Scarlets trio Tavis Knoyle, Ken Owens and Rob McCusker join a squad of players boasting an average of just over 25 caps each and with five players already in the 50-cap club.
Scarlets playmaker Stephen Jones, Blues prop Gethin Jenkins and Ospreys trio Adam Jones, Jonathan Thomas and Shane Williams all add the considerable weight of their experience to a squad led by Ryan Jones – himself set to make his 24th appearance as captain against the Springboks and move a step closer to the all time record held by Ieuan Evans, who led his country 28 times.
Elsewhere 2005 Grand Slam winner, Blues prop, John Yapp returns to the squad which otherwise largely resembles Warren Gatland’s RBS 6 Nations squad of 2010 – save the already noted absences of James Hook, Martyn Williams, Luke Charteris and Dwayne Peel.
That means Wales’ youngest player Tom Prydie – who at 18 years and 27 days faced Italy last time out in the 33–10 win at Millennium Stadium – could return to the scene of his debut as head coach Warren Gatland tells how he is pleased with the blend of youth and experience he now has available to him.
“I’m a great believer in ‘if you are good enough you are old enough’ and that applies to the likes of both Tom and Tavis Knoyle,” said Gatland. “We have gone very much for continuity of selection and kept the squad small, but there are also a couple of youngsters in there who we are going to stick by.
“Tom will gain experience from being with us, Shane Williams and even Lee Byrne aren’t going to be around forever and he is someone who can cover those positions and who we are excited about.
“We are excited about Tavis as well, he is a big strong lad, someone who has been compared to Mike Phillips on the pitch, he has a good pass and some real speed and he has the frame there as well so he has it all going for him and he has some real potential.
“Rob (McCusker) comes in as well with a real opportunity to move himself up the pecking order. He perhaps wouldn’t have had the chance if Martyn had been with us or if Dan Lydiate at the Dragons had been fit, but he has an opportunity now.
“We have been impressed with his form for the Scarlets and he has played some sevens for Wales and there’s no doubting he has the pace and ability so he is great potential.”
Gatland has also named an eight man standby squad which will train with Wales while they are in the UK and are in line to be called up for the New Zealand tour should injuries occur.
Dragons trio Will Harries, Gavin Thomas and Jason Tovey join Blues pair Chris Czekaj and Thomas Rhys Thomas and Ospreys duo Ian Gough and Craig Mitchell together with the Scarlets’ Martyn Roberts on the standby list.
The Welsh Rugby Union has already sold approximately 50,000 tickets for the summer afternoon clash with the World Champion Springboks, but Gatland has called on fans to ensure the game is a sell-out to spur on his side as the World Cup countdown begins.
“There is no better place than the Millennium Stadium when it is full to its rafters and I really hope the fans turn up to give us the send off we are hoping for before we tour New Zealand,” added Gatland.
“I’ve said all along that the best preparation for us in a World Cup year is to play the best teams and they don’t come much tougher than the Springboks and the All Blacks.
“We have an opportunity to start off on the right foot on 5 June with a victory and, hopefully, by the time the World Cup comes around we will have a battle hardened squad ready to achieve something special and we will look back and see that it all started here.”
WALES SQUAD
PRINCIPALITY BUILDING SOCIETY SUMMER TEST V SOUTH AFRICA/TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND
BLUES
Bradley Davies, Leigh Halfpenny, Gethin Jenkins, Deiniol Jones, Andy Powell, Richie Rees, Jamie Roberts, Sam Warburton, John Yapp.
OSPREYS
Huw Bennett, Dan Biggar, Andrew Bishop, Lee Byrne, Paul James, Adam Jones, Alun Wyn Jones, Ryan Jones, Mike Phillips, Tom Prydie, Jonathan Thomas, Shane Williams.
SCARLETS
Jonathan Davies, Stephen Jones, Tavis Knoyle, Rob McCusker, Ken Owens, Matthew Rees
STANDBY LIST (To train with the squad in the UK and cover tour squad for injuries)
BLUES
Chris Czekaj, Thomas Rhys Thomas.
OSPREYS
Ian Gough, Craig Mitchell
SCARLETS
Martyn Roberts
DRAGONS
Will Harries, Gavin Thomas, Jason Tovey
Principality Building Society Summer Test’ – Wales v South Africa
Millennium Stadium, Saturday 5th June KO 2.30pm
Tickets – priced at £25 per person or £80 for a family ( 2 adults, 2 children) – can be purchased from at the WRU’s Cardiff Arms Store (No 8 Westgate Street, Cardiff); via Ticketmaster (tel 08442 777888, www.ticketmaster.co.uk , Ticketline (02920 230130, www.ticketlineuk.com and via the WRU Official Website www.wru.co.uk/tickets
The remaining WRU hospitality packages can be snapped up from £119 for the ‘SA Gold’ pa ckage and fans should act fast to secure the hottest tickets via the official website www.millenniumstadium.com
Further hospitality information is available online for all packages including the ‘Platinum Suite’ at £229 and the recently launched, after popular demand, ‘Springbox Suite’ at £139
