Wales Tour of Japan

First topic message reminder :

I know there was a thread on this somewhere, but it's been swamped.

Wales Lions - likely replacements

Halfpenny - Liam Williams
Cuthbert - Walker, Robinson
Davies - Williams, Maule
Roberts - Beck, Hewitt
North - Owen Williams (gutted for Mike Poole)
Phillips - Aled Davies, Tavis Knoyle
Jenkins - Gill
Hibbard - Myhill
Jones - Mitchell
AW Jones - Lou Reed
Ian Evans - King, Kohn
Lydiate - Ieuan Jones
Warburton and Tipuric - Thomas
Faletau - Bearman

What do you think? Anybody else you'd like to see tour Japan?

Wales Training Squad:
Forwards: Ryan Bevington (Ospreys), Rhys Gill (Saracens), Sam Hobbs (Blues), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Emyr Phillips (Scarlets), Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Scott Andrews (Blues), Craig Mitchell (Exeter Chiefs), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Bradley Davies (Blues), Lou Reed (Blues), Andrew Coombs (Dragons), James King (Ospreys), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets), Dan Baker (Ospreys), Rob McCusker (Scarlets), Andries Pretorius (Blues), Josh Navidi (Blues).
Backs: Lloyd Williams (Blues), Tavis Knoyle (Scarlets), Aled Davis (Scarlets), Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Ashley Beck (Ospreys), Owen Williams (Blues), Jonathan Spratt (Ospreys), Dafydd Howells (Ospreys), Liam Williams (Scarlets), Harry Robinson (Blues), Tom Prydie (Dragons), Steven Shingler (London Irish).

LATEST WRU PRESS RELEASE:




Wales Training Squad Update

Wales have called Cardiff Blues outside half Rhys Patchell and Newport Gwent Dragons hooker Sam Parry into their training squad for the tour of Japan but Scarlets fly-half Rhys Priestland has been ruled out of the tour.

Priestland aggravated his Achilles tendon in the warm-up of the Scarlets’ RaboDirect PRO12 semi-final on Friday evening and will miss the two-test tour.

Patchell, 19, who has scored 147 points in 22 appearances for the Blues this season and Haverfordwest born Parry, joined up with the training squad when they met for the first time this morning.

Ken Owens, Scott Williams and Liam Williams who picked up knocks in the defeat to Ulster, will continue to be monitored by the National Squad medical team.

Rhys PATCHELL (CARDIFF BLUES - Uncapped)
DoB: 17.05.93. 6’2” / 1.88m. 14st 13lbs / 95kgs
International record: Uncapped

Sam PARRY (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS - Uncapped)
DoB: 17.12.91. 6’1” / 1.86m. 16st 11lbs / 107kgs
International record: Uncapped.

Further update:

Scott Williams out. Will not be replaced in the squad.

Further update:

Ken Owens confirmed out, won't be replaced. 27 man squad TBA.

Cheers Munkian:

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE WELSH RUGBY UNION:
WALES ANNOUNCE JAPAN TOUR SQUAD

Cardiff Blues lock Bradley Davies will lead Wales in the forthcoming two-test tour of Japan.

The 26-year-old was named captain as Head Coach for the Japan tour Robin McBryde reduced his initial training squad down to a 27-man touring party.

The squad includes nine uncapped players including Ospreys duo Dafydd Howells and Dan Baker and Blues fly-half Rhys Patchell.

Props Ryan Bevington (Ospreys), Scott Andrews (Blues) and Craig Mitchell (Exeter Chiefs) who all featured for Wales in the 2013 RBS 6 Nations are joined by Saracens’ Rhys Gill and Rhodri Jones (Scarlets).

Uncapped pair Emyr Phillips (Scarlets) and Scott Baldwin (Ospreys) are named as hookers.

Davies returns to the squad after missing the Six Nations campaign due to injury and is named alongside Andrew Coombs (Dragons), Lou Reed (Blues) and James King (Ospreys).

Baker, 20, who featured 25 times for Swansea in the Principality Premiership this season, joins Scarlets duo Aaron Shingler and Rob McCusker and Blues captain Andries Pretorius.

Lloyd Williams (Blues) and Tavis Knoyle (Scarlets) are named at scrum-half alongside Dan Biggar (Ospreys) and Patchell at fly-half.

In the backline Ospreys trio Ashley Beck, Jonathan Spratt and 18-year-old Howells are joined by Blues duo Owen Williams and Harry Robinson, Liam Williams (Scarlets), Tom Prydie (Dragons) and Steven Shingler (London Irish).

Wales face Eddie Jones’ Japan in Osaka on June 8th and then in Tokyo on June 15th and McBryde has been impressed with his squad over the past ten days.

“We’ve had the training squad together for more than a week and we’ve been impressed,” said McBryde.

“They have really put the effort in and stepped up as we have asked them to. Everyone in the training squad put their hand up for selection making our jobs much harder.

