Warren Gatland has further trimmed Wales’ World Cup squad to 38, dropping eight players with the biggest surprises coming in the form of British and Irish Lions Richard Hibbard, James Hook and Mike Phillips.
The other five players leaving the group are Nicky Smith, Rory Thornton, Dan Baker, Rhys Patchell and Jack Dixon, who will return to their respective regions and clubs.
“It’s been a difficult task reducing the squad down and deciding who will meet up with us again on Monday,” said Wales head coach Warren Gatland.
“All the players involved over the past eight weeks have put a huge amount of effort in. The intensity and dedication from the players out in Switzerland and Qatar has been really impressive.
“That makes our job a lot harder but as we continue to move into our rugby focused phase of training its important we reduce the squad number down.
“There will be disappointment from the players but its important to stress that the door is not closed. We name our final Rugby World Cup squad on August 31st and a lot can happen between now and then.
“As a squad we will now meet up again on Monday to continuing preparing for Ireland away which is just over a fortnight away.”
Wales Training Squad (38)
Forwards (21)
Scott Andrews (Cardiff Blues)
Rob Evans (Scarlets)
Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs)
Paul James (Ospreys)
Aaron Jarvis (Ospreys)
Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues)
Samson Lee (Scarlets)
Scott Baldwin (Ospresy)
Kristian Dacey (Cardiff Blues)
Ken Owens (Scarlets)
Jake Ball (Scarlets)
Luke Charteris (Racing Metro)
Bradley Davies (Wasps)
Dominic Day (Bath)
Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys)
Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons)
James King (Ospreys)
Dan Lydiate (Ospreys)
Ross Moriarty (Gloucester)
Justin Tipuric (Ospreys)
Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues)
Backs (17)
Gareth Davies (Scarlets)
Rhys Webb (Ospreys)
Lloyd Williams (Ospreys)
Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues)
Dan Biggar (Ospreys)
Rhys Priestland (Scarlets)
Cory Allen (Cardiff Blues)
Tyler Morgan (Newport Gwent Dragons)
Jamie Roberts (Harlequins)
Scott Williams (Scarlets)
Hallam Amos (Newport Gwent Dragons)
Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues)
Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon)
Matthew Morgan (Bristol)
George North (Northampton Saints)
Eli Walker (Ospreys)
Liam Williams (Scarlets).
As you know by now, we are hilarious, and you should be following us on Facebook and Twitter. 
Agree with the other two, but I think dropping Hibbard is a bit short sighted.
Sadly for Dom Day, I think lock is Wales’ strongest position, so he’ll be back at Bath. Hoping Priestland will be culled as well so we have a 10 for WC period!
Bath fan BTW
“Hoping Priestland will be culled as well so we have a 10 for WC period!”
Be careful what you wish for!
If you’d seen Devoto in that role during the 6N you’d understand why. Went horribly wrong when we let Henson go, brought in Tom Homer to kick and played Olly Devoto (hugely talented centre) at 10!
Good news for Glos! Wasn’t overly surprised by Hibbard myself. Not sure that he has been the force of nature that he was over the last 12 months.
Interesting to see Anscombe kept though I’ve heard a rumour that Patch isn’t at 100% at the mo. Bit of an end of an era with Mikey and Hibbard out – two justified drops for me. Encouraging that Gats isn’t afraid to drop em. Can’t wait to see his final lineup.
Thank God for that…..Phillips has finally been got rid of but it took far far too long to for Cementhead to do this.
No-one in Welsh rugby will be sad to see this arrogant, egotistical and ever diminishing player leave stage left.
Hibbard would have been a decent 3rd choice as he has dropped down the rankings and Colonel Hilary has been a victim of his utility tag for years.
However we need to get rid of P+sshand too!
He is actually worse than Hook and Cementhead still sticks with this donkey.
As for Bath signing him..waste of money…a total waste of money unless your pack in totally on top every game and you always give him plenty of time and protection. Even then he is still sh+t!
Don’t know the Welsh squad in depth,but Hibbard is exp & a Lion (as is Adam Jones). Is the Welsh fr row so good that these 2 can be discarded in so ‘cavalier’ a fashion with the diminutive Lee 1/2 crocked?!
I mean with the England & Oz fr 3 to contend in their WC grp, surely Gatland cannot afford to get this pick wrong.
As for Phillips, I agree. He’d already kept the more varied & quicker (incl witted) Peel out for way too long prev anyway IMO.
However, regds Hook? Ok, he threw an intercept v Wales, but who did stand really out out? Anyway, I’ve always liked Hooky’s skills & esp his versatility. Shame.
v Ireland
Don
Adam Jones dropped himself and declared his retirement when he was carrying too much weight and could not adapt to the new scrum laws. He was little short of an embarrassment in the 1st half v SA in 2014 and was subbed b 4 half-time.
Colonel Hilary has blown so many chances for Wales and given away goodness knows how many interceptions/tries from his own charged down kicks.
That said I’d rather see him there than P+sshand who is undoubtedly the worst No10 Wales have had since Colin Stephens in the early 1990s.
Hibbard…. as I said above, I would have kept as 3rd choice hooker and given him the chance to prove Cement head wrong.
Peel was a far better player than Phillips but Peel left Wales and so Gatland dropped him like a hot stone. However other players who broke ‘Gatland’s Law’ found that it only counted against Peel and then Hook. Ever other émigré kept his place in the squad.
I thought Gatland dropped AJ? Colonel Hilary? Got me there. Presumably Hook? And P+sshand=Priestland? Well, he did miss in the last WC I think which helped put Wales out v Fr.
And like you, I didn’t understand Gatland’s inconsistency over his ‘offshore’ players.