Uncapped Aneurin Owen, Che Hope And Rhys Barratt Named in Wales Rugby Squad

Dragons centre Aneurin Owen, Dragons scrum-half Che Hope and Cardiff loose-head Rhys Barratt make up the trio of uncapped new faces for this weekends international, with hooker Dewi Lake named as captain.

This follows our earlier look at Tandy’s squad call, and the detail is worth going through. I think Owen is the story of the group: he is 26, was in the 2021 summer squad without playing, and now gets his chance in a midfield missing Ben Thomas.

Who Are The Wales Rugby Uncapped Players?

Player	Position	Club	Age
Aneurin Owen	Centre	Dragons	26
Che Hope	Scrum-half	Dragons	23
Rhys Barratt	Loose-head prop	Cardiff	Not confirmed

Owen, from Newport, has been a key part of a Dragons side that built on an encouraging 2025-26 with a promising start to this season. He joins Eddie James, Joe Hawkins, Max Llewellyn and Louie Hennessey as a midfield option. Tandy was full of praise, as he told reporters.

“Aneurin has been so consistent, you only have to look at what he has done week in and week out,” said Tandy. “He thoroughly deserves his opportunity because his performances have set him aside from everyone else.”

Hope gets a first taste of an international camp and joins Tomos Williams and Reuben Morgan-Williams, with Kieran Hardy facing a lengthy lay-off after a knee injury. “Che is a really exciting talent, and the way that he has performed for the Dragons has been outstanding,” Tandy said.

Barratt is the third name. He played in the summer fixture against the Barbarians.

Which Players Return In Tandy’s Wales Rugby Selections?

Dragons lock Seb Davies and Cardiff number eight Taine Basham are called up for the first time since Tandy took charge. Davies, who moved from Cardiff to the Dragons in the summer of 2025, is aiming for his first cap since the 2022 Six Nations. Basham won the last of his 17 caps against England in the 2024 Six Nations.

Tandy picked Basham ahead of fit-again Faletau. “At the end of last season when Cardiff were playing the South African teams, Taine was really impressive and really fronted up,” he said.

Rio Dyer earns a recall. The Dragons wing, 26, won the most recent of his 24 caps against South Africa last November. Leicester wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb, who made his debut against Scotland in the Six Nations, also returns after missing the summer.

Five more come back after being unavailable for the July Tests against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa: lock Dafydd Jenkins, tight-heads Tomas Francis and Archie Griffin, hooker Liam Belcher and centre Hennessey. “It’s great to welcome back the players who were unavailable for the first three rounds of the Nations Championship,” Tandy said.

Who Misses Out From The Wales Nations Championship Squad 2026?

Leicester flanker Tommy Reffell is out with a knee injury. He will be sidelined for four to six weeks and will target a return for Tigers after the Nations Championship.

Faletau made his first appearance of the campaign for Cardiff at Northampton on Sunday, but misses out. Scarlets wing Macs Page, in form, is also left out. Belcher gets the nod as third hooker behind Lake and Ryan Elias, ahead of Elliot Dee, the leading try scorer in the United Rugby Championship.

The squad features 14 players from clubs in Premiership Rugby and elsewhere in England, plus Montpellier lock Adam Beard.

Club	Players
English clubs	14
Cardiff	7
Scarlets	7
Dragons	6
Ospreys	4
Montpellier	1

Forwards: Rhys Barratt, Rhys Carre, Nicky Smith, Gareth Thomas, Dewi Lake (capt), Liam Belcher, Ryan Elias, Tomas Francis, Archie Griffin, Dillon Lewis, Adam Beard, Ben Carter, Seb Davies, Dafydd Jenkins, Teddy Williams, Taine Basham, James Botham, Kane James, Alex Mann, Jac Morgan, Taine Plumtree, Aaron Wainwright.

Backs: Che Hope, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Tomos Williams, Sam Costelow, Dan Edwards, Joe Hawkins, Louie Hennessey, Eddie James, Max Llewellyn, Aneurin Owen, Josh Adams, Rio Dyer, Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Ellis Mee, Blair Murray, Louis Rees-Zammit, Tom Rogers.

There is a round of URC action this weekend. Plumtree and Hawkins have been allowed to travel to South Africa with Scarlets for their game against the Stormers on Saturday.

What Are The Wales Autumn Internationals 2026 Fixtures?

Wales face Japan, New Zealand and Australia in Cardiff, then finish against a southern hemisphere opponent on finals weekend at Twickenham. The Twickenham opponent has not been named.

For every session, check our rugby on TV today guide, and keep up with the rest of the autumn in our international rugby news.

Your questions answered

Who are the uncapped players in the Wales squad?

There are three: Dragons centre Aneurin Owen, 26, Dragons scrum-half Che Hope, 23, and Cardiff loose-head prop Rhys Barratt. Barratt played in the summer fixture against the Barbarians. Owen was in the 2021 summer squad but did not play in the Tests against Canada or Argentina.

Who is the Wales captain for the Nations Championship?

Hooker Dewi Lake has been named captain by Steve Tandy for the November Tests. Lake is joined in the hooking group by Ryan Elias and Liam Belcher, who gets the nod as third choice ahead of Elliot Dee, the leading try scorer in the United Rugby Championship.

Why is Taulupe Faletau not in the squad?

Tandy picked Cardiff’s Taine Basham ahead of the fit-again Faletau. Basham has started the season strongly, while Faletau made his first appearance of the campaign at Northampton on Sunday. Basham last played for Wales against England in the 2024 Six Nations and has 17 caps.

Who do Wales play in the autumn internationals?

Wales host Japan, New Zealand and Australia in Cardiff. They then play a southern hemisphere opponent on finals weekend at Twickenham. The Twickenham opponent is not named in the squad announcement.