By Hannah Blackwell
Wales coach Warren Gatland has named a squad of 23 to take on former captain Alun Wyn Jones and the Barbarians in Cardiff on Nov. 4, with 16 retained players from their Rugby World Cup campaign in France.
Gatland, though, will be without a significant number of his leading players through injury and the inability to call on those contracted to clubs in England, France and Japan as the fixture falls outside of the international window.
Dan Biggar, Louis Rees-Zammit, Gareth Davies, Josh Adams and Liam Williams are all missing, but co-captains from the World Cup, hooker Dewi Lake and flanker Jac Morgan, will play.
Let the mind games begin @Barbarian_FC! @WelshRugbyUnion 🤣#BBCRugby pic.twitter.com/2RrTWDHC7C
— BBC ScrumV (@BBCScrumV) October 19, 2023
Props Keiron Assiratti and Leon Brown, locks Ben Carter and Teddy Williams, flanker Taine Plumtree, fullback Cai Evans and wing Tom Rogers are the players who did not travel to the World Cup.
The match will be in honour of Jones, who retired from international rugby in May having won a record 170 test caps.
The Barbarians will be coached by Australian Eddie Jones and future New Zealand chief Scott Robertson.
Warren Gatland names Jac Morgan sole captain for Wales vs Barbarians. https://t.co/OwceB5O7vE
— ITV Wales News (@ITVWales) October 19, 2023
But the game has caused a stir among the Welsh regions, falling over the same weekend as Scarlets play Cardiff in the United Rugby Championship, and the Ospreys host South Africa’s Sharks.
“We’ve decided to go with a smaller squad than usual to prepare for the game because we wanted to help the regions as much as we can by not taking too many of their players away,” Gatland said.
“Our next World Cup cycle starts now. When you look at the potential of the players we have coming through it’s exciting. I look forward to working with these players and seeing them develop and grow.”
Wales squad to play Barbarians:
Forwards (13): Corey Domachowski, Elliot Dee, Dewi Lake, Nicky Smith, Keiron Assiratti, Leon Brown, Adam Beard, Ben Carter, Teddy Williams, Dan Lydiate, Jac Morgan (captain), Taine Plumtree, Aaron Wainwright
Backs (10): Kieran Hardy, Tomos Williams, Sam Costelow, Cai Evans, Mason Grady, George North, Johnny Williams, Rio Dyer, Leigh Halfpenny, Tom Rogers.
Warren Gatland has named a 23-strong squad for Wales' match against the Barbarians in Cardiff 🏉#BBCRugby
— BBC ScrumV (@BBCScrumV) October 19, 2023