Three new faces for Wales

Liam Williams
31 May 2012

Wales caretaker coach Rob Howley has named a team containing three new caps for Saturday's clash against the Barbarians in Cardiff.

Scarlets full-back Liam Williams and prop Rhodri Jones are both handed first Test match appearances, together with 19-year-old Cardiff wing Harry Robinson.

Robinson's Blues colleague Martyn Williams, meanwhile, remains on course to win his 100th cap after being included among the replacements. Williams is set to join Welsh centurions Stephen Jones and Gareth Thomas by reaching the three-figure landmark.

Scarlets hooker Matthew Rees will captain a Wales side that includes a number of fellow Grand Slam and RBS 6 Nations winners this season, such as locks Alun-Wyn Jones and Ian Evans, plus number eight Ryan Jones.

And there are returns to the Test arena for Ospreys centre Andrew Bishop and fly-half Dan Biggar, who both played key roles in last Sunday's RaboDirect PRO12 title-clinching victory over European champions Leinster in Dublin.

Williams apart, the bench also includes uncapped Scarlets centre Adam Warren for Wales' final game before embarking on a three-Test tour to Australia.

A group of players are set to leave for Australia on Thursday with assistant coach and defence specialist Shaun Edwards. That list includes star names such as Sam Warburton, Mike Phillips, George North, Adam Jones, Dan Lydiate and Toby Faletau. They will step up preparations for the first Test in Brisbane, with the remaining tour squad members arriving next Monday.

"We have picked a side on form, with an eye on bringing players through for the future, but very much with the intention of getting the summer campaign off to a winning start," Howley said.

Wales team: Liam Williams (Scarlets); H Robinson (Cardiff Blues), A Bishop (Ospreys), J Hook (Perpignan), A Brew (Newport Gwent Dragons); D Biggar (Ospreys), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues); R Gill (Saracens), M Rees (Scarlets, capt), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), A-W Jones (Ospreys), I Evans (Ospreys), J Turnbull (Scarlets), J Tipuric (Ospreys), Ryan Jones (Ospreys).

Replacements: R Hibbard (Ospreys), P James (Ospreys), A Shingler (Scarlets), M Williams (Cardiff Blues), R Webb (Ospreys), A Warren (Scarlets), W Harries (Newport Gwent Dragons.

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