Wales coach Warren Gatland has included uncapped duo Rhys Carre and Owen Lane (pictured playing for Wales U20) in his 42-man training squad for Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan.

Saracens-bound prop Carre has made 11 PRO14 appearances this season and will put pressure on fellow loose-head props Rob Evans, Wyn Jones and Nicky Smith.

His current Cardiff Blues team-mate Lane comes into contention in the back-three despite being replaced during his side’s defeat to the Ospreys last Saturday due to injury.

Carre and Lane are joined in the extended training squad by long-term absentees Taulupe Faletau, Aaron Shingler and Josh Navidi, who are all expected to recover from injury in time for the tournament.

Captain Alun Wyn Jones is again named in the squad as he looks to earn selection for his fourth Rugby World Cup.

He is one of eight survivors from the squad that finished fourth in New Zealand in 2011, alongside Ken Owens, Bradley Davies, Faletau, Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams, George North and Leigh Halfpenny. Twenty-four players, meanwhile, are bidding to appear at their first Rugby World Cup.

Intensive time

Wales, who finished third at the inaugural tournament in 1987, will begin their campaign in Japan at the Toyota Stadium on 23 September against Georgia.

Preparations for that game will begin at the WRU National Centre of Excellence with all players expected in camp by the end of June, once each has received four weeks off following their final club or regional game.

The squad will then travel to the Swiss Alps for an “intensive fortnight” of training before back-to-back warm-up games against England in August.

Following the second test against England, at the Principality Stadium on 17 August, Wales will head to Turkey for warm-weather training at the Gloria Sports Arena before flying home for back-to-back matches against Ireland.

Gatland is scheduled to name his final 31-man squad for Japan in the week between those two matches, in Cardiff on 31 August and Dublin on 7 September.

“It is exciting to name our training squad and to get the RWC ball rolling,” Gatland said.

Building depth

“We’ve named a 42-man squad, packed with experience, a good number of the Grand Slam winning squad are in there plus some players who have returned from injury.

“The last couple of years have been about building depth and exposing players and we have done that well so we have kept the numbers down to make the squad as manageable as possible.

“We have created some great competition in the squad and there are a couple of players on the injury list at the moment that we could add into the squad at a later date depending on their recovery.

“We have been really impressed with Rhys (Carre) and with Owen (Lane). They have both been on our succession plan for a while and it will be good to have them in camp with us and to see what they are able to do.

“We are looking forward to the squad meeting up and a hard summer of work ahead of us. We have planned it meticulously and the plans have been in place for a good while now.

“Looking back to 2011 and 2015 we were happy with our preparation so we are hoping to take that into this year and hopefully build on it.”

Wales squad

Forwards: Leon Brown, Rhys Carre, Rob Evans, Tomas Francis, Wyn Jones, Samson Lee, Dillon Lewis, Nicky Smith, Elliot Dee, Ryan Elias, Ken Owens, Jake Ball, Adam Beard, Bradley Davies, Cory Hill, Alun Wyn Jones, James Davies, Taulupe Faletau, Ross Moriarty, Josh Navidi, Aaron Shingler, Justin Tipuric, Aaron Wainwright.

Backs: Aled Davies, Gareth Davies, Tomos Williams, Gareth Anscombe, Dan Biggar, Jarrod Evans, Rhys Patchell, Jonathan Davies, Hadleigh Parkes, Owen Watkin, Scott Williams, Josh Adams, Hallam Amos, Steff Evans, Leigh Halfpenny, Owen Lane, George North, Jonah Holmes, Liam Williams.