Here is the Welsh RWC squad from the 2007 RWC.

Here is the squad from 2007s RWC. Names in bold were the first choices.

Huw Bennett Hooker 11 June 1983 12 Ospreys
Matthew Rees Hooker 9 December 1980 11 Llanelli Scarlets
T. Rhys Thomas Hooker 23 April 1982 10 Cardiff Blues

Chris Horsman Prop 2 February 1978 11 Worcester Warriors
Gethin Jenkins Prop 17 November 1980 46 Cardiff Blues
Adam Jones Prop 8 March 1981 41 Ospreys
Duncan Jones Prop 18 September 1978 38 Ospreys

Ian Evans Lock 4 October 1984 5 Ospreys
Ian Gough Lock 10 November 1976 40 Ospreys
Will James Lock 12 December 1976 1 Gloucester
Alun Wyn Jones Lock 19 September 1985 11 Ospreys

Colin Charvis Flanker 27 December 1972 87 Newport Gwent Dragons
Martyn Williams Flanker 1 September 1975 70 Cardiff Blues
Jonathan Thomas Flanker 27 December 1982 34 Ospreys
Michael Owen Number 8 7 November 1980 37 Newport Gwent Dragons
Alix Popham Number 8 17 October 1979 70 Llanelli Scarlets

Gareth Cooper Scrum-half 7 May 1979 34 Gloucester
Dwayne Peel (vc) Scrum-half 31 August 1981 53 Llanelli Scarlets
Mike Phillips Scrum-half 29 August 1982 22 Ospreys

Stephen Jones (vc) Fly-half 8 December 1977 62 Llanelli Scarlets
Ceri Sweeney Fly-half 21 January 1980 32 Newport Gwent Dragons

James Hook Centre 27 June 1985 13 Ospreys
Sonny Parker Centre 27 August 1977 23 Ospreys
Jamie Robinson Centre 7 April 1980 20 Cardiff Blues
Tom Shanklin Centre 24 November 1979 41 Cardiff Blues

Dafydd James Wing 24 July 1975 46 Llanelli Scarlets
Mark Jones Wing 7 November 1979 29 Llanelli Scarlets
Shane Williams Wing 26 February 1977 46 Ospreys

Kevin Morgan Fullback 23 February 1977 43 Newport Gwent Dragons
Gareth Thomas (c) Fullback 25 July 1974 95 Cardiff Blues

Big changes in a lot of areas - backrow, back 3 and centre especially.

Was Ryan jones injured for the 2007 world cup. i cant remeber

Yes I was quite surprised myself. 18 players out of thirty is a large turn over in just four years. There are some that might have gone if they weren't injured in 2007 like Ryan Jones and maybe Jonathan Thomas was too but not many.

Out of Favour

T. Rhys Thomas
Duncan Jones
Ian Evans
Ian Gough
Will James
Ceri Sweeney
Sonny Parker
Jamie Robinson


Retired

Chris Horsman
Colin Charvis
Michael Owen
Alix Popham
Gareth Cooper
Tom Shanklin
Dafydd James
Mark Jones
Kevin Morgan
Gareth Thomas

polotechnics wrote:Was Ryan jones injured for the 2007 world cup. i cant remeber

Yes a shoulder injury

http://www.wru.co.uk/12952.php

In the current training squad

Huw Bennett
Matthew Rees
Gethin Jenkins
Adam Jones
Alun Wyn Jones
Martyn Williams
Jonathan Thomas

Dwayne Peel
Mike Phillips
Stephen Jones
James Hook
Shane Williams

Retired

Chris Horsman Prop 2 February 1978 11 Worcester Warriors
Colin Charvis Flanker 27 December 1972 87 Newport Gwent Dragons
Michael Owen Number 8 7 November 1980 37 Newport Gwent Dragons
Alix Popham Number 8 17 October 1979 70 Llanelli Scarlets

Gareth Cooper ??
Sonny Parker ??
Tom Shanklin
Dafydd James
Mark Jones
Shane Williams
Kevin Morgan
Gareth Thomas

Replaced by younger players who were not playing back then (or not at the standard they are now)

T. Rhys Thomas (Owens/Burns)
Duncan Jones (Bevington / Andrews)
Ian Gough (Davies/Reed)
Will James (Davies/Reed)

Ceri Sweeney (Priestland/Tovey)
Jamie Robinson (Roberts, Davies, Williams, Bishop)

ScarletSpiderman wrote:
Duncan Jones (Bevington / Andrews)

Scott Andrews is the young Cardiff Blues Tighthead not Loosehead

Maesteg - true. I was just trying to thing who to put in there. That is why it too so long to post (and you beat me to the list of retirements etc). I should have put James in there instead really

James was capped back in 2003 as a 21 year old against Romania I think so you were right not to add him.

The only real youngsters in the front row is Ryan Bevington and Scott Andrews. Simon Gardiner i added but he is an outside bet for selection.

Great to have so much depth coming through. The WRU are doing a good job of targeting areas of weakness and bringing people through.

