Sport

Injured Peel left out of Wales squad

SIX NATIONS: SCRUMHALF DWAYNE Peel was left out of the Wales squad for the Six Nations yesterday, adding to the injury worries…

Tue Jan 19 2010 - 00:00

SIX NATIONS:SCRUMHALF DWAYNE Peel was left out of the Wales squad for the Six Nations yesterday, adding to the injury worries of coach Warren Gatland who is already without first-choice number nine Mike Phillips.

Peel injured his groin playing for Sale Sharks in the Heineken Cup against Cardiff Blues on Saturday, while Phillips has been out since October with a foot injury.

Gatland has named four uncapped players in the squad which begins its Six Nations campaign against England at Twickenham on February 6th. Cardiff Blues scrumhalf Richie Rees gets a first call-up, although Scarlets’ Martin Roberts is expected to begin the tournament in the position. Ospreys backs Tom Prydie and Kristian Phillips and Saracens prop Rhys Gill are also in the squad for the first time.

Ospreys fullback Lee Byrne, who missed the autumn Tests after getting injured on Lions duty in June, returns, as do the experienced Adam Jones, lock Ian Gough and hooker Matthew Rees.

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“We are not 100 per cent sure how long Dwayne Peel will be out for,” Gatland said. “We’re just going to assess him over the next few weeks. Mike Phillips may return for possibly the third or fourth game. But he needs a few games under his belt as he has just started running.”

The Ospreys and Cardiff Blues provide 27 of the squad which will be led by 2008 Grand Slam captain Ryan Jones. “We are at the beginning of our countdown to the World Cup and this slightly larger squad reflects that,” Gatland said.

WALES SQUAD: Backs: D Biggar (Ospreys), A Bishop (Ospreys), L Byrne (Ospreys), G Cooper (Cardiff Blues), J Davies (Scarlets), L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), J Hook (Ospreys), T James (Cardiff Blues), S Jones (Scarlets), K Phillips (Ospreys), T Prydie (Ospreys), R Rees (Cardiff Blues), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), M Roberts (Scarlets), T Shanklin (Cardiff Blues), S Williams (Ospreys).

Forwards: H Bennett (Ospreys), L Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), R Gill (Saracens), I Gough (Ospreys), P James (Ospreys), G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), A Jones (Ospreys), AW Jones (Ospreys), D Jones (Cardiff Blues), R Jones (capt), E Lewis-Roberts (Sale), D Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), A Powell (Cardiff Blues), M Rees (Scarlets), J Thomas (Ospreys), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues), G Williams (Cardiff Blues), M Williams (Cardiff Blues).