Thirteen Wales players have not taken the field this summer as Steve Tandy's side wraps up a gruelling Nations Championship campaign against South Africa this weekend. The four-match tour, which began with an uncapped warm-up against the Barbarians in London, has seen Wales play in four different cities across three continents.
Players who missed out entirely
From the initial 48-man squad, three players were forced to withdraw before any action: Liam Belcher, Keiron Assiratti and Louie Hennessey all ruled out with injuries. After the Barbarians match, Tandy trimmed the squad to 33 for the Nations Championship, leaving several players who had not featured against the Baa-Baas without any game time.
Among those cut were England-based players Dafydd Jenkins (shoulder injury), Olly Cracknell, Ellis Bevan, Jarrod Evans, Bryn Bradley, Joe Roberts and Gabriel Hamer-Webb. Uncapped centre Bryn Bradley, a Harlequins prospect, was particularly noted as a missed opportunity to assess depth ahead of next year's World Cup.
Missed chance for Bradley
Wales have relied on Joe Hawkins and Eddie James for much of the summer, but reverted to Ben Thomas and Max Llewellyn for the final match. A look at former U20s midfielder Bradley in the concluding fixture might have given Tandy additional insight as he builds squad depth. According to rugby correspondent Ben James, Bradley's omission felt like a missed opportunity to see what he could offer.
Others who missed out
Freddie Thomas was initially left out but later called up for the South Africa match. Harrison Keddie, Rhys Barratt, Tom Rogers and Ryan Woodman featured against the Barbarians but were not selected for the Nations Championship squad. Gareth Thomas and Mason Grady made the 33-man squad but saw no Nations Championship action after playing against the Baa-Baas.
Unused in smaller squad
Of Tandy's reduced squad, only a handful did not feature at all this summer. Cardiff hooker Evan Lloyd, uncapped since last year's Six Nations, was not involved. His Arms Park teammate Sam Wainwright could not displace Dillon Lewis or Ben Warren from the matchday squad. Dragons hooker Elliot Dee was a late call-up this week but will not play against South Africa.
Consistent performers
Eight players are in line to feature in all four matches: captain Dewi Lake, Dillon Lewis, Jac Morgan, Aaron Wainwright, Blair Murray, Ryan Elias, Ben Warren and Joe Hawkins. Debutant Kane James saw fewer minutes but did get on the pitch.
