Wales have rested all but two of their 12 players who toured New Zealand with the Lions last year for next month’s game against South Africa in Washington and two Tests in Argentina.
The Gloucester flanker Ross Moriarty and the Northampton wing George North, who are joining Dragons and Ospreys respectively in the summer, have had injury-disrupted seasons and have been selected but the Wales captain, Alun Wyn Jones, the No 8 Taulupe Faletau, the fly-half Dan Biggar, the wing Liam Williams, the full-back Leigh Halfpenny and the hooker Ken Owens are among those remaining in Wales to rest in readiness for a busy season that culminates with the World Cup in Japan.
Warren Gatland has named co-captains for the tour. Cory Hill, the Dragons’ second-row, featured throughout the Six Nations campaign but the choice of the flanker Ellis Jenkins, who recovered from injury to spearhead Cardiff Blues’ progress to the European Challenge Cup final against Gloucester in Bilbao on Friday, was a surprise.
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There is only one uncapped player in the 31-strong squad, the scrum-half Tomos Williams, as Wales prepare for life without Rhys Webb. He is joining Toulon and will be unavailable under a new rule because he turned down a regional contract, having played fewer than 60 Tests. Fifteen of the squad have a single-figure number of caps including Jenkins, who has six.
Gatland has recalled Bath’s second-row Luke Charteris to add experience. He is one of four players, North, Scott Williams and Bradley Davies are the others, who have more than 50 caps. Gareth Anscombe and Rhys Patchell will vie for the fly-half jersey while the Worcester wing Josh Adams, who scored 12 Premiership tries this season, and the Scarlets wing Tom Prydie, who won the first of his seven caps eight years ago when he became the youngest player to appear for Wales having just turned 18, are included.
Gatland is considering deploying North in the centre. “I have spoken to him about covering the midfield,” he said. “We have used him in the past there and I would like to see him get some game time with Ospreys in the centre. I have told him about following the likes of Tana Umaga and Ma’a Nonu, who ended up moving into midfield, and he gives us a different option.
“He is excited about coming on tour and wants to be involved. It is a great chance for him to have a leadership role and work with some of the youngsters. The tour is a chance for us to develop more leaders in the squad, something that has been a challenge for us because it does not come naturally to the Welsh players. Now he is coming back to Wales, we have the chance to manage the games George plays and get him back into the world class form he is capable of.”
Gregor Townsend has named six new faces in Scotland’s squad for their tour of the US, Canada and Argentina. The Edinburgh hooker Stuart McInally will captain a squad that includes Lewis Carmichael, Matt Fagerson, Adam Hastings, George Horne, James Lang and Jamie Ritchie.
Hastings – the 21-year-old Glasgow fly-half – is the son of the former Scotland captain Gavin Hastings and the nephew of Scott.
Townsend said: “There are twin goals for this tour – the first is to build on the work we’ve done so far this season and finish with improved performances. We also have the World Cup in our thoughts, as this will be our last tour before we leave for Japan next year.”