Ryan Jones will captain Robin McBryde's Wales team to tour Canada and USA this summer and leads a squad which could include up to seven uncapped players.
McBRYDE SELECTS WALES SQUAD
Wales caretaker coach McBryde has today named a squad of 32, but those selected from the Scarlets or the Dragons will miss out on the tour - although remaining behind on standby - allowing them to play for their region in the Heineken Cup 24th qualification play-off match, scheduled for the same day as the first Test on tour against Canada.
The Ospreys region supply three players making senior squad debuts in prop Craig Mitchell, centre Jonathan Spratt and full-back Gareth Owen - with all three having figured in the Principality Premiership this season for Neath as well as the Ospreys. Richard Hibbard, Duncan Jones and Dan Biggar all return to the fold, with stalwarts Ian Gough, James Hook and Andrew Bishop all retained.
From the Cardiff Blues regions Nicky Robinson returns to international duty for the first time since the 2007 summer tour to Argentina and he will be welcomed back alongside another long term absentee in wing Chris Czekaj, who was last capped on tour against Australia in 2008 before suffering long term injury.
The Blues also supply wing Richard Mustoe and back row Sam Warburton, both in with a chance of winning their first international caps on tour. Also called up from the region are hooker Gareth Williams and locks Deiniol Jones and Bradley Davies with John Yapp keeping his front row spot.
The Scarlets have three players who could also make debuts in back rows Rob McCusker and Josh Turnbull and centre Jon Davies, whilst Mark Jones and Dafydd Jones are also retained
The Dragons will fight it out with the Scarlets to avoid the Heineken Cup play-off spot and if they can achieve that aim Luke Charteris will join the uncapped trio of back rowers Dan Lydiate and Lewis Evans and full-back Jason Tovey on tour.
"We have a duty to continue with the professionalism, dedication and ruthlessness this Wales squad has shown over the past two seasons on this tour," said McBryde.
"We have approached the task of selecting the right blend of youth and experience with great pride and with one eye on the future, but a clear focus on the task ahead.
"We are playing two tests where the opposition will be gunning for us in their own back yard and we have to show the respect we have for this Wales jersey and put in two performances to make the nation proud.
"There is also a real opportunity here for some players to show us what they can do in this environment with youngsters who have shown form at Wales' under 21 level and players who have lit up the Principality Premiership as well as at regional level.
"But we also have the Wales captain on tour with us, some exciting talent and a wealth of experience in our back line and a number of players coming back to the international scene with something to prove and, we believe, something important to offer to the future."
Eight players from the Wales U20 squads in the last two seasons have made the squad:
2008: Sam Warburton, Josh Turnbull (Six Nations, JWC), Jason Tovey (+2009), Jonathan Davies, Gareth Owen and Dan Biggar (already capped) were all in the same Wales Under 20 side as Leigh Halfpenny last season, helping Wales to the last four of the inaugural IRB Junior World Championship in Wales (Warburton was skipper).
2007: Dan Lydiate and Lewis Evans were two of the Wales Under 20 backrow two seasons ago, along with Tom James and Bradley Davies who will also travel to North America.
2006: Craig Mitchell played for Wales Under 21 in 2006, in the same side as current tourists Chris Czekaj, Andrew Bishop and James Hook, and Lions squad members Jamie Roberts and Alun-Wyn Jones.
2005: Jonathan Spratt captained Wales Under 19 at the 2005 IRB Under 19 World Championship. Rob McCusker has earned representative honours for Wales Sevens in the IRB Sevens World Series over the past few seasons.
WALES 2009 TOUR SQUAD
1 Duncan JONES (OSPREYS - Cap No 997)
DoB: 18.09.78. 6'0" / 1.83m. 17st 8lbs / 112kgs
International record: 52 caps (W 23, L 27, D 2)
