Gatland says World Cup places are under threat

WALES SQUAD: HEAD COACH Warren Gatland has warned Wales players plying their trade in England they face missing out on a World Cup spot due to Premier Rugby's "ridiculous" decision not to release them until August 4th, the latest date allowed, next year.

Wasps flanker Andy Powell and Sale scrumhalf Dwayne Peel were notable absentees from Gatland’s 33-man squad for November engagements against Australia, South Africa, Fiji and New Zealand, partly due to the pair being unable to be involved against Australia as the game falls outside the International Rugby Board Test window.

And Gatland warned the stance taken by Premier Rugby, the body representing Aviva Premiership clubs, will harm their prospects of going to New Zealand next September. “The major concern is we have had a letter from Premier Rugby saying players in England will not be released until August 4th,” said Gatland.

“That is completely ridiculous to say the players will finish (the season) in May but not be available for national squads until August, two days before we play England in our first warm-up game. It’s going to limit players playing in England being available in terms of preparation or being available for the squad.

“Picking this squad we have looked at this campaign and the Six Nations, and if a player playing across the bridge is unavailable until August 4th it is highly unlikely they will be considered for the World Cup squad.”

Gatland, who has agreed a new four-year contract extension through to the 2015 World Cup, opted to delay naming his captain when he revealed his squad. He will wait until he picks his side for Wales’ opening engagement against Australia on November 6th at the Millennium Stadium to do so.

Ryan Jones, who was Gatland’s choice as captain when he took over in 2007, has only started one game so far this season after recovering from a leg injury he sustained during the second Test of the summer tour to New Zealand, and there have been question marks about his form over the course of the last two seasons.

But he turned in a man-of-the-match performance playing in the secondrow for the Ospreys against London Irish in the Heineken Cup on Friday and, on that form, Gatland sees no reason to make a change in leadership.

“I think our concern about Ryan Jones has been the amount of matches he has had,” Gatland said. “We have been happy with Ryan, he looks sharp and lean. We would like to see him playing in the backrow a little bit more than he has but we will make that call before we face Australia.”

Gatland has restored the Ospreys trio of Shane Williams, James Hook and Richard Hibbard to his squad, as well as Cardiff Blues’ quartet Gethin Jenkins, Sam Warburton, Tom Shanklin and Martyn Williams after they all missed that summer trip to New Zealand, although centre Jamie Roberts is an absentee with a wrist injury.

Dragons wing Will Harries and Scarlets duo Rob McCusker and Tavis Knoyle retain their places after winning their first caps on tour while there are two new caps in the squad in the form of Blues prop Scott Andrews and Scarlets wing George North.

WALES SQUAD(for autumn internationals against Australia, South Africa, Fiji and New Zealand) – forwards: G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Paul James (Ospreys), A Rhys Jones (Ospreys), J Yapp (Cardiff Blues), S Andrews (Cardiff Blues), M Rees (Scarlets), H Bennett (Ospreys), R Hibbard (Ospreys), A Wyn Jones (Ospreys), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), D Jones (Cardiff Blues), I Gough (Ospreys), D Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), J Thomas (Ospreys), R Jones (Ospreys), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues), M Williams (Cardiff Blues), R McCusker (Scarlets). Backs: M Phillips (Ospreys), R Rees (Cardiff Blues), T Knoyle (Scarlets), S Jones (Scarlets), D Biggar (Ospreys), J Hook (Ospreys), A Bishop (Ospreys), J Davies (Scarlets), T Shanklin (Cardiff Blues), S Williams (Ospreys), L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), W Harries (Newport Gwent Dragons), G North (Scarlets), L Byrne (Ospreys), T Prydie (Ospreys).