Gatland selects 24-man training squad
Time to get ready: Gatland will start his preparations for Wales' tour to South Africa
Warren Gatland has unveiled a 24-man training squad for a week-long training camp in Ireland as he prepares his squad for the two-Test tour to South Africa in June.
There are three new faces from Wales' 29-man Six Nations squad, with uncapped London Irish scrum-half Warren Fury, Scarlets full-back Morgan Stoddart and Dragons scrum-half Andy Williams coming into the mix.
There are six players from the Grand Slam-winning squad that miss out due to injury, the most notable absentee being Gavin Henson. He is joined on the sidelines by Dwayne Peel, Mike Phillips, Mark Jones, Deiniol Jones and Robin Sowden-Taylor.
It is hoped that Henson and Peel may still recover in time to take their places on the tour, although the remaining four have already been ruled out altogether.
Wales will face the Springboks in back-to-back Tests, first in Bloemfontein on June 7 and then a week later in Pretoria on June 14.
Lee Byrne and Sonny Parker will have knee injuries assessed later in the week to ensure they can travel to Ireland for the fitness work.
Dragons duo Rhys Thomas and Andy Williams are also named with the possibility of a late withdrawal in mind as coach Gatland wants them to remain with their region if European qualification continues to be at stake after this weekend's Magners League game.
The release of Gloucester duo Gareth Cooper and Gareth Delve was not requested because of their play-off aspirations in the Guinness Premiership.
"We have been given the opportunity to go on a pre-tour training camp thanks largely to the support of the coaches and management at each of the four regions in Wales," said Gatland.
"This is not something that we will be able to do every year, because I would like to see our regions in contention for end of season honours.
"But, with no European competition left at the end of a tough season and with Leinster runaway leaders of the Magners League, we have been able to negotiate a position which will hopefully be of benefit to everyone.
"The regions have allowed us to take the players away for an intensive period of training in advance of our tour to South Africa and I would like to personally express my gratitude for their co-operation."
Gatland will take his side to a training base in Wexford which specialises in Cryotherapy, a therapy which aids the body's recovery from exercise and therefore, basically, allows for more training to be undertaken in a short space of time than would normally be possible.
"Cryotherapy is something that has been around in sport for some time and something I've used before at specific times as an aid to training at various camps in Poland whilst I was in charge of Ireland and London Wasps," added Gatland.
"The facilities at the camp in Wexford will be top notch, but as much as anything else this is a chance for us to gather as a group for the first time since the Six Nations, to train together and to prepare ourselves for a tough tour against the Springboks.
"Andy Williams and Morgan Stoddart both have a chance to show the coaches what they have to offer and to book themselves a seat on the plane to South Africa.
"Andy and Warren in particular are in with a good shout with two injuries in their position to Mike Phillips and Dwayne Peel being a worry for us.
"This is our core group now, but there may also be one or two other names we add to the tour party injuries permitting and with a couple of players down in England not considered at the moment.
"There is also plenty more rugby to be played back in Wales before the full compliment of probably 26 players or so is announced on May 14."
Wales Training Squad:
Backs: Morgan Stoddart, Lee Byrne, Jamie Roberts, Shane Williams, Tom James, Sonny Parker, Tom Shanklin, Stephen Jones, James Hook, Andy Williams, Warren Fury.
Forwards: Ryan Jones, Alix Popham, Martyn Williams, Jonathan Thomas, Ian Evans, Alun-Wyn Jones, Ian Gough, Duncan Jones, Gethin Jenkins, Rhys Thomas, Adam Jones, Matthew Rees, Huw Bennett.