Wales squad: Winners and losers as Matt Sherratt gets captaincy choice ‘spot on’ while back-three talents ‘fall victim’ to depth chart
From left to right: Matt Sherratt, Dewi Lake and Dafydd Jenkins
Following the announcement of Matt Sherratt’s 33-man squad for the two-Test tour of Japan this July, here are our key winners and losers.
Winners
Uncapped sextet
Uncapped sextet Liam Belcher, Chris Coleman, Keelan Giles, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Garyn Phillips and Macs Page are undoubtedly the big winners to come out of Sherratt’s 33-man squad, especially considering Wales didn’t have to draft in waves of replacements to fill gaps for Lions tourists.
Belcher and Morgan-Williams, in particular, have received huge calls to make the Test side this season after their respective performances for Cardiff and Ospreys, but Page is also a big call from Sherratt, considering the wealth of talent Wales have in the back-three.
All six men will be keen to prove a point both on the Test stage but also within this group, with Wales set for a big rebuild. A good tour for anyone of these six could see them become the cornerstones of that new-look side, whatever guise it eventually takes.
Dewi Lake
Ospreys hooker Dewi Lake will once again lead Wales into battle this July, making him another clear winner from this selection. Lake can feel very hard done by to not be in another red jersey next month, but either way he will be sure to make his mark on the Test stage once again.
Given the forward-heavy coaching choices too, and the fact there are 19 forwards in the 33-man squad, this captaincy selection makes perfect sense. It’s a nod to how Wales might try and play this summer, as they go in search of their first win in nearly two years.
Aside from his leadership skills, his brand of all-out brutality should also set the tone for the level of performance Wales need to finally get that elusive win, and if it’s going to be a different game-plan built around the pack, then he will likely be at the forefront of their side.
Sherratt has got this one spot on.
Taine Plumtree
Competition in Wales’ back-row is pretty fierce right now, especially with Jac Morgan automatically occupying a spot when fit and Taulupe Faletau back up and running at his very best, but this feels like a good chance for Taine Plumtree to come back into the Wales side.
The Scarlets back-rower has been in good touch in the latter part of the season, scoring three tries in six games, and that could bode well for Wales this summer. Around his form too, he also offers some good versatility given he has featured regularly at number eight this year and can also play at blindside, which is another big tick in his box.
He does need to prove a point this tour though, given he was dropped before the Six Nations, but again he’s in good form at the minute and should carry that into the Wales jersey if called upon.
Cameron Winnett
After being axed from the Six Nations squad earlier this year, Cardiff back Cameron Winnett has now been given a second chance to impress at Test level. The 22-year-old was one of Wales’ best attacking threats during the 2024 Test season, and with the freedom Sherratt should give the backline that could bring the best out in him.
His form for Cardiff has been mixed this year though, especially at the back-end of the URC season, but Sherratt knows just what he can do when on form.
Getting the 15 shirt will be no easy task given the form of Blair Murray during the Six Nations and for the Scarlets as well, but he adds yet another fine attacking weapon in this backline.
Archie Griffin
Bath tighthead Archie Griffin has had a baptism of fire at Test level, but this could be the tour where he unlocks his potential. After undergoing surgery earlier this season, Griffin has pieced together some really strong performances for Bath as they continue their march to a domestic and European treble and that bodes well for Wales too.
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While he’s not had the greatest start to international life, after all he’s playing in a Wales side that’s in the midst of it’s worst-ever losing run, this feels like a good time to bring him back into the side and give them that exposure without it being in too much of a cauldron.
Losers
Ellis Mee
Sherratt has already said it was a really tough call between him and Page, but Ellis Mee finds himself back out of the Wales squad. The dynamic winger gave it a good crack this Six Nations, exactly what you want from a 21-year-old, and this again felt like a good time to give him some more minutes.
Mee will certainly go onto win more caps, but this could have been a golden opportunity to stake his claim longer-term.
Gareth Anscombe
Have we seen the last of Gareth Anscombe in a Wales shirt? The Bayonne-bound back was a bizarre omission from the initial Six Nations squad back in January given both his experience and form, but upon his return he couldn’t quite hit the heights we’ve seen at Kingsholm.
There is no doubt Anscombe would have added something to this tour, both from an experience point-of-view but also on the pitch given his form again for Gloucester, but with an upcoming rebuild it seems a good time to give Dan Edwards and Sam Costelow a proper run of it in the Test side.
Injured players
It’s never nice seeing anyone miss the chance to represent their country due to injury, and Wales will be without the services of Josh Hathaway, Max Llewellyn, Jarrod Evans and Henry Thomas this summer.
The trio would all have likely made the squad, given they featured in the Six Nations, but will now be forced to spend the summer on the sidelines.
Dafydd Jenkins
Exeter lock Dafydd Jenkins’ decision to undergo surgery this off-season is not only a blow for Wales, but it will be his second surgery in the space of a year. He missed a large chunk of the early season after dual knee-shoulder surgery, and didn’t return to club duty until December. And, with the WRU confirming he will go under the knife again this summer he could be out for another extended period.
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This is also a huge dent to his Lions hopes, despite him missing out on the initial 38-man squad. With Wales so close to Australia, if a lock was to get injured Jenkins would likely have been the first cab off the rank to join up with Andy Farrell’s touring party.
Gabe Hamer-Webb
Possibly the form winger in the URC heading into the back end of the season, but Gabe Hamer-Webb misses out on this squad selection. Despite his form, it always seemed a bit of an outside shot given the talent Wales have in their back-three and the likes of Murray commanding a start, but in saying that his form probably deserved the recognition of selection.
He ended the season with six tries in four games, including a hat-trick against the Ospreys, and was seeing his name thrown right into the mix for a Test call-up.
Rio Dyer
Like Hamer-Webb, this is probably due to the competition in this department, but Rio Dyer once again finds himself outside of the Wales squad.
The 25-year-old was once the darling of the Wales team, but he now seems to be the forgotten man.
Again, Wales’ back-three is a strong area and has probably fallen victim to that other than anything else.
James Botham
As mentioned above, Wales’ back-row is a decent area of strength, but James Botham felt a good choice for this summer’s trip to the Far East. The Cardiff forward has been in decent form in the back end of the season, and his abrasive carrying would have added another strong dynamic to their overall outlook. He has also impressed at Test level in recent times, again just giving Wales an extra bit of beef to steam into contact.
But, with the likes of Plumtree hitting good form and Aaron Wainwright and Faletau in the conversation too, he has just fallen outside of that group.
Morgan Morse
Wales’ answer to Henry Pollock, Morgan Morse, just misses out on selection, and given the rapid growth of young back-rowers you can understand the frustrations with his omission.
A handful of former Welsh players have been crying out for him to win his maiden senior cap after some impressive performances for the U20s and Ospreys, and with this being a good chance to blood in the new faces that will take Welsh rugby into this new era it felt the perfect time.
But, he will still likely feature for the U20s in the Junior World Championships, which will still be a good for his development.
