Williams set to join centurions

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Wales will field three debutants and remain on course to award a 100th cap to veteran flanker Martyn Williams, when they face the Barbarians in the Test match, powered by Under Armour, at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, 2 June (Kick-off 2.00pm).

Blues wing Harry Robinson and Scarlets pair, full back Liam Williams and prop Rhodri Jones, will all make their first appearance in Wales colours.

Scarlets hooker Matthew Rees will make his ninth appearance as captain in a side which also features a return to the international set-up for Ospreys backs Andrew Bishop (centre) and Dan Biggar for the first time since before the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

“The Ospreys have been in a rich vein of form and their victory over Leinster last weekend to take the RaboDirect PRO12 title was a boost for the whole of Welsh rugby,” said Wales caretaker head coach Rob Howley.

“Dan and Andrew have been playing particularly well and we are looking forward to seeing both players in a Welsh shirt again.

“We have picked a side on form, with an eye on bringing players through for the future, but very much with the intention of getting the summer campaign off to a winning start.”

Elsewhere the Ospreys also provide both locks in Ian Evans and Alun Wyn Jones and most of the back row with Ryan Jones (No 8) and Justin Tipuric packing down alongside Scarlets blindside flanker Josh Turnbull.

Saracens prop Rhys Gill joins Rees and Jones in the front row to complete the pack.

In the backs Bishop is joined in the centre by his former club-mate, Perpignan’s James Hook, while Blues scrum half Lloyd Williams teams up with Biggar and Dragons wing Aled Brew completes the line-up.

Another potential new cap could be awarded from the bench with Scarlets centre Adam Warren joining soon-to-be centurian Williams. Another Dragons wing Will Harries and Ospreys scrum half Rhys Webb provide the remaining cover for the backs.

Ospreys hooker Richard Hibbard and regional colleague Paul James provide support for the front row with Scarlets flanker Aaron Shingler completing the match-day 22.

“We have an opportunity against the Barbarians to get an important summer series off to a winning start,” added Howley.

“We have momentum from the RBS 6 Nations and the Ospreys have added to that with a great win in our domestic competition.

“We are now looking for the next step and a victory on home soil against a formidable Barbarians team before we set off for Australia.”

Ospreys prop Ryan Bevington will remain in Wales as 23rd man for the Barbarians fixture with the remaining 16 players from the 38-man training squad named due to leave for Australia tomorrow (Thursday) to begin preparations for the 1st Test in Brisbane.

The final members of Wales’ tour party, which will total 34 players, will be named at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday immediately after the Baa-Baas fixture, with the team to play the Wallabies in that first match due to be named the following Thursday.

If Williams appears from the bench as expected he will be the first Welsh forward to win 100 caps and join Gareth Thomas (Bridgend/Cardiff/Celtic Warriors/Toulouse) in second place behind Wales’ most capped player Stephen Jones (Llanelli/Llanelli Scarlets/ASM Clermont Auvergne), who has appeared 104 times.

WALES: Liam Williams (Scarlets); Harry Robinson (Blues), Andrew Bishop (Ospreys), James Hook (Perpignan), Aled Brew (Dragons); Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Lloyd Williams (Blues); Rhys Gill (Saracens), Matthew Rees (Scarlets, captain), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Ian Evans (Ospreys), Josh Turnbull (Scarlets), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Ryan Jones (Ospreys)

REPLACEMENTS: Richard Hibbard (Ospreys), Paul James (Ospreys), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets), Martyn Williams (Blues), Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Adam Warren (Scarlets), Will Harries (Dragons)

WALES

15 Liam WILLIAMS (SCARLETS – Uncapped)

DoB:09.04.91. 6’2″ / 1.88m. 13st 6lbs / 86kgs

International record: Uncapped

14 Harry ROBINSON (CARDIFF BLUES – Uncapped)

DoB: 16.04.93. 5’10” / 1.78m. 12st 13lbs / 82kgs

International record: Uncapped

13 Andrew BISHOP (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,059)

DoB: 07.08.85. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 14st 12lbs / 94kgs

