(Reuters) – Dewi Lake will retain the captaincy of Wales for their November tests as coach Warren Gatland on Monday named two uncapped players in a 35-man squad for the internationals against Fiji, Australia and South Africa.
Lake captained Wales on tour to Australia in July and was co-captain with Jac Morgan at last year’s World Cup and stays on as skipper despite Morgan’s return after injury.
“I thought Dewi did a really good job with the captaincy over the summer, so we’ve decided for him to continue in the role this autumn,” said Gatland in a statement on Monday.
Morgan is one of several players recalled after missing out on the two-test tour to Australia, along with Adam Beard, Ryan Elias, Will Rowlands, Henry Thomas and Tomos Williams
Also back in test reckoning is 33-year-old flyhalf Gareth Anscombe, who last played for Wales in their 40-6 World Cup win over Australia in Lyon 13 months ago.
He was injured in the warm-up for the following game against Georgia and missed the rest of the season which ruled him out of the Six Nations and the tour of Australia.
Dragons’ scrumhalf Rhodri Williams returns to the international fold for the first time in 10 years. The 31-year-old won three caps in 2013 and 2014 but has not been picked since.
Gatland named only two uncapped players in lock Freddie Thomas from Gloucester and Scarlets’ wing Blair Murray.
Thomas played for England at under-20 level while Murray is a former New Zealand Schoolboys international.
Wales have lost their last nine tests and if beaten by Fiji in Cardiff on Nov. 10 would equal their longest run of successive losses.
In the statement announcing the squad on Monday, Gatland added: “We feel this is an exciting squad with some experience coming back to join the younger players. We know they are going to work incredibly hard as a group this November.”
Squad:
Forwards: Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff), Adam Beard (Ospreys), James Botham (Cardiff), Ben Carter (Dragons), Ryan Elias (Scarlets), Archie Griffin (Bath), Dewi Lake (Ospreys), Evan Lloyd (Cardiff), Kemsley Mathias (Scarlets), Jac Morgan (Ospreys), Taine Plumtree (Scarlets), Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers), Will Rowlands (Racing 92), Nicky Smith (Leicester Tigers), Freddie Thomas (Gloucester), Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), Henry Thomas (Scarlets), Christ Tshiunza (Exeter Chiefs), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons)
Backs: Gareth Anscombe (Gloucester), Ellis Bevan (Cardiff), Sam Costelow (Scarlets), Rio Dyer (Dragons), Mason Grady (Cardiff), Josh Hathaway (Gloucester), Eddie James (Scarlets), Max Llewellyn (Gloucester), Blair Murray, Tom Rogers (both Scarlets), Ben Thomas (Cardiff), Nick Tompkins (Saracens), Owen Watkin (Ospreys), Rhodri Williams (Dragons), Tomos Williams (Gloucester), Cameron Winnett (Cardiff).
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Christian RAdnedge)
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