The Wales national rugby team is embarking on their summer training camps, with their first stop being Switzerland. In a surprising turn of events, Taine Plumtree, the recently signed player for Scarlets, has received a shock call-up and will be joining the squad for the World Cup training camp on the continent. The news of Plumtree’s inclusion in the team was reported on Sunday, revealing that coach Warren Gatland considered him as an unexpected candidate.
Providing further details, it has now been confirmed that the Swansea-born back-rower joined the training camp on Saturday. Gatland and his team will spend two weeks in Fiesch, Switzerland, intensifying their preparations for the upcoming World Cup. A total of 47 players, along with Plumtree, will make the journey to Switzerland.
Gatland expressed his anticipation for the training camp, stating, “We’re looking forward to getting the group back together for a few days of further training in Wales before we head to Switzerland.” The coach emphasized the extensive preparation already conducted in Wales and highlighted the benefits of training at altitude in Fiesch. He mentioned, “We are looking to get the benefits of sleeping at altitude and will kick our training up another gear.”
While the majority of the squad will be present in Switzerland, Gatland noted that Owen Williams and Alex Cuthbert will not be traveling due to personal reasons. However, he expects both players to attend the training camp in Turkey. Taulupe Faletau, on the other hand, will initially join the squad in Switzerland for the second week of the camp. Faletau’s participation will be managed carefully as he is nursing a calf injury and wants to be available to support his young family after the recent birth of his third child.
Following the training camp in Switzerland, the team will enjoy a brief respite before heading to Turkey for their next training camp, scheduled to begin on July 23.
