WALES GREAT JAMIE Roberts faced further disappointment today after being left out of the squad for their four autumn Tests.
The 30-year-old failed to make this year’s British and Irish Lions squad and now head coach Warren Gatland has left the 93-times capped player out of the Tests with Australia, Georgia, world champions New Zealand and South Africa.
There is a first call-up for New Zealand-born Hadleigh Parkes, even though the 30-year-old Scarlets utility back will only be eligible for selection due to residency rules for the final Test against the Springboks on 2 December.
Gatland, who will lock horns again with the All Blacks having guided the Lions to a sensational 1-1 series tie with the third Test drawn, recalls fly-half Rhys Priestland who won the last of his 48 caps in 2016.
He will vie with Dan Biggar for the playmaking role and probably partnering scrum-half Rhys Webb.
Webb’s ill-timed move to Toulon next year could see his Test career brought to an abrupt end thanks to new rules which stipulate players plying their trade abroad must have at least 60 caps to be eligible for selection.
There is no place either for hooker Scott Baldwin, whose now infamous encounter with a lion at a game park in South Africa resulted in his hand being bitten.
Gatland, though, said he is looking forward to seeing how the less experienced players melded in with the World Cup in Japan just two years away.
“I’m really excited about this squad as we kick off the two year countdown to the 2019 Rugby World Cup,” said Gatland.
“We see this series as an opportunity to expose some players to the Test environment and continue to build our game as we look ahead to two years’ time.
“This autumn is a lot different to 12 months ago, where the focus was all about rankings.
We have selected five uncapped players, there are a further six who made their debuts on the summer tour so it is a big opportunity to see all these players in this environment and I’m looking forward to seeing what they are able to do.”
Gatland, though, offered encouragement to the likes of Roberts, Baldwin and Luke Charteris saying they shouldn’t consider their Test careers were over.
“The important message for those players who have missed out: The door isn’t closed.”
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Wales squad
Forwards: Rob Evans (Scarlets), Wyn Jones (Scarlets), Nicky Smith (Ospreys), Leon Brown (Dragons), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs/ENG), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Kristian Dacey (Cardiff Blues), Elliot Dee (Dragons), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Adam Beard (Ospreys), Seb Davies (Cardiff Blues), Cory Hill (Dragons), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Sam Cross (Ospreys), Taulupe Faletau (Bath/ENG), Dan Lydiate (Ospreys), Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys)
Backs: Aled Davies (Scarlets), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Rhys Patchell (Scarlets), Rhys Priestland (Bath/ENG), Owen Williams (Gloucester/ENG), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Tyler Morgan (Dragons), Hadleigh Parkes* (Scarlets), Owen Watkin (Ospreys), Hallam Amos (Dragons), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), Steffan Evans (Scarlets), Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets), Liam Williams (Saracens/ENG)
