Ospreys back row powerhouse Morgan Morris got an early season boost when he picked up his award as the Welsh Rugby Writers’ Association Young Player of the Year for the 2022-23 campaign. The 25-year-old already has 76 appearances for his home region under his belt and is hoping to add a senior Wales cap to the ones he has already earned at U16, U18 and U20 levels.

So, Wales have announced their World Cup squad – one that coach Warren Gatland reckons “will do something special” in France next month. They go there ranked 10th in the world, meaning just getting out of their pool would exceed expectations.

Wales coach Warren Gatland says he is “pretty confident” that star back-row forward Taulupe Faletau will be available for World Cup selection. The Cardiff number eight, who has won 100 caps, will play no part in Wales’ tournament warm-up schedule as he continues his recovery from a calf muscle injury.

Not everyone is a fan of Taine Plumtree’s rapid rise to a Wales starting spot, but Neil Jenkins – like Warren Gatland – prefers to stress the back row forward’s qualities as well as his perfect qualifications. When Plumtree came on to win his first cap against England in Cardiff last weekend, Ross Moriarty was unimpressed.

Alex King has warned Wales that England will be “hurting” ahead of their Twickenham rematch. England were underwhelming in Saturday’s 20-9 defeat to Wales in Cardiff and received strong media criticism for that poor display ahead of head coach Steve Borthwick naming his 33-man World Cup squad on Monday.

Like Wales’ Gareth Anscombe, Danny Care has unfinished business with the World Cup but refuses to hold back during England’s warm-up games even if it means repeating one of his career’s most crushing disappointments. Japan-bound half-back Anscombe was injured in a warm-up match against England at Twickenham four years ago and missed the 2019 tournament.

Mike Phillips played at two World Cup tournaments and believes the key to success is self-belief – not a quality in which he was ever really found wanting. But the former Wales scrum-half – who seemed to swagger his way through big matches – believes Warren Gatland can still build some of that conviction, even though many people have already dismissed their chances of success in France next month.

Wales will be without Taulupe Faletau and Alex Cuthbert, who are among five players from the Wales squad who will not travel for the team’s next training camp in Turkey between July 23-31.

The last time Wales were heading towards a World Cup, Jac Morgan had his attention elsewhere. That was in the summer of 2019, when Morgan was helping Wales beat New Zealand in the World Rugby U20 Championship in Argentina.

Warren Gatland has called up uncapped back-row forward Taine Plumtree to Wales’ World Cup training squad for a two-week camp in Switzerland. Plumtree is part of a group that has travelled to Fiesch in the Swiss Alps, the Welsh Rugby Union said.

Warren Gatland is weighing up making Dewi Lake or Jac Morgan the Wales captain at the World Cup – or even both. The radical plan has been forced on the head coach due to diminishing options among the older guard who are dropping by the wayside weeks before the action starts in France.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has promised seven-times capped England prop Henry Thomas will “bring something different” to their preliminary World Cup training squad. Montpellier tighthead Thomas, who has played for Sale and Bath in the Gallagher Premiership, was capped by England between 2013 and 2014 and has served World Rugby’s stand down period of three years to represent another country.