Dan Biggar and Ian Evans have been welcomed back into the international fold as the Ospreys once again lead the way in terms of players selected in the senior Wales squad.
Also selected for the game against Australia at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, 3 December are Adam Jones and Huw Bennett - despite both missing Saturday’s Heineken Cup game in Treviso through injury - along with Ryan Bevington, Justin Tipuric, Ryan Jones and Shane Williams.
The Ospreys supply eight players to the 28-man squad, the joint highest number along with Cardiff Blues despite the absence of the injured Alun Wyn Jones and Paul James.
Scarlets hooker Matthew Rees returns to the squad alongside two other players who featured in head coach Warren Gatland’s preliminary RWC training squad - Blues prop Scott Andrews and Ospreys flanker Tipuric,
22-year-old fly-half Biggar is set to add to his eight caps after last featuring for Wales in November 2010 against Fiji. Lock Evans, 27, made his last appearance three years ago, against New Zealand in November 2008 at Millennium Stadium,and will bid to add to the 16 caps which saw him make his debut on tour to Argentina in 2006 and earned him a Grand Slam winners medal with four RBS 6 Nations appearances in 2008.
Elsewhere three uncapped players join Wales’ RWC stars, Dragons flanker Lewis Evans, Blues wing Alex Cuthbert and Scarlets full-back Liam Williams all look to make their Wales and Millennium Stadium debuts.
Welsh qualified players based overseas were not made available for selection.
Wales squad, Dove Men Challenge v Australia (alphabetical order)
FORWARDS: Scott Andrews, Huw Bennett, Ryan Bevington, Lloyd Burns, Luke Charteris, Bradley Davies, Ian Evans, Lewis Evans, Toby Faletau, Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones, Ryan Jones, Danny Lydiate, Matthew Rees, Justin Tipuric, Sam Warburton (Captain)
BACKS: Dan Biggar, Alex Cuthbert, Jonathan Davies, Leigh Halfpenny, Tavis Knoyle, George North, Rhys Priestland, Jamie Roberts, Liam Williams, Lloyd Williams, Scott Williams, Shane Williams
WALES SQUAD BIOGS
Gethin JENKINS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,006)
DoB: 17.11.80. 6’2” / 1.88m. 18st 9lbs / 118kgs
International record: 82 caps (W 37, L 43, D 2; 20 pts – 4T)
Adam JONES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,018)
DoB: 08.03.81. 6’0” / 1.83m. 18st 12lb / 120kgs
International record: 75 caps (W 35, L 37, D 3; 10 pts – 2T)
Ryan BEVINGTON (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,081)
DoB: 9.12.88. 6’0”/1.82m. 17st 2lb/109kgs
International record: 6 caps (W 3, L 3)
Scott ANDREWS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,083)
DoB: 01.08.89. 6’2” / 1.88m. 18st 7lbs / 117kgs
International record: 1 cap (L 1)
Lloyd BURNS (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS – Cap No 1,085)
DoB: 09.12.84. 6’0” / 1.83m. 17st 0lbs / 108kgs
International record: 7 caps (W 4, L 3; 5 pts – 1T)
Huw BENNETT (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,017)
DoB: 11.06.83. 6’0” / 1.83m. 16st 8lbs / 105kgs
International record: 48 caps (W 23, L 24, D 1)
Matthew REES (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,033)
DoB: 09.12.80. 6’0” / 1.83m. 17st 1lbs / 108kgs
International record: 47 caps (W 20, L 26, D 1; 10 pts – 2T)
Bradley DAVIES (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,065)
DoB: 09.01.87. 6’6” / 1.98m. 19st 1lbs / 121kgs
