Wales call on new faces

[josie andrews]

Wales coach Iestyn Harris has included three uncapped players in his 24-man squad for the Gillette Four Nations Series.

They are Cumbria-born Peter Lupton, 29, who qualifies under the three-year residency rule having played for Crusaders throughout their time in Super League, and Australia-based duo Matt Seamark and Tyson Frizell.

Both Seamark, 24, who plays for Brisbane Broncos' feeder club Wynnum Manly, and Frizell, 20, from NRL side Cronulla Sharks, have Wales-born fathers.

The squad includes four other Australia-based players, Chris Beasley, Neil Budworth, Mark Lennonand Ian Webster, who are all former Crusaders players and have represented Wales in the past.

As expected, former British Lion and Wales RU captain Gareth Thomas, 37, is in the squad, alongside Warrington half-back Lee Briers, 33, who shared the captaincy when Wales lifted the European Cup last November to qualify for the Four Nations.

Wales, who play their opening Four Nations match against England at Leigh on Saturday, October 29, meet Ireland in a warm-up international in Neath on Saturday evening.

Good mix

Harris said: "It was difficult to reduce a 35-man train-on squad to this squad of 24 but I think we've got a good mix of youth and experience.

"It is in the main, quite a youthful squad with only six of our squad aged in their 30s, the rest of the players all being in their 20s. "But they are full of enthusiasm for Wales and are determined to do well. We've a tough competition ahead of us but we know that we can handle it and we're looking forward to getting out there.

"This Saturday's game against Ireland in Neath is so important to us. A few of our players will have had more game time than others over the last month or two so we need to find out exactly where we are as a squad before we take on England."

Wales squad: C Beasley (Central Comets, Australia), A Bracek (Crusaders), L Briers (Warrington), N Budworth (MacKay Cutters, Australia), R Divorty (Featherstone), G Dudson (Crusaders), B Flower (Crusaders), T Frizell (Cronulla, Australia), A Gay (South Wales Scorpions), A James (South Wales Scorpions), J James (Crusaders), D Jones (Halifax), C Kopzcak (Bradford), E Kear (Crusaders), M Lennon (Thirroul Butchers, Australia), P Lupton (Crusaders), C Roets (South Wales Scorpions), M Seamark (Wynnum Manly, Australia), G Thomas (Crusaders), I Watson (Swinton), I Webster (Central Comets, Australia), L White (Crusaders), L Williams (Crusaders), R Williams (Warrington).

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