Warren Gatland names Wales squad for summer tour to Australia

Wales head coach Warren Gatland. PA Images
Warren Gatland's group includes four uncapped players and a number of internationals returning from injury. Credit: PA Images

Wales have named a 36-man squad for their summer tour to Australia.

Warren Gatland's group includes four uncapped players in the shape of Cardiff scrum-half Ellis Bevan and full-back Jacob Beetham, Ospreys winger Keelan Giles and Gloucester winger Josh Hathaway.

A crop of five players, including Rugby World Cup co-captains Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan, return after missing the Six Nations through injury.

Cory Hill returns to the side for the first time since 2021 and Liam Williams returns after missing the Six Nations due to commitments with his new club in Japan.

Josh Adams, Ryan Elias and Will Rowlands have been given a break this summer and a captain for the tour is yet to be named.

Wales face South Africa in an away fixture at Twickenham Stadium on 22 June before heading for Australia on 26 June to play two Test matches against the Wallabies and a fixture against the Queensland Reds.

Gatland said: “I think everyone appreciates and realises we’re building towards 2027. There were moments during the Six Nations where we played some really good rugby and put the opposition teams under some pressure, but we probably weren’t accurate enough.

“It’s about playing for longer periods, putting halves together and putting an 80-minute performance together which ultimately gives you confidence and gives you that opportunity to win games.

“We need to build on that. We need to keep working hard. We’ve got some experience to come back into the squad and some exciting players which is good.

“The big focus for us is about our game management and to get better with that. But we also want to improve our collision dominance whether that’s attack or defence and create some more depth and competition within the squad.”

Wales - forwards: Corey Domachowski, Kemsley Mathias, Gareth Thomas, Elliot Dee, Dewi Lake, Evan Lloyd, Sam Parry, Keiron Assiratti, Archie Griffin, Dillon Lewis, Harri O'Connor, Henry Thomas, Ben Carter, Cory Hill, Dafydd Jenkins, Matthew Screech, Christ Tshiunza, Mackenie Martin, Jac Morgan, Taine Plumtree, Tommy Reffell, Aaron Wainwright.

Backs: Ellis Bevan, Gareth Davies, Kieran Hardy, Sam Costelow, Mason Grady, Ben Thomas, Nick Tompkins, Owen Watkin, Rio Dyer, Keelan Giles, Josh Hathaway, Liam Williams, Jacob Beetham, Cameron Winnett.