Wales call up uncapped Owen and Hope for Nations Championship

Wales have selected uncapped Dragons backs Aneurin Owen and Che Hope for November's Nations Championship Tests, BBC Sport reports. Head coach Steve Tandy has named a 39-player squad led by hooker Dewi Lake, with Cardiff prop Rhys Barratt completing the trio of uncapped selections. Taulupe Faletau and Tommy Reffell are omitted.

Owen, 26, returns to the national squad after being involved in 2021 without playing a Test. His opportunity comes with Cardiff centre Ben Thomas injured. Hope, 23, joins Tomos Williams and Reuben Morgan-Williams among the scrum-halves, while Kieran Hardy is facing a lengthy absence following a knee injury, according to the BBC.

The BBC also reports recalls for Dragons wing Rio Dyer and Leicester wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb. Seb Davies and Taine Basham receive their first call-ups under Tandy. Faletau's omission follows his return to action for Cardiff against Northampton on Sunday; the number eight had been making his first appearance of the season.

The November group is larger than the 33-player squad named for July. In that earlier announcement, the Welsh Rugby Union said Tandy had chosen that size to reflect the requirements of the 2027 World Cup. At the time, the coach identified player development and greater consistency across performances as priorities, alongside building competition for places within the Wales group.

According to the WRU's published schedule, Wales host Japan on 7 November, New Zealand on 14 November and Australia on 21 November, all at Principality Stadium. Those matches form rounds four to six of the inaugural competition, which links the July and November international windows. Points collected across both windows determine the standings in each of its two hemisphere groups.

The campaign then concludes at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, from 27 to 29 November. The WRU's format pairs teams with the corresponding-ranked side from the opposing hemisphere, with the two group leaders meeting for the title. All 12 nations take part in the six-match finals weekend, competing for their final placing and contributing points towards a separate contest between the hemisphere groups.