“It’s a chance for these players now to experience the international test environment and put their marker down.
Wales Squad:

Forwards: Ryan Bevington (Ospreys), Rhys Gill (Saracens), Emyr Phillips (Scarlets), Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Scott Andrews (Blues), Craig Mitchell (Exeter Chiefs), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Bradley Davies (Blues), Lou Reed (Blues), Andrew Coombs (Dragons), James King (Ospreys), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets), Dan Baker (Ospreys), Rob McCusker (Scarlets), Andries Pretorius (Blues).

Backs: Lloyd Williams (Blues), Tavis Knoyle (Scarlets), Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Rhys Patchell (Blues), Ashley Beck (Ospreys), Owen Williams (Blues), Jonathan Spratt (Ospreys), Dafydd Howells (Ospreys), Liam Williams (Scarlets), Harry Robinson (Blues), Tom Prydie (Dragons), Steven Shingler (London Irish).

Good start from the Welsh forwards

But Biggar misses the first kick

Biggar gets the chance to score the first points, but just pulls it.  No score.

Goes for touch rather than goal this time...hmmm

This is a much better start from Wales than last week.  They've been given another penalty but opt for the corner this time, despite being closer to the posts.

And it doesnt pay off



Still, strong start from Wales

Some handbags now

Arrgh no!  Had they got the try it would've been superb but Wales are penalised.  Massive scuffle breaks out...the Japanese not keen on Lloyd Williams it seems.

Japan 9 was lucky not to get the penalty reversed then

Wales have 99% territory - hahaha

Yeah Wales, you can't start a fight with someone cause he won't give you the ball when the whistle's been blown.

Should've been reversed. Only one team piled in at first. Didn't need three of them to pile in. What's the rush for the ball anyway? Not going to offer much from a quick tap from the shadow of their own posts.

Wales are doing things right, but they haven't got any points which is worrying

Wales are bossing possession but not able to finish...may have something coming here though...maybe not.

Had advantage then! But still not point!

Rhys Gill is having a great start

I bet Harry Robinson would love to play Japan every week. He can sit those guys down for fun when carrying. Be interesting to see how much stronger he really is in the Rabo

All this pressure will count against Japan in the last 20, this is about wearing them out for later on

http://www.s4c.co.uk/clic/e_live.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/16829471

So who's been tinkering with the forum, and why can't we reply to quotes anymore?

The forwards are doing well, but they are a bit too eager to give the backs a run - Biggar need to take control and say no thank you, we will take the points

SHIFTY - looks that way butt.  Pain in the arrse.

Shifty wrote:So who's been tinkering with the forum, and why can't we reply to quotes anymore?

You can, one of the fancy buttons changes everything back to the normal text

Japan are going to get the first points

Where have all the easy emoticons gone though

3-0 at 14:37 following a Japanese penalty.

Just arrived in time to see the first score.

WALES - above the posting box there are icons with little pictures on.  The emotions one has .  Click that and the box appears with all the emotions on.

Blydi hell....Japan could score here...

Cari wrote:WALES - above the posting box there are icons with little pictures on.  The emotions one has .  Click that and the box appears with all the emotions on.

I dont seem to have that anymore

Fair play to Japan their basic skills are much better than they were 10 years ago.
Their really making progress.

Lloyd Williams is lucky they have a massive dead ball area

This Japanese defense is very good, and this Wales team doesnt have a big name to break it down

Japan are giving away penalties though, Wales need to take them and look for tries in the second half when Japan tire

3-3 at 21:47

I hope this isn't going to be like last week.

Japan kick dead from a restart, Wales scrummage them off the park and Wales are back in the 22

Penalty count is building against Japan

Into touch again :/

Patchell on at 13

Not sure how he will do there :/

Owen Williams will be disappointed with his tour

Robinson is lively, almost a try, but they cough the ball up near the Japanese line too

Silly offload in the end

Lucky the game isn't in Osaka today. Nearly 200 people were hospitalized for heatstroke in the west:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/195-hospitalized-for-heatstroke-in-western-japan

Owen Williams off - not sure if he's injured.  I'm assuming he is.

More frustration...

Another turnover on the Japanese line!

wales606 wrote:Japan kick dead from a restart, Wales scrummage them off the park and Wales are back in the 22

Penalty count is building against Japan

I don't think the ref knows what a yellow card is, he seems very lax on everything apart from sealing off, and holding on.

Awful kick from Lloyd Williams after all the forwards good work at the rolling maul

Oh Rhys Patchell, should've passed mun!

Bore da. Much better from Wales.

To be fair to Patchell - that was a good tackle by Broadhurst.

ANOTHER KNOCK ON ON THE LINE

Pity it was forwards out wide

Oh bum kick from Biggar there gives Japan some decent possession.

With Wales dominance, they should be 20 points ahead

I just hope all this tackling is tiring out the Japanese players

Lloyd Williams is having a terrible game

Japan have had 2 chances at point and have taken both, Wales have had about 15 chances and have taken 1

6 - 3

I wonder if Captain Davies is regretting the early on decision to go for the corner when Biggar could've kicked it...

Liam Williams pinged.

This is getting like Ireland vs Scotland in the Six Nations

HT 6-3