Wales Autumn Internationals Squad 2022 – Team to play Australia

Wales Team to Play Australia – Saturday 26 November

Leigh Halfpenny; Alex Cuthbert, George North, Joe Hawkins, Rio Dyer; Gareth Anscombe, Tomos Williams; Gareth Thomas, Ken Owens, Dillon Lewis, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones, Jac Morgan, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: Ryan Elias, Rhodri Jones, Tomas Francis, Ben Carter, Josh Macleod, Kieran Hardy, Rhys Priestland, Josh Adams.

Wales Team to Play Argentina – Saturday 12 November

Louis Rees-Zammit; Alex Cuthbert, George North, Nick Tompkins, Rio Dyer; Gareth Anscombe, Tomos Williams; Gareth Thomas, Ken Owens, Dillon Lewis, Will Rowlands, Adam Beard, Dan Lydiate, Justin Tipuric (capt), Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Rhodri Jones, 18 Sam Wainwright, 19 Ben Carter, 20 Jac Morgan, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Rhys Priestland, 23 Owen Watkin.

Young Wales fans at the NZ match. And a camera-shy woman behind them! (CameraSport/Getty)

Wales 23 New Zealand 55

How many times have we seen this game?

The All Blacks were just irresistible. Wales were game and to come back swinging after going 17-0 down – scoring one superb try on the way – deserves big credit. Ten minutes into the second half, it was only 29-23. 

But New Zealand’s 55-23 win at the Principality Stadium was one displaying their ruthlessness when the opposition allow them slivers of a chance. 

Ardie Savea was a tornado out there, while Aaron Smith was zippy in a two-try display. Jordie Barrett scored one, catching a Richie Mo’unga kick high above his head, and got another team try near the death. But it was the go-forward they created, allied with slickness of hands, that stunned Wales. 

It was not all doom and gloom. Rio Dyer’s score on debut was sumptuous stuff. But when Wales scored, it never stopped the All Blacks totally in their tracks.

So when captain Justin Tipuric’s score went over, the All Blacks went right down the other end and got another for Aaron Smith. 

Related: Did Justin Tipuric score: yes or no?

In the last quarter of the match New Zealand blitzed the Principality. It was a harsh lesson for Wales and one fans will hope is heeded. Before this tour, there was chat of the All Blacks being wounded and there for the northern sides to get at. Now they head to Edinburgh with a punishing performance under their belts.  

Wales Team to Play New Zealand – Saturday 5 November

Gareth Anscombe; Louis Rees-Zammit, George North, Nick Tompkins, Rio Dyer; Rhys Priestland, Tomos Williams; Gareth Thomas, Ken Owens, Tomas Francis, Will Rowlands, Adam Beard, Justin Tipuric (capt), Tommy Reffell, Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Alun Wyn Jones, 20 Christ Tshiunza, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Sam Costelow, 23 Owen Watkin.

Autumn squad

Justin Tipuric will captain a 35-man Wales squad for their Autumn Internationals fixtures against New Zealand, Argentina, Georgia and Australia this November.

The squad features five uncapped players in Ospreys centre Joe Hawkins, Dragons wing Rio Dyer and a trio of Scarlets players: scrum-half Dane Blacker, fly-half Sam Costelow and back-row Josh Macleod. Macleod had been selected for his Wales debut against Scotland in 2021 only to withdraw because of injury.

At the other end of the spectrum, Leigh Halfpenny, Ken Owens and Tipuric are back for international duty more than a year after they last appeared for their country.

Other familiar faces returning are Jac Morgan (Ospreys) and Rhys Priestland (Cardiff), who were last called up for the 2022 Guinness Six Nations; looseheads Rhodri Jones (Dragons) and Nicky Smith (Ospreys), who feature for the first time since the summer 2021 campaign; and Exeter Chiefs’ Christ Tshiunza, who made his Test debut last November.

Ospreys hooker Dewi Lake became the first player to drop out of the squad after incurring a shoulder injury on club duty. Bradley Roberts (Dragons) has replaced him.

Other players unavailable for selection due to injury are Taine Basham, Dan Biggar, Leon Brown, Seb Davies, Wyn Jones, Josh Navidi, Johnny Williams and Liam Williams.

Ospreys flanker Tipuric will replace Biggar (knee) as Wales captain for the series.

“I’m honoured and didn’t quite expect it to be honest,’’ said Tipuric, 33, who missed last season with a shoulder injury sustained on the 2021 Lions tour. “I’m just happy to get back in the squad and to have the responsibility of leading such a great bunch of boys on to the field is one of those definite highlights of your career.’’

