WRU Video: Warren Gatland on his Wales team selection Head Coach Warren Gatland has named Jones alongside Captain Ryan Jones and Jonathan Thomas in the back row. The coach decided to name the team early to ensure a full week of preparation for the match squad at their Capetown training base. The Cardiff Blues fullback Jamie Roberts is handed his second cap for Wales after winning the race to replace the injured Lee Byrne in the number fifteen jersey. The front five to take on the World Champions will be the familiar Grand Slam line up of Gethin Jenkins, Matthew Rees, Adam Jones, Ian Gough and Alyn-Wyn Jones. There is a new look to the half back pairing with Gareth Cooper partnering Stephen Jones which means Warren Fury and James Hook feature in the match day 22 as replacements. Wales complete the back line with Mark Jones, Tom Shanklin, Sonny Parker and Shane Williams. With the positional flexibility offered by Hook and Roberts Wales have named specialist fullback Morgan Stoddart as bench cover. In the forwards Gareth Delve, Ian Evans, Richard Hibbard and Duncan Jones complete the replacements. Head Coach Warren Gatland said: “Training has been going exceptionally well so we have decided to name the team early to give us the longest possible preparation time with the starting side before next Saturday. “I have named Dafydd Jones at number seven and this is a great opportunity for him to deliver for Wales again. “With Jonathan Thomas at number six we have two flankers with pace and genuine footballing skills. “At fullback Jamie Roberts is big, strong and fast enough to counter the attacking force the World Champions will aim at us. “We are lucky to have two players of the calibre of Stephen Jones and James Hook competing for the number ten jersey and I am very comfortable with the balance of our back line going into this game. “We know the size of the challenge we face because we are playing the World Champions on their home turf where Wales have never been able to achieve a victory. “This is an important tour for this squad and we are determined to leave South Africa having earned the respect of the Springboks. “It is very important for us to test ourselves against the best sides in the world and these two games will show us precisely where we are on our journey to improve.” Replacements: Duncan Jones, Richard Hibbard, Ian Evans, Gareth Delve, Warren Fury, James Hook, Morgan Stoddard Jamie ROBERTS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,057) Morgan STODDART (LLANELLI SCARLETS – Cap No 1,056) Tom JAMES (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,055) Mark JONES (LLANELLI SCARLETS – Cap No 984) Shane WILLIAMS (OSPREYS – Cap No 976) Andrew BISHOP (OSPREYS) Sonny PARKER (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,007) Tom SHANKLIN (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 993) James HOOK (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,047) Stephen JONES (LLANELLI SCARLETS – Cap No 966) Gareth COOPER (GLOUCESTER RUGBY – Cap No 985) Warren FURY (LONDON IRISH) Gethin JENKINS (CARDIFF BLUES – Cap No 1,006) Duncan JONES (OSPREYS – Cap No 997) Adam Rhys JONES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,018) Rhys THOMAS (NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS – Cap No 1,049) Richard HIBBARD (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,048) Matthew REES (LLANELLI SCARLETS – Cap No 1,033) Bradley DAVIES (CARDIFF BLUES) Ian EVANS (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,045) Ian GOUGH (OSPREYS – Cap No 964) Alun-Wyn JONES (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,046) Jonathan THOMAS (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,013) Gareth DELVE (GLOUCESTER RUGBY – Cap No 1,043) Dafydd JONES (LLANELLI SCARLETS – Cap No 1,008) Ryan JONES (OSPREYS, CAPTAIN – Cap No 1,029)
