IT’S the lull before the storm – the Wales rugby squad get back into camp next weekend with coach Warren Gatland set to name the side to face the Barbarians on June 4 a week on Tuesday.
With no Welsh team making the knock-out stages of the Heineken Cup and no Welsh side in the Magners League play-off final Gatland will at least have relatively fresh players at his disposal when the hard graft resumes.
Main interest will centre around Gavin Henson and whether Gatland brings him back into the Welsh team after a two-year absence and little rugby at domestic level in that time either.
Outside half Stephen Jones is set to reach a personal landmark by becoming the second Welsh player to reach 100 caps, following in the footsteps of Gareth Thomas.
Newport Gwent Dragons have a record five players in the squad - Aled Brew, Lloyd Burns, Luke Charteris, Dan Lydiate and Toby Faletau.
Brew and Charteris could well be given the opportunity to resurrect their international careers while Faletau is almost certain to make his Wales debut.
Gatland, who is guest speaker at Risca’s dinner tonight, may well give Burns his chance off the bench after his shock inclusion in the squad while Lydiate could stand down after being a regular all season, though Gatland may want to see him alongside teammate Faletau.
Wales Under 21 coach Darren Edwards has this week been helping the squad prepare for the Junior World Cup in Italy, but it will be his last involvement with them after stepping down to concentrate on his role as Dragons head coach. He has more than a year to run of his agreement with the Under 21s, but that was signed when he was assistant/ backs coach with the Dragons.
Predecessor Paul Turner is still biding his time about his next role, but London Irish could be his destination.
There is a major vacancy at the Madejski Stadium and Turner could well go for that. Wasps is another possibility while promoted Worcester has also been mentioned. Turner has been keeping his hand in by coaching Hertfordshire – former Dragons and Wales No 8 Michael Owen also involved – in the county championship. The side is now one step away from a Twickenham final, Corn-wall standing in their way.
Edwards is still trying to make at least one major signing for the Dragons, but his initial target has suffered a broken arm for the second time which may put that on hold.
Edwards is also waiting for World Cup squads to be named in August so that he can go for a significant player who has been omitted but would be available from the start of the new season.
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