photo by Ian Lovell

On Saturday the Wales ‘A’ Rugby League team take on their Scottish counterparts in Glasgow hoping to retain the Four Nations Trophy they have won four times in the past five years.

Only three players remain from the side that lifted the trophy last year after beating England 39-18 at Blackwood in Lee Williams, Dean Scully and Paul Emmanueli so this will be the first experience of International Rugby for the majority of the squad.

Wales will be missing many, including Gareth David and Christiaan Roets who are travelling to Australia with the Wales Students for the Student World Cup.

The Valley Cougars fine form this season has been rewarded with six of there players making up the 18-man squad, while Newport Titans have five representative. The side also includes former Crusader Dean Scully, now with the NPT Steelers.

In last years match at St Peters RFC Wales ran out 44-30 winners so they will have to be at there very best to get a result in Glasgow.

WALES ‘A’ SQUAD:
Neil Sloan - Valley Cougars
Trevor James - Blackwood Bulldogs
Lee Williams - Valley Cougars / Crusader Colts
Martin Corley - Newport Titans
Matt Harvey - NPT Steelers
Owen Jones - Newport Titans
Carl Thomas - Valley Cougars
Mark Wheeler - Newport Titans
Tyrone Mahoney - Newport Titans
Mark Jones - Valley Cougars
Dean Scully - NPT Steelers
Jason Hill - Torfaen Tigers
Adrian Owen - Valley Cougars
Anthony Lott - Newport Titans
Paul Young - Blackwood Bulldogs
Paul Emmanueli - Blackwood Bulldogs
James Allen - Valley Cougars
Scott Bessant - Newport Titans

Meanwhile back at home there is just one Welsh Conference match taking place this weekend when the West Wales Sharks host the Torfaen Tigers at Furnace RFC. The Sharks and Tigers are the only two sides yet to pick up a win in the competition so both will be desperate to claim there first points as the bottom placed side will miss out on this years play-offs.

article by Simon Green
19 June 2008