International record: 15 caps (W 7, L 7, D 1)

12 James HOOK (PERPIGNAN – Cap No 1,047)

DoB: 27.06.85. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 15st 2lbs / 96kgs

International record: 62 caps (W 28, L 32, D 2; 326 pts – 12T, 40C, 58PG, 4DG)

11 Aled BREW (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS – Cap No 1,051)

DoB: 09.08.86. 6.0″ / 1.83m. 15st 2lbs / 96kgs

International record: 8 caps (W 3, L 4, D 1; 10 pts – 2T)

10 Dan BIGGAR (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,063)

DoB: 16.10.89. 6’2″ / 1.88m. 14st 1lbs / 89kgs

International record: 9 caps (W 4, L 4, D 1; 54 pts – 9C, 12PG)

9 Lloyd WILLIAMS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,086)

DoB: 30.11.89. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 14st 1lb / 89kgs

International record: 7 caps (W 5, L 2; 10 pts – 2T)

1 Rhys GILL (SARACENS – Cap No 1,073)

DoB: 30.10.86. 5’11” / 1.80m. 17st 12lbs / 113kgs

International record: 2 caps (W 1, L 1)

2 Matthew REES (SCARLETS, CAPTAIN – Cap No 1,033)

DoB: 09.12.80. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 17st 1lbs / 108kgs

International record: 50 caps (W 22, L 27, D 1; 10 pts – 2T)

3 Rhodri JONES (SCARLETS – Uncapped)

DoB: 23.12.91. 6’3″ / 1.91m. 18st 11lbs / 119kgs

International record: Uncapped

4 Alun Wyn JONES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,046)

DoB: 19.09.85. 6’5″ / 1.96m. 19st 4lbs / 122kgs

International record: 62 caps (W 28, L 34; 35 pts – 7T)

5 Ian EVANS (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,045)

DoB: 04.10.84. 6’8″ / 2.04m. 18st 3lbs / 116kgs

International record: 22 caps (W 11, L 10, D 1; 5 pts – 1T)

6 Josh TURNBULL (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,079)

DoB: 12.03.88. 1.93m / 6’4″. 15st 8lbs / 99kgs

International record: 3 caps (W 2, L 1)

7 Justin TIPURIC (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,087)

DoB: 06.08.89. 1.88m / 6’2″ 15st 13lbs / 101kgs

International record: 4 caps (W 3, L 1)

8 Ryan JONES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,029)

DoB: 13.03.81. 6’5″ / 1.96m. 17st 12lbs / 113kgs

International record: 63 caps (W 33, L 28, D 2; 5 pts – 1T)

REPLACEMENTS

16 Richard HIBBARD (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,048)

DoB: 13.12.83. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 17st 5lbs / 110kgs

International record: 15 caps (W 7, L 8)

17 Paul JAMES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,021)

DoB: 13.05.82. 6’1″ / 1.86m. 18st 2lbs / 115kgs

International record: 34 caps (W 15, L 18, D 1)

18 Aaron SHINGLER (SCARLETS – Cap No 1,090)

DoB: 07.08.87. 1.96m / 6’5″. 16st 8lbs / 105kgs

International record: 1 cap (W 1)

19 Martyn WILLIAMS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 944)

DoB: 01.09.75. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 14st 22lbs / 94kgs

International record: 99 caps (W 43, L 53, D 3; 73 pts – 14T, 1DG)

20 Rhys WEBB (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,092)

DoB: 09.12.88. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 13st 12lbs / 88kgs

International record: 1 cap (W 1)

21 Adam WARREN (SCARLETS – Uncapped)

DoB: 07.03.91. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 13st 7lbs / 86kgs

International record: Uncapped

22 Will HARRIES (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS – Cap No 1,077)

DoB: 30.03.87. 5’8″ / 1.73m. 12st 7lbS / 81kgs

International record: 2 caps (L 2)

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