2 Craig MITCHELL (OSPREYS)
DoB: 03.05.86. 6'1" / 1.85m. 17st 2lbs / 109kgs
International record: Uncapped
3 Richard HIBBARD (OSPREYS - Cap No 1,048)
DoB: 13.12.83. 6'0" / 1.83m. 17st 7lbs / 111kgs
International record: 7 caps (W 1, L 6)
4 Gareth WILLIAMS (CARDIFF BLUES)
DoB: 19.12.78. 5'8". 15st 4lbs
International record: 5 caps (L 5)
5 John YAPP (CARDIFF BLUES - Cap No 1,031)
DoB: 09.04.83. 6'2" / 1.88m. 18st 8lbs / 118kgs
International record: 12 caps (W 10, L 2)
6 Eifion LEWIS-ROBERTS (SALE SHARKS - Cap No 1,064)
DoB: 13.02.81. 6'1" / 1.86m. 21st 3lbs / 135kgs
International record: 1 cap (W 1)
7 Bradley DAVIES (CARDIFF BLUES - Cap No 1,065)
DoB: 09.01.87. 6'6" / 1.98m. 18st 1lb / 115kgs
International record: 2 caps (W 2)
8 Ian GOUGH (OSPREYS - Cap No 964)
DoB: 10.11.76. 6' 6" / 1.98m. 18st 9lbs / 118kgs
International record: 59 caps (W 27, L 29, D 3; 5 pts - 1T)
9 Deiniol JONES (CARDIFF BLUES)
DoB: 18.11.77. 6'5". 16st 0lbs
International record: 5 caps (W 4, L 1)
10 Luke CHARTERIS (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS - Cap No 1,030)
DoB: 09.03.83. 6'9" / 2.06m. 19st 9lbs / 125kgs
International record: 13 caps (W 7, L 6)
11 Dafydd JONES (SCARLETS - Cap No 1,008)
DoB: 24.06.79. 6'3" / 1.90m. 17st 5lbs / 110kgs
International record: 39 caps (W 17, L 22; 10 pts - 2T)
12 Robin SOWDEN-TAYLOR (CARDIFF BLUES - Cap No 1,032)
DoB: 09.06.82. 6'1" / 1.86m. 15st 11lbs / 100kgs
International record: 6 caps (W 3, L 3)
13 Ryan JONES (OSPREYS, CAPTAIN - Cap No 1,029)
DoB: 13.03.81. 6'5" / 1.96m. 18st 0lbs / 114kgs
International record: 31 caps (W 17, L 13, D 1; 5 pts - 1T)
14 Lewis EVANS (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS)
DoB: 09.07.87. 6'3" / 1.91m. 16st 10lbs / 106kgs
International record: Uncapped
15 Rob McCUSKER (SCARLETS)
DoB: 12.10.85. 1.95m / 6'4". 15st 11lbs / 100kgs
International record: Uncapped
16 Josh TURNBULL (SCARLETS)
DoB: 12.03.88. 1.93m / 6'4". 15st 8lbs / 99kgs
International record: Uncapped
17 Sam WARBURTON (CARDIFF BLUES)
DoB: 05.10.88. 1.88m / 6'2". 15st 9lbs / 99kgs
International record: Uncapped
18 Dan LYDIATE (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS)
DoB: 18.12.87. 1.93m / 6'4". 15st 13lbs / 101kgs
International record: Uncapped
19 Dwayne PEEL (SALE SHARKS - Cap No 994)
DoB: 31.08.81. 5'9" / 1.76m. 13st 8lbs / 86kgs
International record: 67 caps (W 30, L 35, D 2; 25 pts - 5T)
20 Gareth COOPER (GLOUCESTER RUGBY - Cap No 985)
DoB: 07.05.79. 5'7" / 1.71m. 13st 6lbs / 85kgs
International record: 40 caps (W 18, L 22; 40 pts - 8T)
21 Dan BIGGAR (OSPREYS - Cap No 1,063)
DoB: 16.10.89. 6'2" / 1.88m. 13st 9lbs / 87kgs
International record: 1 cap (W 1; 9 pts - 3C, 1PG)
22 Nicky ROBINSON (CARDIFF BLUES - Cap No 1,016)
DoB: 03.01.82. 6'1". 14st 7lb
International record: 12 caps (W 6, L 6; 28 pts - 2T, 3PG, 3C, 1DG)
23Andrew BISHOP (OSPREYS - Cap No 1,059)
DoB: 07.08.85. 6'0" / 1.83m. 15st 0lbs / 95kgs
International record: 4 caps (W 3, L 1)
24 James HOOK (OSPREYS - Cap No 1,047)
DoB: 27.06.85. 6'0" / 1.83m. 14st 12lbs / 94kgs
International record: 33 caps (W 14, L 18, D 1; 209 pts - 6T,34C,35PG,2DG)
25 Jonathan SPRATT (OSPREYS)
DoB: 28.04.86. 6'2" / 1.88m. 16st 1lb / 102kgs
International record: Uncapped
26 Jonathan DAVIES (SCARLETS)
DoB: 05.04.88. 6'1" / 1.86m. 16st 3lbs / 103kgs
International record: Uncapped
27 Mark JONES (SCARLETS - Cap No 984)
DoB: 07.11.79. 6'2" / 1.88m. 15st 0lbs / 95kgs
International record: 46 caps (W 21, L 23, D 2; 60 pts - 12T)
28 Richard MUSTOE (CARDIFF BLUES)
DoB: 09.12.81. 6'1" / 1.85m. 13st 9lbs / 87kgs
International record: Uncapped
29 Tom JAMES (CARDIFF BLUES - Cap No 1,055)
DoB: 17.04.87. 6'2" / 1.88m. 15st 1lb / 96kgs
International record: 3 caps (L 3)
30 Chris CZEKAJ (CARDIFF BLUES - Cap No 1,038)
DoB: 14.12.85. 6'3" / 1.91m. 16st 8lbs / 105kgs
International record: 6 caps (W 1, L 5; 5 pts - 1T)
31 Gareth OWEN (OSPREYS)
DoB: 05.11.88. 6'0" / 1.82m. 13st 12lbs / 88kgs
International record: Uncapped
32 Jason TOVEY (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS
DoB: 28.04.89. 5'11" / 1.80m. 12st 13lbs / 82kgs
International record: Uncapped