Looking at the Irish squad the big thing for me is the lack of change from 2003 to 2007. 2007 to 2011 has seen quite a bit of change.

Most of Wales starting XV seems to have changed. Heres an aside. Will the quarter finals be seen as an achiement given its an improvement on last time. I know for Ireland it won't be just wondering about Welsh fans attitude.

maestegmafia wrote:Great to have so much depth coming through. The WRU are doing a good job of targeting areas of weakness and bringing people through.

What you've got to remember is that 'depth' is one thing, but the key is to have 'strength in depth'. It's not just about sticking more players in there, but having back-ups who don't bring down the quality significantly. Wales have a good first XV or so, but don't have strength in depth in most positions. An attritional World Cup group is bad news for them.

Stag - personally the QF is a bare minimum for any side that want to class themselves as a decent side. Especially taking the group Wales have realistically failing to reach the QF would be a failure.

SafeAs - I agree with you that depth and strenght in depth are totally different. However in order to realistically build strength in depth you do need to first start getting depth in the first place. A few years ago Wales didn't seem to have the quality of depth that it now has. So hopefully seeing as most of the depth is coming from younger players we will be able to build upon it as they get older and more experienced. A good example is the back row. I honestly think that we have plenty of cover for the flanks that are interchangable, and we are starting to get some more options at number 8, which means we should be able to feild different back row units for differnt styles of play (Lydiate, Warburton, Delve for breakdown, R Jones, Turnbull, Faletau for running options etc).

2003 Squad

Backs

Gareth Cooper
Garan Evans
Iestyn Harris
Mark Jones
Stephen Jones
Kevin Morgan
Sonny Parker
Dwayne Peel
Tom Shanklin
Ceri Sweeney
Mark Taylor
Gareth Thomas
Rhys Williams
Shane Williams


Forwards

Huw Bennett
Colin Charvis (C)
Brent Cockbain
Mefin Davies
Paul James
Gethin Jenkins
Adam Jones
Dafydd Jones
Duncan Jones
Gareth Llewellyn
Robin McBryde
Michael Owen
Alix Popham
Robert Sidoli
Jonathan Thomas
Iestyn Thomas
Martyn Williams
Chris Wyatt

SafeAsMilk wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Great to have so much depth coming through. The WRU are doing a good job of targeting areas of weakness and bringing people through.

What you've got to remember is that 'depth' is one thing, but the key is to have 'strength in depth'. It's not just about sticking more players in there, but having back-ups who don't bring down the quality significantly. Wales have a good first XV or so, but don't have strength in depth in most positions. An attritional World Cup group is bad news for them.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:
SafeAs - I agree with you that depth and strenght in depth are totally different. However in order to realistically build strength in depth you do need to first start getting depth in the first place. A few years ago Wales didn't seem to have the quality of depth that it now has. So hopefully seeing as most of the depth is coming from younger players we will be able to build upon it as they get older and more experienced. A good example is the back row. I honestly think that we have plenty of cover for the flanks that are interchangable, and we are starting to get some more options at number 8, which means we should be able to feild different back row units for differnt styles of play (Lydiate, Warburton, Delve for breakdown, R Jones, Turnbull, Faletau for running options etc).

I agree Spider

But you have to agree SafeAS that Wales not only have more depth but they have more strength too.

No the second, third or fourth choice players are not as talented and not as strong as France, SA or the All Blacks but what we have now is a much better back up than we have had for a very long time.

The great thing about that is that the more quality players you have, the stronger they get, the Harder they push each other.

Back in the seventies we had a great first team, we had a great second and third team too. Welsh rugby was very strong right down to local pub sides, we need to build that neglected part of the game back up and it will take us a long time to do it, but we are definitely moving forwards.

Wow - Huw Bennett has been to the last 2 World Cups. Didn't know that.

Wales Squad 99 World Cup included Steve Jones & Martyn Williams so this would make it their 4th RWC.

1999 Squad

Fairies

Allan Bateman
Neil Boobyer
Leigh Davies
Scott Gibbs
Shane Howarth
Robert Howley (C)
Dafydd James
Neil Jenkins
Stephen Jones
Jason Jones-Hughes
David Llewellyn
Mark Taylor
Gareth Thomas
Nick Walne

Hod Cariers

Colin Charvis
Ben Evans
Jonathan Humphreys
Garin Jenkins
Andrew Lewis
Geraint Lewis
Gareth Llewellyn
Andrew Moore
Craig Quinnell
Scott Quinnell
Peter Rogers
Brett Sinkinson
Mike Voyle
Martyn Williams
Chris Wyatt
David Young

maesteg - can you say Fairies when the back devision included Gareth Thomas

Ha ha ha... Possibly its not an all inclusive term but an illusive and illustrative one...

looking at the other meaning of the word, the one i was inferring to, Scott Gibbs could have probably packed down with the brick movers if he was required.

jerry Guscott called him the fastest prop in the world...

Surprised to see Horsman there thought he had retired before then, memory eh funny thing.