Wales call up Toby Faletau
Wales have called up uncapped Dragons flanker Toby Faletau to their squad for the Autumn Internationals against Australia, South Africa, Fiji and New Zealand.
The 18-year-old back row player was called up to the squad to replace Rob McCusker, who is set to undergo a hernia operation.
Wales coach Warren Gatland has only four fit back row forwards available with captain Ryan Jones also out injured.
Jonathan Thomas, Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton and Martyn Williams are the players available in the back row and Gatland has looked to add competition by calling up Faletau and Andy Powell.
However, Powell will not be able to train with the Welsh squad as he has not been released by his club Wasps.
Therefore, Faletau will take part in training, but he is unlikely to start for Wales in the November Tests unless there are more injuries over the series.
Faletau was born in Wales, but his father is from Tonga. The player is an under-21 Welsh international and he has impressed for the Dragons so far this season.
The forward won the man-of-the-match award in the Dragons Magners League match against the Ospreys, which they won by 21-16.
Wales have already got a long injury list and players such as Lee Byrne, Leigh Halfpenny and Jonathan Davies are all out.
Due to Davies’ injury, Dafydd Hewitt and Scott Williams are brought into the squad to increase the number of centres in the team.
The versatile James Hook, Tom Shanklin and Andrew Bishop are the only centres available to Gatland in that position.
Gatland believes that the two uncapped players along with Faletau will benefit from joining up with the squad, although none of the players are expected to start against Australia on Saturday, 6 November
at the Millennium Stadium.
The Welsh coach will hope that the likes of Faletau can bring their club form to the international team if he is forced to introduce them over the November Tests.
Tags: