The Welsh Rugby Union confirm Shingler and Dollman Call Up

The Welsh Rugby Union can confirm that Aaron Shingler and Phil Dollman have been called up to the national squad for next month’s tour.

Scarlets back row Shingler and uncapped Exeter Chiefs fullback Dollman will join up with the squad following this weekend, when their teams will feature in the Guinness PRO12 and Aviva Premiership finals respectively. The call-ups have been made in light of injuries to uncapped Cardiff Blues back Rhun Williams and Ospreys forward James King. 

“The two players coming in have been in excellent form lately and we’re looking for them to bring that level of performance with them,” says Wales head coach Robin McBryde. “They’ll be arriving with their tails up having made it to those finals, so it should be a boost for them as well as us.”  

Despite the disappointment of losing players to injury ahead of next week’s camp in North Wales – which will culminate in a Friday night match against RGC 1404 at a sold-out Parc Eirias – McBryde says he and his coaching team expect such setbacks as they prepare for Tests against Tonga (16th June) and Samoa (23rd June). 

“You have to account for injuries in this game – especially at this stage of the season – so we’re not shocked when these things happen. It’s a big blow for the players who are missing out, but for someone like Rhun, who’s only 19 years old, he’s got plenty of time to make his mark with Wales. 

“We’ve got a young squad, but we’re not treating this as a development tour. We’re going to the southern hemisphere to win two Tests, so the selection has to reflect a balance between potential and performance, and the new players will have to reach the high levels of expectation we have of them.”