Rugby Union: Wales surprise with Humphreys

Wales entrusted their latest new era to the unlikely hands of Jonathan Humphreys, the 26-year-old Cardiff hooker, when a squad of 24 to play Test and warm-up matches in South Africa was named yesterday.

Humphreys is Wales' third captain in four months - a turnover reflective first of a Five Nations whitewash and then of a distressingly early exit from the World Cup - and can scarcely be said to be an obvious choice, though if it works out he can expect to carry on all the way to the 1999 tournament. "I don't think it will be hard to raise morale," he said.

That Humphreys' captaincy experience is limited is less the point than his extreme international inexperience: his two caps were gained in Wales' last two games, the defeats in Johannesburg by New Zealand and Ireland. His first three appearances for Wales will all, therefore, have been at Ellis Park.

The vacancy occurred because Mike Hall, who had succeeded Ieuan Evans, declared his retirement from international rugby. Other significant absentees from this party, and so from the games against South-East Transvaal on 29 August and the Springboks on 2 September, are the Swansea trio of Anthony Clement, Robert Jones and Stuart Davies.

Jones is in South Africa now, playing for Western Province when injuries permit; Davies will be away on holiday; Clement simply asked to be excused. Even without them, Swansea have the biggest representation of seven players and Cardiff's former preponderance no longer applies despite Hum-phreys' elevation. Only 14 of the World Cup 26 are retained; there are five uncapped players.

To that extent, this is a squad for the future, even if some of the choices - notably the preference for Greg Prosser over Gareth Llewellyn at lock - are eccentric whatever the criterion. As a palliative, Geoff Evans, the manager, was at pains to advise all those omitted that "nothing is forever".

In this he would be supported by Aled Williams, the persistently excluded Swansea stand-off finally receiving his opportunity at the ripe age of 31, the same age as Ieuan Evans, who will equal JPR Williams' record of 55 Welsh caps if he makes the team in Johannesburg.

This strangely timed match is, in effect, Welsh rugby's payback to the South Africans for supporting their successful application to host the 1999 World Cup, and in terms of the domestic season it could not be worse timed. Still, now, if ever, is a time to be forward-looking, if only because looking back is too painful.

This was mirrored in much of the press response to last month's Welsh retreat from South Africa, and Alex Evans, the Wales coach, has found it both difficult and disagreeable coming to terms with unaccustomed media virulence. Evans reached Cardiff only yesterday, after a break back home in Australia, and used this first opportunity to request a less abrasive type of coverage.

However reasonable, his complaint sounds suspiciously like blaming the messenger. "If the press don't support the players we are going to be in all sorts of trouble," he said. "But if our players are given a chance and aren't pulled down we have a chance in 1999."

WALES SQUAD TO SOUTH AFRICA: Utility back: *J Thomas (Llanelli). Wings: I Evans (Llanelli), *A Harris (Swansea), W Proctor (Llanelli). Centre/wing: G Thomas (Bridgend). Centres: *G Jones (Bridgend), M Taylor (Swansea). Outside-half/centre: N Jenkins (Pontypridd). Outside-half: A Williams (Swansea). Scrum-halves: P John (Pontypridd), A Moore (Cardiff). Props: J Davies (Neath), R Evans, S John (Llanelli), *C Loader (Swansea). Hookers: J Humphreys (Cardiff, capt), G Jenkins (Swansea). Locks: P Arnold (Swansea), D Jones (Cardiff), *A Moore (Swansea), G Prosser (Pontypridd). Flankers: M Bennett (Cardiff), A Gibbs (Newbridge). No 8: E Lewis (Cardiff). * = uncapped

Itinerary: 29 August South-East Transvaal (Witbank); 2 September South Africa (Johannesburg).

n David Campese has again been left out of Australia's squad for the return Bledisloe Cup match against New Zealand in Sydney on Saturday, despite an injury to the full-back Matthew Burke. The uncapped Rodney Kafer has been put on stand-by to replace Burke, who strained a hamstring during the Australians' 28-16 defeat in the opening match of the series in Auckland at the weekend.