May 11 (Reuters) - Wales coach Steve Tandy has named an expanded 48-man squad for July’s Nations Championship fixtures, including six uncapped players and the return from injury of captain Jac Morgan and back-rower Tommy Reffell.
Tandy is casting his net far and wide as he builds towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup, and following a promising Six Nations Championship campaign in which there were improved performances from the side following a wretched few years.
Wales play a non-cap fixture against the Barbarians on June 27, before a Nations Championship meeting with Fiji in Cardiff, and clashes in Argentina and South Africa on a daunting road trip.
Props Rhys Barratt and Ben Warren, loose forwards Kane James, Harrison Keddie and Ryan Woodman, and centre Bryn Bradley are the uncapped players in the squad.
Back-rower Morgan, centre Max Llewellyn and lock Teddy Williams all missed the Six Nations through injury and return, while Reffell has been selected after also returning from a long spell on the sidelines.
"Some players will finish next weekend and then some might not come into the squad until June 27, so there’s a lot of staggering, that’s the reason for the extended squad," Tandy said.
"The priorities for us this summer are to keep growing the players, get them up to speed with the conditioning element and also skill development when they’re coming in."
Wales squad:
Forwards: Keiron Assiratti, Rhys Barratt, Adam Beard, Liam Belcher, James Botham, Rhys Carre, Ben Carter, Olly Cracknell, Ryan Elias, Kane James, Dafydd Jenkins, Harrison Keddie, Dewi Lake, Dillon Lewis, Evan Lloyd, Alex Mann, Jac Morgan, Taine Plumtree, Tommy Reffell, Nicky Smith, Gareth Thomas, Freddie Thomas, Aaron Wainwright, Sam Wainwright, Ben Warren, Teddy Williams, Ryan Woodman
Backs: Josh Adams, Ellis Bevan, Bryn Bradley, Sam Costelow, Dan Edwards, Jarrod Evans, Mason Grady, Kieran Hardy, Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Joe Hawkins, Louie Hennessey, Eddie James, Max Llewellyn, Ellis Mee, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Blair Murray, Louis Rees-Zammit, Joe Roberts, Tom Rogers, Ben Thomas, Tomos Williams.
(Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Ed Osmond)
