No New Caps In Wales Tour Squad To New Zealand

Leaving out Leigh Halfpenny was the hardest decision, Wales coach Warren Gatland said Tuesday in naming his squad for the rugby tour of New Zealand next month.

It was easier not to pick any new caps.

"It's not the place to blood youngsters," Gatland said. "You want to go there with as much experience as you need."

There's experience in spades, with the 35 players averaging more than 30 caps each. They have three shots at becoming the first Wales side to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand.

They also have a pre-tour match against England at Twickenham on May 29 so they don't go on tour under-cooked. Wales, second to England in the Six Nations, leaves for New Zealand the next day.

Halfpenny has not played since September, when the star fullback ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the last warmup for the Rugby World Cup.

Read the full story at NZ Herald