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Wales drop Williams for Six Nations clash with England

Williams had been on course for his 100th appearance in Wales colours © Getty Images

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Martyn Williams has been left out of Wales' Six Nations squad in a shock omission by head coach Warren Gatland.

The move is another blow to the 35-year-old flanker, who has won 98 caps and featured on the last three British & Irish Lions tours, after it was confirmed earlier this week that he will not be offered a new deal by Cardiff Blues at the end of the season.

Gatland has opted for youth at openside in the form of Williams' Blues colleague Sam Warburton and the highly-rated Josh Turnbull of the Scarlets. It could signal the end of Williams' illustrious Test career, which began in 1996 and has seen him move to within two appearances of joining Gareth Thomas as only the second Welsh cap centurion.

Gatland's 28-man party includes five uncapped players in Turnbull, Scarlets fly-half Rhys Priestland, front-row forwards Ryan Bevington and Scott Andrews, plus back-row prospect Toby Faletau. Williams is not the only player to miss out, with Dan Biggar, Tom James, Aled Brew, Tom Prydie, Huw Bennett and Ian Gough also deemed surplus to requirements.

The Wales boss also has to contend with a lengthy injury list, as absentees include props Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones, centre Tom Shanklin and wing George North, while scrum-half Richie Rees is banned until late March.

Experienced Sale Sharks scrum-half Dwayne Peel returns to the squad after missing out during the autumn series, joining fellow No. 9s Mike Phillips and Tavis Knoyle, with other notable inclusions being fit-again Lions backs Jamie Roberts and Blues wing Leigh Halfpenny.

Shane Williams, Wales' record try-scorer, is also back just over two months after dislocating his shoulder during the defeat against world champions South Africa. Williams launched his comeback with an impressive replacement appearance for the Ospreys in their Heineken Cup victory over Toulon on Saturday.

Former Wales captain and back-row regular Ryan Jones, meanwhile, has been bracketed among the locks alongside Alun-Wyn Jones and Bradley Davies. Jones has featured in the second-row for the Ospreys with considerable success in recent weeks.

"We have deliberately kept the squad as small as possible and have reverted back largely to the philosophy we had during the Grand Slam year in 2008," Gatland said. "We want to keep intensity levels up in training and have ensured that we are not carrying players with injury.

"Everyone here is fighting fit and able to take a full part and challenge each other for selection. Up front, it's well-documented that we have lost a couple of players in the front row, but that gives opportunities to others to put their hands up, and we are pleased with the options we have got in the pack.

"The forwards have been going pretty well, and we have decided to give a couple of youngsters a chance in this tournament, but that doesn't mean there is no way back for those who have missed out. We are conscious that we need now to begin to realise our potential, and that means winning some games. It all starts against England at the Millennium Stadium in a fortnight, and they don't come much bigger than that."

Wales go into the Six Nations on the back of seven Tests without a win, having lost six and drawn one. Their last victory came against Italy in the final game of last season's tournament.

Wales squad:

Backs: L Byrne (Ospreys), L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), M Stoddart (Scarlets), S Williams (Ospreys), J Davies (Scarlets), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), J Hook (Ospreys), R Priestland (Scarlets), S Jones (Scarlets), M Phillips (Ospreys), D Peel (Sale Sharks), T Knoyle (Scarlets).

Forwards: P James (Ospreys), J Yapp (Cardiff Blues), C Mitchell (Ospreys), R Bevington (Ospreys), S Andrews (Cardiff Blues), M Rees (Scarlets, capt), R Hibbard (Ospreys), A-W Jones (Ospreys), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), R Jones (Ospreys), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues), J Thomas (Ospreys), J Turnbull (Scarlets), D Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), T Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons), A Powell (Wasps).

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