Wales kick off their campaign against the All Blacks (5 Nov), who they haven’t beaten since 1953. Argentina (12 Nov) are back in Cardiff following two visits with capped attendances in 2021 due to Covid.

Georgia (19 Nov) make their first visit to the capital since 2017, after the last meeting of the teams was moved to Parc y Scarlets when the Principality Stadium became a field hospital in 2020. And the Wallabies (26 Nov) will complete the schedule at the end of the month.

Wales Autumn Internationals Squad 2022

Backs

(DoB/Club/Position/Test debut/caps)
Josh Adams (21 Apr 1995/Cardiff/Wing/2018 v Scotland/42 (+1 for Lions))
Gareth Anscombe (10 May 1991/Ospreys/Fly-half or full-back/2015 v Ireland/33)
Dane Blacker (6 July 1998/Scarlets/Scrum-half/uncapped)
Sam Costelow (10 Jan 2001/Scarlets/Fly-half/2022 v New Zealand/1)
Alex Cuthbert (5 Apr 1990/Ospreys/Wing/2011 v Australia/52 (+1 for Lions))
Rio Dyer (21 Dec 1999/Dragons/Wing/2022 v New Zealand/1)
Joe Hawkins (11 June 2002/Ospreys/Centre/uncapped)
Leigh Halfpenny (22 Dec 1988/Scarlets/Full-back/2008 v South Africa/96 (+4 for Lions))
Kieran Hardy (30 Nov 1995/Scarlets/Scrum-half/2020 v Georgia/15)
George North (13 Apr 1992/Ospreys/Centre or wing/2010 v South Africa/106 (+3 for Lions))
Rhys Priestland (7 Jan 1987/Cardiff/Fly-half/2011 v Scotland/53)
Louis Rees-Zammit (2 Feb 2001/Gloucester/Wing/2020 v France/20)
Nick Tompkins (16 Feb 1995/Saracens/Centre/2020 v Italy/24)
Owen Watkin (12 Oct 1996/Ospreys/Centre/2017 v Australia/34)
Tomos Williams (1 Jan 1995/Cardiff/Scrum-half/2018 v South Africa/37)

Forwards

Adam Beard (7 Jan 1996/Ospreys/Lock/2017 v Samoa/38 (+1 for Lions))
Ben Carter (23 Jan 2001/Dragons/Lock/2021 v Canada/6)
Ryan Elias (7 Jan 1995/Scarlets/Hooker/2017 v Tonga/31)
Taulupe Faletau (12 Nov 1990/Cardiff/No 8/2011 v Barbarians/92 (+5 for Lions))
Tomas Francis (27 Apr 1992/Ospreys/Prop/2015 v Ireland/65)
Alun Wyn Jones (19 Sep 1985/Ospreys/Lock/2006 v Argentina/154 (+12 for Lions))
Rhodri Jones (23 Dec 1991/Ospreys/Prop/2012 v Barbarians/21)
Dewi Lake (16 May 1999/Ospreys/Hooker/2022 v Ireland/8) – replaced by Bradley Roberts (4 Jan 1996/Dragons/2021 v South Africa/2 caps) following a shoulder injury
Dillon Lewis (4 Jan 1996/Cardiff/Prop/2017 v Tonga/42)
Dan Lydiate (18 Dec 1987/Ospreys/Back-row/2009 v Argentina/68 (+3 for Lions))
Josh MacLeod (27 Oct 1996/Scarlets/Back-row/uncapped)
Jac Morgan (21 Jan 2000/Ospreys/Back-row/2022 v Scotland/3)
Ken Owens (3 Jan 1987/Scarlets/Hooker/2011 v Namibia/83 (+5 for Lions))
Tommy Reffell (27 Apr 1999/Leicester/Back-row/2022 v South Africa/3)
Will Rowlands (19 Sep 1991/Dragons/Lock/2020 v France/22)
Nicky Smith (7 Apr 1994/Ospreys/Prop/2014 v Fiji/42)
Gareth Thomas (2 Aug 1993/Ospreys/Prop/2021 v Canada/14)
Justin Tipuric (6 Aug 1989/Ospreys/Back-row/2011 v Argentina/86 (+1 for Lions))
Christ Tshiunza (9 Jan 2002/Exeter Chiefs/Lock/2021 v Fiji/3)
Sam Wainwright (7 May 1998/Saracens/Prop/2022 v South Africa/2)

Wales Autumn Internationals Fixtures 2022

Sat 5 November       Wales 23-55 New Zealand

Sat 12 November     Wales 20-13 Argentina

Sat 19 November     Wales 12-13 Georgia

Sat 26 November    Wales v Australia, Principality Stadium, 3.15pm 

• All the matches are live on Amazon Prime, with Welsh and English language broadcasts.

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