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Wales announce touring squad
April 30, 2007 - 9:40pm
Gareth Thomas will lead Wales’s 28-man squad on tour to Australia next month.
Thomas will lead a party that head coach Gareth Jenkins believes will be “highly competitive” with the prospect of Rugby World Cup selection as the carrot.
While 28 players will head down under, Jenkins is leaving behind 18 players who will begin an intensive summer conditioning schedule ahead of the World Cup kick-off in September.
Jenkins is entering the final phase of his Rugby World Cup 2007 preparations and is prepared to cast both age and past reputations aside when he picks his 30-man squad for the French-based tournament.
After the tour to Australia, Jenkins will shave his preparation squad down to 38-40 before finally selecting 30 players to play at the Rugby World Cup. Selection, he says, will be based entirely on the ‘here and now’ – meaning places are still very much up for grabs.
An eight week summer training camp, run by national fitness coach Mark Bennett, will keep those 18 internationals players not touring in peak condition, with Jenkins and his fellow coaches urging the players in Australia to force their way into contention for France.
“Ultimately we will be picking the group of 30 players that we believe will give us the best chance of winning the Rugby World Cup,” said Jenkins. “If you’re playing well then you are never too old and never too young. Selection will be about the here and now and so those players in possession of the shirts on tour to Australia have every chance of holding on to them.
“There are some players who have not had the opportunity to show us their talents. We finished the Six Nations strongly and were able to maintain consistency of selection during that campaign, but we also have an open mind and this tour will help us gain clarity of thought certain areas of selection.
“Gareth (Thomas) will lead from the front in his own inimitable style and there are other seasoned campaigners with us who will be eager to show they can offer us options at this level.
“Together with those experienced players who have the chance to shine, we also have a need to develop more young leaders in this squad and Australia could well be the place where they come to the fore.”
Despite leaving many of his 2007 Six Nations starting XV at home, Jenkins is convinced the squad he is taking to Australia is all about “performance rather than development”.
Gavin Henson said of his inclusion:
“I was shocked but delighted to get the phone call this morning but I’m determined to give 100% during this tour. I’ve been out of rugby for four or five months but I’ve been working hard on my rehab.
“It’s been a difficult year for me on the rugby field but this news has given me a real boost. I’m just pleased to get back into the squad environment and to be given the chance to play international rugby again.”
The tour will continue to nurture the talents of James Hook, Jamie Robinson, Aled Brew and Michael Phillips whilst also retaining almost 300 caps-worth of international experience in skipper Thomas (94), Colin Charvis (84), Dafydd James (45), Mefin Davies (37) and Michael Owen (34).
Also included is Ospreys centre Gavin Henson, who is back in training with the Ospreys and due to play for his region before the end of the season.
“Gavin is an important player for us and we want to give him the best opportunity to force his way into the World Cup reckoning. It will be good to have him back in the squad in Australia and we can monitor his fitness and form as we build towards September,” said Jenkins.
Those players remaining at home to train will be put through their paces by fitness guru Bennett utilising the power, speed and conditioning programmes available at the University of Wales Institute, Cyncoed, Swansea University and the Vale of Glamorgan Hotel.
Players will also be tested at Glamorgan University as Bennett attempts to present his coach with a group of athletes at the peak of their physical conditioning in time for the Rugby World Cup campaign.
“We needed a certain standard of training facility for these players to do the work necessary to peak at the right time and we didn’t have to look far,” said Jenkins.
“Wales has an excellent infrastructure which feeds its national sport and we have based two summer camps in East and West Wales to cut down on travel and maximise training and recovery times.
“When we return from Australia we’ll come up with a training squad of around 47 players who will continue to be put through their paces in the lead up to our Invesco Perpetual Summer Series matches at the Millennium Stadium against France and Argentina.
“Then, as the tournament approaches, we will trim down again to 30 players and everybody involved with us at the moment has a contribution to make to this squad. It’s fair to say they all have a chance of making the cut.
“It will be one of the toughest decisions of my coaching career when it comes down to it and I know every one of these players will be doing their utmost to make it even tougher – and that’s exactly the kind of elite sport environment we are looking to create.”
WALES SQUAD TO TOUR AUSTRALIA 2007
Forwards:
Iestyn Thomas (Scarlets), Ceri Jones (Harlequins) Rhys Thomas (Dragons), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Huw Bennett (Ospreys), Richard Hibbard (Ospreys), Mefin Davies (Gloucester), Brent Cockbain (Ospreys), Rob Sidoli (Blues), Scott Morgan (Blues), Jonathan Thomas (Ospreys), Gavin Thomas (Scarlets), Robin Sowden-Taylor (Blues), Colin Charvis (Dragons), Michael Owen (Dragons)
Backs:
Lee Byrne (Ospreys), Chris Czekaj (Blues), Hal Luscombe (NEC Harlequins), Dafydd James (Scarlets), Jamie Robinson (Blues), Gareth Thomas (Toulouse - Captain), Gavin Henson (Ospreys), Aled Brew (Dragons), Ceri Sweeney (Dragons), James Hook (Ospreys), Gareth Cooper (Dragons), Mike Phillips (Blues), Andy Williams (Bath)
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