Wales have named George North in their World Cup training squad but will wait for at least six weeks before involving the wing in contact training as he continues his comeback from a third concussion in five months.
North, who has not played since the end of March, has reached the stage in the concussion protocol when he is allowed to run. But he cannot take contact and Wales will be guided by medical opinion.
“It sometimes comes down to more than rugby,” said the Wales forwards coach, Robin McBryde, a week after the Newport Gwent Dragons centre and former Wales Under-20 captain Ashley Smith announced his retirement after a series of concussions. “Let’s get George through the tests first.”
North was at Twickenham on Monday for a World Cup commercial announcement. “It has been a bit of a long road but I am feeling fit and well now and looking forward to what is ahead,” he said.
The Wales squad will start gathering from 15 June and each player will have an individual return-to-play programme depending on when his season finished – last weekend in the case of a few while it is not over for the Toulon full-back Leigh Halfpenny – before attending training camps in Switzerland, Qatar and Poland.
“It is different for each individual,” said Rob Howley, the Wales attack coach. “It may be that George will sit out the warm-up matches in August but that will be guided by him and the medical team. He is fine in terms of running but what we do not know is whether contact will bring back signs of concussion and we will not be doing anything bone-on-bone until we go to Doha next month.”
Nearly a third of the 47 players named in the training squad are based outside Wales, who have different selection criteria from their group rivals England. The hosts will not consider anyone not playing for a Premiership club while three of the forwards called up by Wales made an impact on the English game this season.
The Gloucester back-row Ross Moriarty, whose father, Paul, played for Wales, the Exeter prop Tomas Francis and the Bath second-row Dominic Day will add to the competition for places at a time when the Wales management, who have had a largely settled squad since the last World Cup, are warning against complacency.
“We do not have the player numbers of England and you cannot compare like for like,” Howley said. “It is all about picking the best players who are available for us and giving them a chance. All our players who are with Premiership clubs will be fully available for our training programme and that ensures us a level playing field.”
Moriarty was a member of England’s Under-20 squad and was born in St Helens. His uncle, Richard Moriarty, captained Wales at the inaugural World Cup in 1987. “Ross was chomping at the bit when I spoke to him,” McBryde said, “very eager to join up with us. He has plenty to offer and he has elements of his father and uncle. We did not think about getting in there before England. He was qualified to play for us and he was making an impact with Gloucester.”
Francis qualifies for Wales through a grandparent and Day was born in Haverfordwest. “Tomas was named in the Premiership team of the season and that is testimony to how effective he has been,” McBryde said. “When they played Northampton he got the better of a Lions prop, Alex Corbisiero, and they could not handle him. Dominic’s game has come on at Bath and he deserves the opportunity.”
James Hook is back in the squad after being dropped for the Six Nations. Although the centre Jonathan Davies will not play in the World Cup after damaging knee ligaments Hook will not be considered in the midfield but will be regarded as a fly-half who is an option at fullback.
“We spoke to James earlier in the season about the fact he was quite lateral in attack and it is difficult for a fly-half to then control a game,” Howley said. “Danny Cipriani was superb for England against the Barbarians on Sunday in the way he ran the game and the challenge for James is to be effective when play is structured and when it is unstructured.
“Dan Biggar has had an outstanding season for us at fly-half but this squad is all about driving competition and giving us choices for the 31,” he said.
Wales training squad
Forwards (25): Rob Evans (Scarlets), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Paul James (Bath Rugby), Aaron Jarvis (Ospreys), Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Nicky Smith (Ospreys), Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Kristian Dacey (Cardiff Blues), Richard Hibbard (Gloucester Rugby), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Luke Charteris (Racing Metro), Dominic Day (Bath Rugby), Bradley Davies (Wasps), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Rory Thornton (Ospreys), Dan Baker (Ospreys), Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons), James King (Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Ospreys), Ross Moriarty (Gloucester Rugby), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Sam Warburton (captain - Cardiff Blues).
Backs (22): Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Mike Phillips (Racing Metro), Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues), Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues), Dan Biggar (Ospreys), James Hook (Gloucester Rugby), Matthew Morgan (Bristol Rugby), Rhys Patchell (Cardiff Blues), Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Cory Allen (Cardiff Blues), Jack Dixon (Newport Gwent Dragons), Tyler Morgan (Newport Gwent Dragons), Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Hallam Amos (Newport Gwent Dragons), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon), Tom James (Exeter Chiefs), George North (Northampton Saints), Eli Walker (Ospreys), Liam Williams (Scarlets).
