photo by Mark Harris

Travelling to Lionheart Stadium in Featherstone this Sunday the Wales A side face their biggest challenge yet.

Wales have won the Skanska Home Nations Championship for the last four years in a row and must now beat England by 31 clear points at Featherstone Rovers' ground to secure it for a fifth time.

Coach Wayne Williams has made four changes from the side that lost 24-10 to Ireland at Celtic Crusaders last month. Cardiff's player of the year, Tom Burnell is set to make his international debut, his Demons' team-mate Gareth Jones makes a welcome return from injury while Torfaen Tigers' Steve Mayley and Newport Titans' Adrian Owen are both making their first Wales appearance of the season.

Williams (pictured above) said: "This will be a tough task for us as it's been a very challenging season. We're going into this as the underdogs but we always do that against England and more often than not we've come out on top. However this will be our biggest test."

WALES:
1. John Breakingbury - Valley Cougars
2. Damien Smith - Torfaen Tigers
3. Chris Roets - Swansea Valley Miners
4. Gareth Holtham - Cardiff Demons
5. Mark Cooke - West Wales Sharks
6. Gareth Jones - Cardiff Demons
7. Andrew Jenkins - Valley Miners
8. Graham Hughes - Cardiff Demons
9. Tom Burnell - Cardiff Demons
10. Dennis Pugh - Aberavon Fighting Irish
11. Sean Gilbertson - Cardiff Demons
12. Adrian Owen - Newport Titans
13. Jason Hill - Torfaen Tigers C
14. Steve Mayley - Torfaen Tigers
15. Wes Palmer - Cardiff Demons
16. Mark Devine - Cardiff Demons
17. Byron Williams - Blackwood Bulldogs

ENGLAND:
1. Barry-John Swindells - Hemel Stags
2. Dave West - Ipswich Rhinos
3. Karl Wesley - Leicester Phoenix
4. Steve Froggett - Featherstone Lions
5. Craig Campbell - Blackpool Sea Eagles
6. Scott Pendlebury - Bramley Buffalos C
7. Adam Browne-Huddersfield Underbank
8. Marco Rossi - Dudley Hill
9. Chris Spiers - Blackpool Sea Eagles
10. Andy Lake - St Albans
11. Lee O’Connor - Dudley Hill
12. Carl Leach - Widnes Saints
13. Gary Keegan-Huddersfield Underbank
14. Mark Roach - Thorne Moor Marauders
15. Dan Reeds - Lincoln City Knights
16. Andy Addison - Warrington Wizards
17. Mike Smith - East Lancs Lions

article by Ian Golden
8 September 2006