Johnny Williams gets the nod in the Wales 33-player squad having missed out four years earlier after being diagnosed with testicular cancer; Wales begin their World Cup campaign against Fiji in Bordeaux on September 10
Monday 21 August 2023 12:53, UK
Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan have been named Wales co-captains in Warren Gatland's final 33-player squad ahead of the Rugby World Cup in France.
Wales' most-capped senior men's back George North features ahead of what will mark his fourth World Cup, while fly-half Dan Biggar is due to compete in his third.
Elsewhere Johnny Williams makes the cut having watched on from a hospital bed four years ago in 2019 after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.
The Welsh squad features 19 forwards and 14 backs, 17 of which enter with past World Cup experience.
Wales begin their World Cup campaign against Fiji on September 10.
Third World Cup outings are in the offing for scrum-half Gareth Davies, tighthead prop Tomas Francis, blindside flanker Dan Lydiate and full-backs Leigh Halfpenny and Liam Williams, while Exeter Chiefs second row Dafydd Jenkins is the youngest member of the squad at 20-years-old.
Davies is one of just two scrum-halves in the squad alongside Tomas Williams, with Kieran Hardy missing out as one of 15 omissions from the provisional group.
"If we do pick up injuries it's not too far of a distance to go. Both of them have been robust," said Gatland.
"We did talk earlier that there'd be a point where we'd have to make concessions. We looked at the depth in our back three and covering players who are getting on a little bit. Wanted more cover in the back three."
Loosehead prop Corey Domachowski and tighthead prop Henry Thomas feature after clinching their first senior caps during the Summer Series earlier this month. won their first senior caps for Wales during the Summer Series matches this August.
"The toughest part of the job is always selection and this is particularly the case when it comes to picking a Rugby World Cup squad," said Gatland.
"Over the past three months the whole group of 48 players in the wider training squad has been outstanding in terms of attitude and effort, so having to reduce the squad down to the final 33 has been really hard and there have been some close final decisions in the last 36 hours.
"But we can only take 33 players and those we have selected we think offer a good combination in terms of talent and experience.
"We have a few more training sessions here in Wales before we depart for France on September 3 and we cannot wait to get out there and get started in this tournament. We look forward to what lies ahead for this group.
"This will be a very proud moment for these players, their families and friends and I'd like to congratulate them all on the achievement."
FORWARDS (19): Taine Basham (13 caps), Adam Beard, (47 caps) (2019 RWC), Elliot Dee (43 caps) (2019 RWC), Corey Domachowski (2 caps), Ryan Elias (34 caps) (2019 RWC), Taulupe Faletau (100 caps) (2011 RWC), Tomas Francis (72 caps) (2015 & 2019 RWC), Dafydd Jenkins (7 caps), Dewi Lake (9 caps), Dillon Lewis (51 caps) (2019 RWC), Dan Lydiate (71 caps) (2011 & 2015 RWC), Jac Morgan (11 caps), Tommy Reffell (10 caps), Will Rowlands (25 caps), Nicky Smith (44 caps) (2019 RWC), Gareth Thomas (22 caps), Henry Thomas (2 caps), Christ Tshiunza (7 caps), Aaron Wainwright (39 caps) (2019 RWC).
BACKS (14):
Josh Adams (50 Caps) (2019 RWC), Gareth Anscombe (35 caps) (2015 RWC), Dan Biggar (109 Caps) (2015 & 2019 RWC), Sam Costelow (4 caps), Gareth Davies (69 Caps) (2015 & 2019 RWC), Rio Dyer (9 caps), Mason Grady (4 caps), Leigh Halfpenny (100 Caps) (2011 & 2019 RWC), George North (114 Caps) (2011, 2015 & 2019 RWC), Louis Rees-Zammit (27 caps), Nick Tompkins (28 caps), Johnny Williams (6 caps), Liam Williams, Kubota Spears (85 Caps) (2015 & 2019 RWC), Tomos Williams (48 Caps) (2019 RWC).
