photo by Jane Harris

Wales A are fielding five players with Celtic Crusaders experience when they take on Scotland at St Peters RFC in Cardiff on Saturday (kick-off 3pm), as they bid to win back their Home Nations crown.

The side will be captained by prop Karl Hocking who scored nine tries in 15 appearances for the Crusaders last season.

Paul Morgan, who scored 16 tries in 30 appearances for the professional outfit will be in his favoured centre position while Dean Scully who made 17 appearances will be in the back-row.

Neil Dixon, who scored five tries in three games when filling in for an injured Tony Duggan in 2006, has been selected at full-back for Wales and is certain to make an impact on Saturday.

All four players were released from the Crusaders at the end of the 2006 season. Scully has signed for Neath Port Talbot Steelers while the others have re-joined Bridgend Blue Bulls.

Current Crusaders Academy player Owen Lewis, who also turns out for Valley Cougars, has been picked at scrum-half while his team-mate Jon Breakingbury, who was a professional with Sheffield Eagles for three years, is on the wing.

Welsh coach Wayne Williams says the side is still smarting from their failure to take five Home Nations titles in a row last year and that they are determined to regain the trophy in 2007.

Williams said: “Last season was the first time since the Home Nations began where Wales A did not return with the trophy, and to say it was a disappointment for all included is a huge understatement.

"Therefore, this season we have looked at freshening up the squad by bringing in some of the up and coming talent that has

come through the under 18s and student sides with James Thatcher, Miles Davies and Joey Davies from Cardiff Demons and Craig Fox from Bridgend Blue Bulls all in the squad for the first time.

“There has also been the inclusion of some ‘older’ faces after a season off like our captain Karl Hocking, but we have kept the spine of the team from last season.

“This season will no doubt be even more challenging and there will be places up for grabs for our first ever A international against France on June 30th in Aberavon. All of this adds an element of competition from within but I believe if we work as a group on the pitch, particularly in defence we have a great chance of starting our campaign with a win.”

Wales side: 1. Neil Dixon (Bridgend Blue Bulls), 2. Jon Breakingbury (Valley Cougars), 3. David James (Blackwood Bulldogs), 4. Chris Roets (Bridgend Blue Bulls), 5. Paul Morgan (Bridgend Blue Bulls), 6. Gareth Jones (Cardiff Demons), 7. Owen Lewis (Valley Cougars), 8. Mark Wheeler (Newport Titans), 9. Miles Davies (Cardiff Demons), 10. Karl Hocking (Bridgend Blue Bulls, capt), 11. John Bowd (Newport Titans), 12. Dean Scully (NPT Steelers), 13. Matt Entwhistle (Torfaen Tigers). Subs: 14. Steve Mayley (Torfaen Tigers), 15. Joey Davies (Cardiff Demons), 16. Jason Hill (Torfaen Tigers), 17. Craig Fox (Bridgend Blue Bulls), 18. James Thatcher (Cardiff Demons).

Scotland side: 1. Blair Skipper (Fife Lions), 2. Graeme Fisher (Glasgow Bulls), 3. Andrew Todd - (Edinburgh Eagles vice capt), 4. Richard Knight (Leicester Phoenix/Scotland Students), 5. Rob Sloman (Blackpool Stanley/Scotland Students),6. David Vernon (Gateshead Storm), 7. Paul Kelly (Edinburgh Eagles), 8. Ashley Carroll (Edinburgh Eagles, capt), 9. Scott Porteous (Liverpool Buccaneers/Scotland Students) 10. Robert Truesdale (Fife Lions), 11. David Lynn (Edinburgh Eagles/Scotland Students), 12. Bryan Aspinall (Fife Lions), 12. Patrick Coupar (Edinburgh Eagles/Scotland Students), 14. Greg Wallace (Fife Lions), 15. Giles Lomax (Edinburgh Eagles/Scotland Students), 16. Euan Rose (Edinburgh Eagles), 17. Gareth McColl (Fife Lions), 18. Kieron Blacker (Huddersfield Giants Academy/Scotland Students), 19. Graham Adam (Glasgow Bulls)

article by Ian Golden
14 June 2007