IRELAND-ELIGIBLE OUT-half Callum Sheedy has been called up to the Wales squad for the upcoming autumn Tests.
24-year-old Bristol playmaker Sheedy is a native of Cardiff but played for the Ireland U18 Sevens team back in 2014 – qualifying through his mother – having initially represented the Wales U16s.
Having broken into the Bristol team in impressive fashion in recent seasons, Sheedy then played for an England XV against the Barbarians last year in what was an uncapped game.
However, Sheedy has now pledged himself to his native Wales with this call-up to Wayne Pivac’s squad for the autumn.
Sheedy is one of seven uncapped players in Pivac’s 38-man selection, with his 19-year-old Bristol team-mate Ioan Lloyd and 19-year-old Gloucester wing sensation Louis Rees-Zammit also included.
Hooker Sam Parry, flanker Josh Macleod, scrum-half Kieran Hardy, and centre Johnny Williams are the other uncapped players.
Pivac has welcomed key centre Jonathan Davies, out-half Rhys Patchell and tighthead prop Tomas Francis back into his squad after they missed the 2020 Six Nations earlier this year.
Wales’ autumn schedule gets underway with a Test match against France in Paris in three weekends’ time, before they finish out their Six Nations campaign against Scotland at Parc y Scarlets on 31 October.
Pivac’s men face Andy Farrell’s Ireland in Dublin on Friday 13 November in their opening Autumn Nations Cup fixture before home games against Georgia and England, as well as a play-off game on 5 December.
Farrell is due to name his Ireland squad on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.
Wales’ autumn squad:
Looseheads: Rhys Carré (Cardiff Blues, 8 Caps), Wyn Jones (Scarlets, 25 Caps), Nicky Smith (Ospreys, 35 Caps)
Hookers: Ken Owens (Scarlets, 77 Caps), Ryan Elias (Scarlets, 13 Caps), Sam Parry (Ospreys)*
Tightheads: Samson Lee (Scarlets, 41 Caps), Dillon Lewis (Cardiff Blues, 26 Caps), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs, 48 Caps), Leon Brown (Dragons, 10 Caps)
Locks: Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, 138 Caps), Will Rowlands (Wasps, 1 Cap), Jake Ball (Scarlets, 46 Caps), Seb Davies (Cardiff Blues, 7 Caps), Cory Hill (Cardiff Blues, 25 Caps)
Back rows: Aaron Wainwright (Dragons, 21 Caps), Ross Moriarty (Dragons, 45 Caps), Taulupe Faletau (Bath, 76 Caps), Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues, 24 Caps), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys, 76 Caps), Josh Macleod (Scarlets)*
Scrum-halves: Rhys Webb (Ospreys, 33 Caps), Gareth Davies (Scarlets, 53 Caps), Kieran Hardy (Scarlets)*
Out-halves: Dan Biggar (Northampton, 83 Caps), Rhys Patchell (Scarlets, 19 Caps), Callum Sheedy (Bristol)*
Centres: Owen Watkin (Ospreys, 22 Caps), Nick Tompkins (Dragons, 4 Caps), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets, 81 Caps), Johnny Williams (Scarlets)*
Back threes: George North (Ospreys, 95 Caps), Josh Adams (Cardiff Blues, 24 Caps), Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester)*, Jonah Holmes (Dragons, 3 Caps), Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets, 89 Caps), Ioan Lloyd (Bristol)*, Liam Williams (Scarlets, 63 Caps)
* denotes uncapped player.