International record: 31 caps (W 14, L 16, D 1)
Luke CHARTERIS (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS – Cap No 1,030)
DoB: 09.03.83. 6’9” / 2.06m. 19st 10lbs / 125kgs
International record: 32 caps (W 16, L 16)
Ian EVANS (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,045)
DoB: 04.10.84. 6’8” / 2.04m. 18st 3lbs / 116kgs
International record: 16 caps (W 6, L 9, D 1; 5 pts – 1T)
Sam WARBURTON (CARDIFF BLUES, CAPTAIN – Cap No 1,070)
DoB: 05.10.88. 1.88m / 6’2”. 16st 4lbs / 103kgs
International record: 23 caps (W 12, L 11; 10 pts - 2T)
Dan LYDIATE (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS – Cap No 1,071)
DoB: 18.12.87. 1.93m / 6’4”. 17st 10lbs / 112kgs
International record: 19 caps (W 8, L 10, D 1)
Justin TIPURIC (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,086)
DoB: 06.08.89. 1.88m / 6’2” 15st 10lbs / 100kgs
International record: 1 cap (W 1)
Lewis EVANS (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS – Uncapped)
DoB: 09.07.87. 1.94m / 6’4”. 15st 3lbs / 97kgs
International record: Uncapped
Toby FALETAU (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS – Cap No 1,082)
DoB: 12.11.90. 1.88m / 6’2”. 17st 5lbs / 110kgs
International record: 10 caps (W 5, L 5; 10 pts – 2T)
Ryan JONES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,029)
DoB: 13.03.81. 6’5” / 1.96m. 17st 5lbs / 110kgs
International record: 57 caps (W 28, L 27, D 2; 5 pts – 1T)
Tavis KNOYLE (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,076)
DoB: 02.06.90. 6’1” / 1.85m. 14st 5lbs / 91kgs
International record: 6 caps (W 3, L 3)
Lloyd WILLIAMS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,087)
DoB: 30.11.89. 6’0” / 1.83m. 13st 9lbs / 87kgs
International record: 4 caps (W 3, L 1; 10 pts – 2T)
Rhys PRIESTLAND (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,080)
DoB: 07.01.87 1.82m / 6’0”. 13st 9lbs / 87kgs
International record: 9 caps (W 6, L 3; 42 pts – 12C, 6PG)
Dan BIGGAR (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,063)
DoB: 16.10.89. 6’2” / 1.88m. 14st 1lbs / 89kgs
International record: 8 caps (W 4, L 3, D 1; 52 pts – 8C, 12PG)
Jamie ROBERTS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,057)
DoB: 08.11.86. 6’4” / 1.93m. 17st 5lbs / 110kgs
International record: 38 caps (W 18, L 20; 20 pts – 4T)
Jonathan DAVIES (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,066)
DoB: 05.04.88. 6’1” / 1.86m. 16st 3lb / 103kgs
International record: 21 caps (W 11, L 10; 25 pts – 5T)
Scott WILLIAMS (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,084)
DoB: 10.10.90. 6’0” / 1.83m. 15st 3lbs / 97kgs
International record: 7 caps (W 4, L 3; 20 pts – 4T)
Shane WILLIAMS (OSPREYS – Cap No 976)
DoB: 26.02.77. 5’7” / 1.71m. 12st 1lb / 77kgs
International record: 86 caps (W 41, L 43, D 2; 285 pts – 57T)
George NORTH (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,078)
DoB: 13.04.92. 6’4” / 1.92m. 16st 5lbs / 104kgs
International record: 15 caps (W 6, L 8, D 1; 45 pts – 9T)
Alex CUTHBERT (CARDIFF BLUES – Uncapped)
DoB: 05.04.90. 6’6” / 1.98m. 16st 5lbs / 104kgs
International record: Uncapped
Leigh HALFPENNY (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,060)
DoB: 22.12.88. 5’10” / 1.77m. 13st 2lbs / 83kgs
International record: 26 caps (W 12, L 14; 72 pts – 9T, 9PG)
Liam WILLIAMS (SCARLETS – Uncapped)
DoB:09.04.91. 6’2” / 1.88m. 13st 5lbs / 85kgs
International record: Uncapped