Wales have named the tighthead prop Samson Lee and the full-back Liam Williams in their 31-man Rugby World Cup squad despite fitness concerns over the pair, while there are also places for the England-based duo Tomas Francis and Dominic Day.
Lee ruptured an achilles tendon in March and has not played since while Williams suffered a broken foot in June but both have been selected in the squad announced by Warren Gatland on Monday.
The Exeter tighthead Francis, who made his international debut in the victory away to Ireland last weekend, is also selected, as is the Bath second-row Dominic Day – one of five locks chosen by Gatland to provide cover for Alun Wyn Jones.
The Ospreys man suffered a medial ligament strain against Ireland and is unlikely to be fully fit for a couple of weeks. Gatland said: “We have ended up going for five second-rows, and really because it is such an attritional position. Alun Wyn Jones picked up a little bit of a medial strain on the weekend, which is a couple of weeks, Luke Charteris got a bang on the leg, so we have kind of looked at the squad and said that if players pick up knocks we’ve got cover for them.
“It’s a couple of weeks [for Jones]. That engine room is so important for us. I thought he was outstanding on the weekend.”
Sam Warburton has, as expected, been named as captain but he is not joined in the back row by the former England under-20 flanker Ross Moriarty, who impressed on debut against Ireland in Wales’s opening warm-up match.
Wales, like their pool rivals Australia, have named just two hookers – Ken Owens and Scott Baldwin – with Kristian Dacey omitted but the Bristol utility back Matthew Morgan has survived the cut.
Gatland added: “Matthew Morgan is someone we think has got a bit of x-factor. He’s not 6ft 4in and 115 kg, he’s quick and has got some skill, and that x-factor is important. He can cover a few positions as well. I think there is a nice balance in the squad between the physicality that we can bring, which we saw on the weekend, and hopefully with some skill as well. Even though Saturday was a pretty tight game, we off-loaded pretty well.”
The others to be released from the squad are Tyler Morgan – meaning Wales have just three centres – the fly-half Gareth Anscombe, who is nursing a foot injury, the props Rob Evans and Scott Andrews and the Ospreys wing Eli Walker.
Cory Allen is one of the centres selected despite not featuring in any of Wales’s warm-up matches to date. Alex Cuthbert’s place was reported to be in doubt but he is one of six outside backs to be picked, along with Hallam Amos, Leigh Halfpenny, Morgan, George North and Williams.
“Some of the decisions were the toss of a coin. Those players that have missed out, you feel for them massively,” said Gatland. “It is incredibly disappointing for those players that miss out. It’s hard but you have got to accept that is the nature of professional sport and we are entrusted to make what we believe are the right calls.”
Wales’s Rugby World Cup squad:
Forwards Tomas Francis, Paul James, Aaron Jarvis, Gethin Jenkins, Samson Lee, Scott Baldwin, Ken Owens, Jake Ball, Luke Charteris, Bradley Davies, Dominic Day, Alun Wyn Jones, Taulupe Faletau, James King, Dan Lydiate, Justin Tipuric, Sam Warburton (captain).
Backs Gareth Davies, Rhys Webb, Lloyd Williams, Dan Biggar, Rhys Priestland, Cory Allen, Jamie Roberts, Scott Williams, Hallam Amos, Alex Cuthbert, Leigh Halfpenny, Matthew Morgan, George North, Liam Williams.
