Wales have omitted the British & Irish Lions prop Adam Jones from their 34-man squad to prepare for next month’s Test series in Cardiff, damaging the 100-cap veteran’s prospects of appearing in a fourth World Cup next year.
Jones, who has won 95 caps for Wales and five for the Lions, was substituted 31 minutes into Wales’s first Test against South Africa last June and was left out of the matchday 23 the following week. He joined Cardiff Blues from Ospreys before the start of the season, saying his aim was to regain his place in the Wales side. A player who has been a fixture in the Wales side since Warren Gatland took over as the national head coach is now fourth in line with Samson Lee, Aaron Jarvis and Rhodri Jones the three tightheads in the squad.
On the other side of the scrum, another Lions veteran, Gethin Jenkins, is included along with fellow looseheads Paul James and the 20-year-old Osprey Nicky Smith, the one uncapped player in the squad.
Gatland said the omission did not mean that Jones’s international career was over. Another squad regular in the Gatland era, the Gloucester fly-half James Hook, has also been left out. He has been used as a replacement by Wales in recent years because of his versatility having been capped at 12, 13 and 15 as well as 10, but Gatland has opted for specialist cover in his squad for four Tests which include encounters with Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Ten of the 34 are based outside Wales, including the under-fire Racing Métro quartet, Jamie Roberts, Dan Lydiate, Luke Charteris and Mike Phillips, but there is no place for the Saracens prop Rhys Gill. The flanker Sam Warburton, the one player who has so far signed a dual contract under the new agreement between the Welsh Rugby Union and the four regions, remains as captain.
“A lot of experience has come back into the squad with 12 players unable to make the tour to South Africa because of injury,” said Gatland. “And there are some exciting youngsters. Nicky Smith has been playing especially well for Ospreys and it is a great opportunity for him.
“We took a number of things into account before making some tough decisions. We had to weigh up a balance of players who play in Wales and outside, due to how often they can train with us, but we are really happy with the squad. We are looking to the future and the next 12 months ahead and the door has not been closed to anyone not selected.”
Wales have only defeated one of the major southern hemisphere nations once under Gatland, Australia in 2008, and next month will be their final opportunity before next year’s World Cup when they will be in a group that includes the hosts, England, and Australia.
“That record is there for everyone to see and it would be good for us to put an end to it against Australia,” said Warburton. “The World Cup is still a long way away and lots could change.”
Wales squad for November Tests
Backs L Williams (Scarlets), L Halfpenny (Toulon), T Prydie (Newport Gwent Dragons), G North (Northampton), A Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), H Amos (Newport Gwent Dragons), S Williams (Scarlets), J Davies (Clermont Auvergne), J Roberts (Racing Métro), C Allen (Cardiff Blues), R Priestland (Scarlets), D Biggar (Ospreys), M Phillips (Racing Métro), R Webb (Ospreys), R Williams (Scarlets).
Forwards G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), P James (Bath), N Smith (Ospreys), A Jarvis (Ospreys), S Lee (Scarlets), R Jones (Scarlets), R Hibbard (Gloucester), E Phillips (Scarlets), S Baldwin (Ospreys), A-W Jones (Ospreys), J Ball (Scarlets), B Davies (Wasps), L Charteris (Racing Métro), D Lydiate (Racing Métro), J King (Ospreys), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues), J Tipuric (Ospreys), D Baker (Ospreys), T Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).
