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Lucky 13 to feature in trial match

27th May 2014


A total of 13 players from Cardiff Blues have been named by coaches Rob Howley and Robin McBryde in their respective Probables and Possibles sides for Friday night's Wales Senior Trial (kick-off 7.05pm).

The first national trial in more than a decade will see the two sides battle it out at the Liberty Stadium, in Swansea as they try impress the Wales management ahead of the two-Test tour to South Africa.

Howley's XV features just one uncapped player in Scarlets wing Jordan Williams, who joins an experienced Probables backline.

British and Irish Lions quartet Mike Phillips, Jamie Roberts, Jonathan Davies and Alex Cuthbert also line-up alongside RaboDirect PRO12 Players' player of the year Dan Biggar and Scarlets full-back Liam Williams.

The front-row is made up of 223 Wales caps in the form of Gethin Jenkins (105), Ken Owens (24) and Adam Jones (94).

Captain Alun Wyn Jones partners Luke Charteris in the second-row and in the back-row Scarlets pair Josh Turnbull and Aaron Shingler feature alongside Taulupe Faletau.

The Probables bench includes three uncapped players in Newport Gwent Dragons back-row Lewis Evans, Ospreys' Sam Davies and Cardiff Blues centre Dafydd Hewitt.

Blues flanker Josh Navidi and scrum-half Rhodri Williams are joined by front-row replacements Scott Baldwin, Samson Lee and Aaron Jarvis.

McBryde's Possibles side features two uncapped players in the starting pack, in Scarlets prop Rob Evans and former Wales U20 skipper Ellis Jenkins. 

Evans packs down in the front-row alongside captain Matthew Rees and regional team-mate Rhodri Jones. 

Jake Ball who made his international debut in the 2014 RBS 6 Nations joins British and Irish Lion Ian Evans in the second-row whilst Andrew Coombs and Dan Baker feature alongside Jenkins in the back-row.

RaboDirect PRO12 top try scorer Gareth Davies partners James Hook at half-back for the Possibles, with Steven Shingler (facing his brother Aaron) and Cory Allen the midfield pair.  Harry Robinson and Kristian Phillips are named on the wings, with Dan Fish at full-back.

The bench features Cardiff Blues front-rows Kristian Dacey and Scott Andrews alongside Dragons' Owen Evans as well as Wales Sevens product, flanker, James Davies (set to face his brother Jonathan) and another former Wales U20 captain Macauley Cook.  Ospreys pair Matthew Morgan and Jonathan Spratt are joined by Blues scrum-half Lloyd Williams.

"Friday is a huge opportunity for players and a chance for us to see them go up against each other for the Wales jersey,” said Howley.

"It's something we haven't been able to do for the last decade, but it will be a big night for the players, we want to see them in a pressured environment and that's what we will get on Friday.”

McBryde added: "It's been great to have the squad together, we only have a short time to prepare, but we are up for the challenge and excited by it.

"We have always said that the door is always open in international rugby and this is an opportunity that doesn't come round very often and the players know it's their chance to impress on a big public stage in front of all the coaches.”
 
PROBABLES:
Liam Williams (Scarlets), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro), Jordan Williams (Scarlets), Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Mike Phillips (Racing Metro), Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Alun Wyn Jones (Capt) (Ospreys), Luke Charteris (Perpignan), Josh Turnbull (Scarlets), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets), Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).

Replacements:
Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Aaron Jarvis (Ospreys), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Lewis Evans (Newport Gwent Dragons), Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues), Rhodri Williams (Scarlets), Sam Davies (Ospreys), Dafydd Hewitt (Cardiff Blues)
 
POSSIBLES:
Dan Fish (Cardiff Blues), Kristian Phillips (Scarlets), Cory Allen (Cardiff Blues), Steven Shingler (Scarlets), Harry Robinson (Cardiff Blues), James Hook (Perpignan), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Rob Evans (Scarlets), Matthew Rees (Capt) (Cardiff Blues), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Ian Evans (Ospreys), Andrew Coombs (Newport Gwent Dragons), Ellis Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Dan Baker (Ospreys).

Replacements:?Kristian Dacey (Cardiff Blues), Owen Evans (Newport Gwent Dragons), Scott Andrews (Cardiff Blues), Macauley Cook (Cardiff Blues), James Davies (Scarlets), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues), Matthew Morgan (Ospreys), Jonathan Spratt (Ospreys).
 
Tickets are still available on general sale and can be purchased from the box office at the Liberty Stadium and from the WRU Store on Westgate Street in Cardiff, priced at £5 and £1 concession.  

Tickets can also be purchased online* from http://www.liberty-stadium.com
(*Tickets
purchased online are subject to a booking fee).
 
Any profit from the game, together with a modest donation, will be provided to the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust