CARDIFF – Warren Gatland has named a 47-man summer training squad in preparation for the Rugby World Cup including players qualified to play for both England and Wales.
With Gloucester back rower Ross Moriarty and Exeter prop Thomas Francis both eligible for England and Wales, Gatland has been the first national coach to pounce on the duo naming the uncapped pair in the Welsh training squad.
Moriarty’s Gloucester team-mates James Hook and Richard Hibbard have also been selected while Francis’ Exeter team-mate Tom James has been selected after announcing his return to play with the Cardiff Blues next season
Another notable but not necessarily surprising inclusion in the World Cup training squad is the New Zealand born Gareth Anscombe. Anscombe took a gamble and left the Super Rugby where he played with the Blues and the Chiefs to seek a Wales World Cup berth and it appears the gamble has paid off.
Wales Summer Training Squad
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), 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 (Cardiff Blues, capt).