Six Nations: Wales coach Wayne Pivac names Jarrod Evans in squad as Rhys Priestland misses out

Wayne Pivac has included Cardiff Blues fly-half Jarrod Evans in Wales’ squad for the Six Nations, choosing to go without Bath playmaker Rhys Priestland.

Scarlets back-row forward Josh MacLeod is the only uncapped player to be named in Pivac’s 36-man squad for the competition, with the experienced Ken Owens, Alun Wyn Jones and Josh Navidi all selected after injury concerns.

Priestland has not played a Test match in nearly four years, having moved to England, but he is expected to return to Wales next year and head coach Pivac was thought to have the option of selecting the 34-year-old.

Evans is the only fly-half in the squad currently plying his trade in Wales, with Dan Biggar at Northampton and Callum Sheedy impressing with Bristol.

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Dan Lydiate could be primed for a first Test run since facing Australia in 2018, while Kieran Hardy, Johnny Williams and Louis Rees-Zammit join Sheedy in winning selection having made their international debuts in the autumn.

“We are hugely looking forward to meeting up as a squad on Monday and to the forthcoming campaign,” said Pivac, with Wales hosting Ireland on 7 February to start their Six Nations campaign.

“As we consistently spoke about, the autumn for us was about opportunity and development, looking ahead to Rugby World Cup 2023 and it served that purpose for us.

“This campaign is different, it is tournament rugby and we are excited to get going and play our part.

“We have picked a squad for this tournament based on form and we are excited to meet up on Monday and get our preparation underway.”

The 50-cap fly-half Priestland does not meet the 60-cap rule that would allow Wales to keep selecting him while based in England. The Bath star’s mooted move to Cardiff for next term would remove this stumbling block, and Wales were thought to have weighed up whether to include him now on the special dispensation of a pending return to home soil.

Scarlets star Hardy has won the nod ahead of the Ospreys’ experienced campaigner Rhys Webb, with Gareth Davies and Tomos Williams the other two scrum-halves.

Bristol’s electric wing Ioan Lloyd can count himself unlucky not to have made Pivac’s squad, having set the Premiership alight this term. The 19-year-old won his first two caps across Wales’ autumn series but has been unable to squeeze into the senior squad this time around.

Dragons flanker Ross Moriarty continues to nurse his long-term ankle problem and was not deemed ready to contest selection. 

Forwards: 

Rhys Carre (Cardiff Bues) – 12 caps

Wyn Jones (Scarlets) – 30 caps

Rhodri Jones (Ospreys) – 17 caps

Elliot Dee (Dragons) – 33 caps

Ryan Elias (Scarlets) – 17 caps

Ken Owens (Scarlets) – 77 caps

Leon Brown (Dragons) – 12 caps

Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs) – 52 caps

Dillon Lewis (Cardiff Blues) – 28 caps

Jake Ball (Scarlets) – 49 caps

Adam Beard (Ospreys) – 21 caps

Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys) – 143 caps

Will Rowlands (Wasps) – 5 caps

Cory Hill (Cardiff Blues) – 29 caps

Dan Lydiate (Ospreys) – 62 caps

Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues) – 24 caps

Aaron Wainwright (Dragons) – 27 caps

Taulupe Faletau (Bath) – 81 caps

Josh MacLeod (Scarlets) – uncapped

Justin Tipuric (Ospreys) – 80 caps

Backs:

Gareth Davies (Scarlets) – 57 caps

Tomos Williams (Cardiff Blues) – 20 caps

Kieran Hardy (Scarlets) – 2 caps

Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints) – 87 caps

Callum Sheedy (Bristol Bears) – 4 caps

Jarrod Evans (Cardiff Blues) – 6 caps

Johnny Williams (Scarlets) – 2 caps

Jonathan Davies (Scarlets) – 85 caps

Nick Tompkins (Dragons) – 8 caps

Owen Watkin (Ospreys) – 25 caps

George North (Ospreys) – 98 caps

Josh Adams (Cardiff Blues) – 29 caps

Hallam Amos (Cardiff Blues) – 22 caps

Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester) – 4 caps

Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets) – 93 caps

Liam Williams (Scarlets) – 67 caps

PA