / 1.85m. 17st 2lbs / 109kgs
International record: 11 caps (W 8, L 3)
Adam JONES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,018)
DoB: 08.03.81. 6’0” / 1.83m. 18st 12lb / 120kgs
International record: 75 caps (W 35, L 37, D 3; 10 pts – 2T)
Ryan BEVINGTON (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,081)
DoB: 9.12.88. 6’0”/1.82m. 17st 2lb/109kgs
International record: 7 caps (W 3, L 4)
Gethin JENKINS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,006)
DoB: 17.11.80. 6’2” / 1.88m. 18st 9lbs / 118kgs
International record: 83 caps (W 37, L 44, D 2; 20 pts – 4T)
Paul JAMES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,021)
DoB: 13.05.82. 6’1” / 1.86m. 18st 2lbs / 115kgs
International record: 31 caps (W 12, L 18, D 1)
Rhys GILL (SARACENS – Cap No 1,073)
DoB: 30.10.86. 5’11” / 1.80m. 17st 2lbs / 109kgs
International record: 1 cap (L 1)
Rhodri JONES (SCARLETS – Uncapped)
DoB: 19.01.91. 6’3” / 1.91m. 17st 6lbs / 111kgs
International record: Uncapped
Matthew REES (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,033)
DoB: 09.12.80. 6’0” / 1.83m. 17st 1lbs / 108kgs
International record: 48 caps (W 20, L 27, D 1; 10 pts – 2T)
Huw BENNETT (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,017)
DoB: 11.06.83. 6’0” / 1.83m. 16st 8lbs / 105kgs
International record: 49 caps (W 23, L 25, D 1)
Ken OWENS (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,088)
DoB: 03.01.87. 6’1” / 1.86m. 17st 8lbs / 112kgs
International record: 1 cap (W 1)
Bradley DAVIES (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,065)
DoB: 09.01.87. 6’6” / 1.98m. 19st 1lbs / 121kgs
International record: 32 caps (W 14, L 17, D 1)
Ian EVANS (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,045)
DoB: 04.10.84. 6’8” / 2.04m. 18st 3lbs / 116kgs
International record: 17 caps (W 6, L 10, D 1; 5 pts – 1T)
Lou REED (SCARLETS – Uncapped)
DoB: 10.09.87. 6’6” / 1.99m. 17st 11lbs / 113kgs
International record: Uncapped
Ryan JONES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,029)
DoB: 13.03.81. 6’5” / 1.96m. 17st 5lbs / 110kgs
International record: 58 caps (W 28, L 28, D 2; 5 pts – 1T)
Dan LYDIATE (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS – Cap No 1,071)
DoB: 18.12.87. 1.93m / 6’4”. 17st 10lbs / 112kgs
International record: 20 caps (W 8, L 11, D 1)
Sam WARBURTON (CARDIFF BLUES, CAPTAIN – Cap No 1,070)
DoB: 05.10.88. 1.88m / 6’2”. 16st 4lbs / 103kgs
International record: 24 caps (W 12, L 12; 10 pts – 2T)
Justin TIPURIC (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,086)
DoB: 06.08.89. 1.88m / 6’2” 15st 10lbs / 100kgs
International record: 2 caps (W 1, L 1)
Toby FALETAU (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS – Cap No 1,082)
DoB: 12.11.90. 1.88m / 6’2”. 17st 5lbs / 110kgs
International record: 11 caps (W 5, L 6; 10 pts – 2T)
Andy POWELL (SALE SHARKS – Cap No 1,061)
DoB: 23.08.81. 6’4” / 1.94m. 18st 0lbs / 114kgs
International record: 22 caps (W 12, L 10; 5 pts – 1T)