WRU Video: Dafydd Jones on his Wales call-up: English version
WRU Video: Dafydd Jones on his Wales call-up: Welsh version
Wales: Jamie Roberts; Mark Jones, Tom Shanklin, Sonny Parker, Shane Williams; Stephen Jones, Gareth Cooper; Gethin Jenkins, Matthew Rees, Adam Jones, Ian Gough, Alun-Wyn Jones, Jonathan Thomas, Dafydd Jones, Ryan Jones (Captain)
WALES TOUR SQUAD BIOGS – SOUTH AFRICA 2008
DoB: 08.11.86. 6’4″ / 1.93m. 16st 10lbs / 107kgs
International record: 1 cap (W 1)
DoB: 23.09.84. 6’1″ / 1.86m. 14st 9lbs / 93kgs
International record: 1 cap (L 1; 5 pts – 1T)
DoB: 17.04.87. 6’2″ / 1.88m. 15st 1lb / 96kgs
International record: 2 caps (L 2)
DoB: 07.11.79. 6’2″ / 1.88m. 14st 5lbs / 91kgs
International record: 39 caps (W 17, L 20, D 2; 60 pts – 12T)
DoB: 26.02.77. 5’7″ / 1.71m. 12st 13lbs / 82kgs
International record: 56 caps (W 29, L 25, D 2; 205 pts – 41T)
DoB: 07.08.85. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 14st 2lbs / 90kgs
International record: Uncapped
DoB: 27.08.77. 6’1″ / 1.86m. 15st 13lbs / 101kgs
International record: 30 caps (W 15, L 15; 30 pts – 6T)
DoB: 24.11.79. 6’2″ / 1.88m. 15st 9lbs / 99kgs
International record: 52 caps (W 25, L 26, D 1; 90 pts – 18T)
DoB: 27.06.85. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 14st 3lbs / 90kgs
International record: 25 caps (W 11, L 13, D 1; 182 pts – 6T,31C,28PG,2DG)
DoB: 08.12.77. 6’1″ / 1.86m. 14st 12lbs / 94kgs
International record: 70 caps (W32, L36, D2; 613 pts – 6T,113C,116PG,3DG)
DoB: 07.05.79. 5’7″ / 1.71m. 13st 6lbs / 85kgs
International record: 35 caps (W 17, L 18; 35 pts – 7T)
DoB: 10.12.85. 6’0″ / 1.82m. 13st 9lbs / 87kgs
International record: Uncapped
DoB: 17.11.80. 6’2″ / 1.88m. 18st 9lbs / 118kgs
International record: 58 caps (W 25, L 31, D 2; 15 pts – 3T)
DoB: 18.09.78. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 17st 8lbs / 112kgs
International record: 50 caps (W 23, L 25, D 2)
DoB: 08.03.81. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 20st 5lb / 129kgs
International record: 48 caps (W 26, L 20, D 2; 5 pts – 1T)
DoB: 31.07.82. 82. 6’1″ / 1.86m. 17st 6lbs / 111kgs
International record: 4 caps (L 3)
DoB: 13.12.83. 6’0″. 18st 13lbs / 120kgs
International record: 4 caps (L 4)
DoB: 09.12.80. 6’0″ / 1.83m. 16st 9lbs / 106kgs
International record: 21 caps (W 10, L 10, D 1; 10 pts – 2T)
DoB: 09.01.87. 6’6″ / 1.98m. 18st 1lb / 115kgs
International record: Uncapped
DoB: 04.10.84. 6’8″ / 2.04m. 18st 3lbs / 116kgs
International record: 12 caps (W 6, L 5, D 1; 5 pts – 1T)
DoB: 10.11.76. 6′ 6″ / 1.98m. 18st 9lbs / 118kgs
International record: 50 caps (W 23, L 24, D 3; 5 pts – 1T)
DoB: 19.09.85. 6’5″ / 1.96m. 18st 9lbs / 118kgs
International record: 21 caps (W 9, L 12; 15 pts – 3T)
DoB: 27.12.82. 6’5″ / 1.96m. 17st 5lbs / 110kgs
International record: 44 caps (W 22, L 20, D 2; 35 pts – 7T)
DoB: 30.12.82. 6’3″ / 1.91m. 17st 13lbs / 114kgs
International record: 7 caps (W 4, L 3; 5 pts – 1T)
DoB: 24.06.79. 6’3″ / 1.90m. 17st 0lbs / 108kgs
International record: 29 caps (W 12; L 17; 10 pts – 2T)
DoB: 13.03.81. 6’5″ / 1.96m. 18st 0lbs / 114kgs
International record: 21 caps (W 13, L 7, D 1; 5 pts – 1T)
