Rugby Union: Llewellyn to captain Wales

WITH Ieuan Evans among the four Welshmen soon to be Lions in New Zealand, Wales needed a new captain for their summer tour to southern Africa and yesterday chose Gareth Llewellyn, one player to emerge from a switchback season with reputation intact.

Llewellyn, the 24-year-old Neath lock, greeted his appointment thus: 'I was disappointed to miss out on the Lions tour, but being made captain of Wales is as big an honour.' Robert Jones and Phil Davies, former captains who came to know the familiar agony of Welsh defeat and are now in the new man's squad, may beg to differ.

Wales will play two Tests against Zimbabwe and one against Namibia, where they won twice in 1990. Four of the tourists from then - Rayer, Griffiths, Buckett and Arnold - return. Ian Buckett is one of six uncapped players in a party of 26. As Llewellyn put it: 'We are a young team and we are going to get better.'

The other non-internationals include Lyn Jones, the Llanelli flanker who has had a powerful body of opinion in his support all season but not, until now, that of the selectors. Jones, 28, is a genuine open side of a type that has been shunned by Wales, England and, more recently, the Lions.

As for Llewellyn, the captaincy completes his transition from the difficult juvenile who was at the centre of a post-match fracas in Brisbane the last time he toured with Wales. Some of those with whom he was at odds that day will be under his command in Africa.

Some are born captains, others have it thrust upon them. It was only when Neath did the latter that they realised Llewellyn might be among the former.

WALES TOUR PARTY TO ZIMBABWE/NAMIBIA: Full-backs: M Rayer (Cardiff), I Jones (Llanelli). Wings: W Proctor (Llanelli), N Walker (Cardiff). Centres: N Boobyer, N Davies (Llanelli), M Hall (Cardiff). Outside-halves: A Davies (Cardiff), N Jenkins (Pontypridd). Scrum-halves: R Jones (Swansea), R Moon (Llanelli). Props: I Buckett (Swansea), M Griffiths (Cardiff), J Davies (Neath), H Williams-Jones (South Wales Police). Hookers: A Lamerton (Llanelli), R McBryde (Swansea). Locks: P Arnold (Swansea), A Copsey, P Davies (Llanelli), Gareth Llewellyn (Neath, capt). Back row: S Davies (Swansea), L Jones, E Lewis, M Perego (Llanelli), A Williams (Maesteg).

ITINERARY: 22 May ZIMBABWE (Bulawayo); 25 Zimbabwe B (Harare); 29 ZIMBABWE (Harare); 2 June Namibia B (Windhoek); 5 NAMIBIA (Windhoek); 9 Barbarians Select (Windhoek).