Matt Sherratt has named his 33-man Wales squad for this summer’s two test tour of Japan, handing call-ups to six uncapped players.

Hooker Dewi Lake will captain the squad for the series.

Second-row Ben Carter, fly-half Sam Costelow and tight-head prop Archie Griffin all return having missed the 2025 Six Nations due to injury.

Six uncapped players are selected among the 19 forwards and 14 backs named today: Cardiff Rugby hooker Liam Belcher, Dragons RFC tighthead Chris Coleman, Ospreys trio: wing Keelan Giles, scrum-half Reuben Morgan-Williams and loose-head prop Garyn Phillips, as well as Scarlets back Macs Page.

Kieran Hardy, Alex Mann, Josh Macleod, James Ratti, Johnny Williams and Cameron Winnett are all called up again for Wales in a squad that has an average age of 26.

Dafydd Jenkins will have elective surgery and Henry Thomas needs to seek specialist opinion on a long-term condition, so neither will join the squad this summer.

A decision has been taken to give Adam Beard and Will Rowlands a break this summer, so they have not been selected in the squad.

Sherratt said: “I’m excited to get the players together in camp to begin preparations for our summer campaign. I think there’s a good blend of experience and young talent selected and that this group has a lot of potential.

“Going to Japan this July is a challenge the coaches and I are relishing. We are expecting a fierce contest from Japan in these Test matches.

“Over the next few weeks in camp, it’s about working hard, getting all our prep right on and off the pitch and gelling together as a group.”

Players will assemble in Wales camp on a staggered basis from Monday depending on when their club season ends, before the squad flies out to Japan at the end of June.

The two-Test series against Japan begins with Wales returning to Kitakyushu, the city that hosted the squad for a training camp ahead of the world cup in 2019, where the first Test takes place on 5 July at Mikuni World Stadium.

Following that Wales head to Kobe for the second Test on July 12 at Noevir Stadium.

Wales Squad:

Forwards

Keiron Assiratti, Liam Belcher, Ben Carter, Chris Coleman, Elliot Dee, Taulupe Faletau, Archie Griffin, Dewi Lake (captain), Josh Macleod, Alex Mann, Garyn Phillips, Taine Plumtree, James Ratti, Tommy Reffell, Nicky Smith, Gareth Thomas, Freddie Thomas, Aaron Wainwright, Teddy Williams.

Backs

Josh Adams, Sam Costelow, Dan Edwards, Keelan Giles, Kieran Hardy, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Blair Murray, Macs Page, Joe Roberts, Tom Rogers, Ben Thomas, Johnny Williams, Rhodri Williams, Cameron Winnett.

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