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Sport Rugby Rugby Union International Six Nations: Wales coach Wayne Pivac names Jarrod Evans in squad as Rhys Priestland misses out Elsewhere, Josh MacLeod is the only uncapped player to be called up by the head coach
England win 2020 Six Nations Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
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Your support makes all the difference. Read more Wayne Pivac has included Cardiff Blues fly-half Jarrod Evans in Wales ’ squad for the Six Nations , choosing to go without Bath playmaker Rhys Priestland.
Scarlets back-row forward Josh MacLeod is the only uncapped player to be named in Pivac’s 36-man squad for the competition, with the experienced Ken Owens, Alun Wyn Jones and Josh Navidi all selected after injury concerns.
Priestland has not played a Test match in nearly four years, having moved to England, but he is expected to return to Wales next year and head coach Pivac was thought to have the option of selecting the 34-year-old.
Evans is the only fly-half in the squad currently plying his trade in Wales, with Dan Biggar at Northampton and Callum Sheedy impressing with Bristol.
READ MORE: France seek assurances from England and Ireland over Six Nations safety
Dan Lydiate could be primed for a first Test run since facing Australia in 2018, while Kieran Hardy, Johnny Williams and Louis Rees-Zammit join Sheedy in winning selection having made their international debuts in the autumn.
“We are hugely looking forward to meeting up as a squad on Monday and to the forthcoming campaign,” said Pivac, with Wales hosting Ireland on 7 February to start their Six Nations campaign.
“As we consistently spoke about, the autumn for us was about opportunity and development, looking ahead to Rugby World Cup 2023 and it served that purpose for us.
“This campaign is different, it is tournament rugby and we are excited to get going and play our part.
“We have picked a squad for this tournament based on form and we are excited to meet up on Monday and get our preparation underway.”
The 50-cap fly-half Priestland does not meet the 60-cap rule that would allow Wales to keep selecting him while based in England. The Bath star’s mooted move to Cardiff for next term would remove this stumbling block, and Wales were thought to have weighed up whether to include him now on the special dispensation of a pending return to home soil.
Scarlets star Hardy has won the nod ahead of the Ospreys’ experienced campaigner Rhys Webb, with Gareth Davies and Tomos Williams the other two scrum-halves.
Bristol’s electric wing Ioan Lloyd can count himself unlucky not to have made Pivac’s squad, having set the Premiership alight this term. The 19-year-old won his first two caps across Wales’ autumn series but has been unable to squeeze into the senior squad this time around.
Dragons flanker Ross Moriarty continues to nurse his long-term ankle problem and was not deemed ready to contest selection.
Wales squad Forwards:
Rhys Carre (Cardiff Bues) – 12 caps
Wyn Jones (Scarlets) – 30 caps
Rhodri Jones (Ospreys) – 17 caps
Elliot Dee (Dragons) – 33 caps
Ryan Elias (Scarlets) – 17 caps
Ken Owens (Scarlets) – 77 caps
Leon Brown (Dragons) – 12 caps
Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs) – 52 caps
Dillon Lewis (Cardiff Blues) – 28 caps
Jake Ball (Scarlets) – 49 caps
Adam Beard (Ospreys) – 21 caps
Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys) – 143 caps
Will Rowlands (Wasps) – 5 caps
Cory Hill (Cardiff Blues) – 29 caps
Dan Lydiate (Ospreys) – 62 caps
Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues) – 24 caps
Aaron Wainwright (Dragons) – 27 caps
Taulupe Faletau (Bath) – 81 caps
Josh MacLeod (Scarlets) – uncapped
Justin Tipuric (Ospreys) – 80 caps
Backs:
Gareth Davies (Scarlets) – 57 caps
Tomos Williams (Cardiff Blues) – 20 caps
Kieran Hardy (Scarlets) – 2 caps
Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints) – 87 caps
Callum Sheedy (Bristol Bears) – 4 caps
Jarrod Evans (Cardiff Blues) – 6 caps
Johnny Williams (Scarlets) – 2 caps
Jonathan Davies (Scarlets) – 85 caps
Nick Tompkins (Dragons) – 8 caps
Owen Watkin (Ospreys) – 25 caps
George North (Ospreys) – 98 caps
Josh Adams (Cardiff Blues) – 29 caps
Hallam Amos (Cardiff Blues) – 22 caps
Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester) – 4 caps
Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets) – 93 caps
Liam Williams (Scarlets) – 67 caps
PA
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