London (AFP)

Wales coach Wayne Pivac has chosen not to recall opening half Rhys Priestland (34), preferring 10-year-old Jarrod Evans in his squad for the Six Nations Tournament unveiled on Wednesday.

Very fit with his team from Bath - 47 points scored in 5 matches - Priestland is not in the group of 36 players called up by the New Zealander.

Priestland has not worn the XV leek jersey since 2017.

In a team in the reconstruction phase, the coach preferred to call Evans (24 years old, 3 caps) who will be the only N.10 to evolve in the country, while Dan Biggar plays at Northampton Saints and Callum Sheedy at the Bristol Bears.

The only rookie in this group will be Scarlets third row Josh MacLeod, while captain Alun Wyn Jones and seasoned Ken Owens and Josh Navidi will be well in the Welsh pack, despite recent doubts over physical glitches.

Wales will try to do better than 5th place in the Tournament last year, a season in which they have only won 3 of their 10 international matches, against minor opponents Italy twice. and Georgia.

"As we had always said, what mattered to us last fall was the opportunity to develop the team for the 2023 World Cup and it fulfilled this role", assured Pivac, quoted in the communicated.

"This edition will be different, it will be a tournament and we look forward to playing our part in it," he added.

Wales will enter the contention on February 7 when they host Ireland.

Wales Group:

Full-backs / wingers: Liam Williams, Leigh Halfpenny, Louis Rees-Zammit, Hallam Amos, George North, Josh Adams

Centers: Johnny Williams, Jonathan Davies, Nick Tompkins, Owen Watkin

Open halfs: Dan Biggar, Callum Sheedy, Jarrod Evans

Scrum Backers: Gareth Davies, Tomos Williams, Kieran Hardy

Forwards:

Third lines: Dan Lydiate, Josh Navidi, Aaron Wainwright, Taulupe Faletau, Josh MacLeod, Justin Tipuric

Second lines: Jake Ball, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones, Will Rowlands, Cory Hill

Hookers: Elliot Dee, Ryan Elias, Ken Owens

Pillars: Rhys Carre, Wyn Jones, Rhodri Jones, Leon Brown, Tomas Francis, Dillon Lewis

© 2021 AFP