Cardiff Blues lock Bradley Davies will lead Wales in the forthcoming two-test tour of Japan
The 26-year-old was named captain as Head Coach for the Japan tour Robin McBryde reduced his initial training squad down to a 27-man touring party.
The squad includes nine uncapped players including Ospreys duo Dafydd Howells and Dan Baker and Blues fly-half Rhys Patchell.
Props Ryan Bevington (Ospreys), Scott Andrews (Blues) and Craig Mitchell (Exeter Chiefs) who all featured for Wales in the 2013 RBS 6 Nations are joined by Saracens’ Rhys Gill and Rhodri Jones (Scarlets).
Uncapped pair Emyr Phillips (Scarlets) and Scott Baldwin (Ospreys) are named as hookers.
Davies returns to the squad after missing the Six Nations campaign due to injury and is named alongside Andrew Coombs (Dragons), Lou Reed (Blues) and James King (Ospreys).
Baker, 20, who featured 25 times for Swansea in the Principality Premiership this season, joins Scarlets duo Aaron Shingler and Rob McCusker and Blues captain Andries Pretorius.
Lloyd Williams (Blues) and Tavis Knoyle (Scarlets) are named at scrum-half alongside Dan Biggar (Ospreys) and Patchell at fly-half.
In the backline Ospreys trio Ashley Beck, Jonathan Spratt and 18-year-old Howells are joined by Blues duo Owen Williams and Harry Robinson, Liam Williams (Scarlets), Tom Prydie (Dragons) and Steven Shingler (London Irish).
There are eight Blues players in total: Bradley Davies, Lou Reed, Andires Pretorius, Scott Andrews, Lloyd Williams, Rhys Patchell, Owen Williams and Harry Robinson. Josh Navidi and Sam Hobbs who were both selected in the initial squad are unlucky to miss out on the tour.
Wales face Eddie Jones’ Japan in Osaka on June 8th and then in Tokyo on June 15th and McBryde has been impressed with his squad over the past ten days.
“We’ve had the training squad together for more than a week and we’ve been impressed,” said McBryde.
“They have really put the effort in and stepped up as we have asked them to. Everyone in the training squad put their hand up for selection making our jobs much harder.
“It’s a chance for these players now to experience the international test environment and put their marker down.
Wales Squad:
Forwards: Ryan Bevington (Ospreys), Rhys Gill (Saracens), Emyr Phillips (Scarlets), Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Scott Andrews (Blues), Craig Mitchell (Exeter Chiefs), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Bradley Davies (Blues), Lou Reed (Blues), Andrew Coombs (Dragons), James King (Ospreys), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets), Dan Baker (Ospreys), Rob McCusker (Scarlets), Andries Pretorius (Blues).
Backs: Lloyd Williams (Blues), Tavis Knoyle (Scarlets), Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Rhys Patchell (Blues), Ashley Beck (Ospreys), Owen Williams (Blues), Jonathan Spratt (Ospreys), Dafydd Howells (Ospreys), Liam Williams (Scarlets), Harry Robinson (Blues), Tom Prydie (Dragons), Steven Shingler (London Irish).