Wales Names Six Nations Squad
Wales has announced its squad for the forthcoming Six Nations Championship and there were one or two surprises.
Neither Dwayne Peel nor scrum half Mike Phillips were selected due to injuries, though it is possible that Peel could again be included depending on an assessment on his injured ankle.
The big surprise is the inclusion of Tom Prydie who normally plays full-back for the Ospreys. He is only 17 years old and the youngest member of the squad. Also included is his Ospreys team mate Kristian Phillips who is only 19 years old. In total there are 14 Ospreys players along with 13 Cardiff Blues, 4 Llanelli Scarlets and 2 Dragons and 1 Saracens. Ryan Jones remains captain
Warren Gatland the Wales coach explained that he had selected the younger players to both increase the pressure on the older players and to increase the side’s depth in specific areas. The squad is larger than usual in order to begin preparations for the World Cup. He said that Kristian Phillips was an excellent example of an exciting player being both skilful and fast. Phillips recently won the Player of the Month award and had scored six tries in a single match.
Gatland indicated that he believed that much hinged on the first match against England at Twickenham on 6th February and that this match could set the scene for the whole Six Nations Championship. He said that it was a match they were desperate to win.
The following two matches will be played at the Millennium Stadium in front of enthusiastic home support.
The bookies favour England to win the first match at odds of 8/13 and France to win the championship at 7/4 with SportingBet.
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