WALES flanker Ellis Jenkins is relishing the chance to take the field with Newport Gwent Dragons prospect Ollie Griffiths as the back row battle heats up in tonight’s training encounter with RGC 1404.

Robin McBryde’s squad will blow away the cobwebs against the Principality Premiership side in a conditioning fixture in Colwyn Bay ahead of their Tests against Tonga and Samoa.

The Newport Gwent Dragons trio of Griffiths, lock Cory Hill and centre Tyler Morgan all start this evening (kick-off 7pm) after being limited to training since the final Guinness PRO12 game of the regular season in Caerphilly on May 6.

The Cardiff Blues and Ospreys contingent linked up the fortnight later after their efforts in the Champions Cup qualification play-offs and PRO12 semi-finals respectively and feature.

The Scarlets’ title winners – prop Wyn Jones, hooker Ryan Elias, flanker Aaron Shingler, scrum-half Gareth Davies, centre Scott Williams, wing Steff Evans and fly-half/full-back Rhys Patchell – are named among the replacements after their exertions against Munster in Dublin last weekend.

RGC won’t provide anywhere near as stiff opposition as the Tongans and Samoans but Jenkins believes tonight will be a valuable exercise after a week of graft in the north.

“Everyone wants to be involved and give as good account of themselves as they can, so it’s nice to have the opportunity to play,” said the openside.

“Lots of players are being managed coming from big games and having had lots of game time recently.

“Everyone is going to get a chance and it’s just up to us to try and work as combinations; I’ve never played with Ollie before and it will be interesting to see how we go.”

Jenkins, 24, won three caps against the All Blacks last summer and is joined in the squad by fellow openside Thomas Young, who is on the bench after playing for Wasps in the Aviva Premiership final last weekend.

Blues lock Seb Davies starts at blindside this evening while Griffiths, usually a flanker, operates at number eight with the Wales management keen to utilise his strong ball carrying.

Even in the absence of Lions Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau and Ross Moriarty there is a fierce battle for the 6, 7 and 8 jerseys against Tonga in Auckland on Friday, June 16.

“You’ve Thomas Young, Josh Navidi and Aaron Shingler on the bench as well, so there is huge competition [in the back row],” said the combative Jenkins, who is also comfortable at blindside.

“There always will be and that’s what you need in a squad to be successful so we will all thrive on it and be competitive with each other, driving each other to be as good as we can.”

Wales face Tonga at Eden Park in a fortnight before taking on Samoa in Apia on Friday, June 23.

Wales: Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues); Keelan Giles (Ospreys), Tyler Morgan (Newport Gwent Dragons), Jamie Roberts (captain, Harlequins), Cory Allen (Cardiff Blues); Sam Davies (Ospreys), Aled Davies (Scarlets); Nicky Smith (Ospreys), Kristian Dacey (Cardiff Blues), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Adam Beard (Ospreys), Cory Hill (Newport Gwent Dragons), Seb Davies (Cardiff Blues), Ellis Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Ollie Griffiths (Newport Gwent Dragons).

Replacements from: Dillon Lewis (Cardiff Blues), Wyn Jones (Scarlets), Rhodri Jones (Ospreys), Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Ryan Elias (Scarlets), Scott Otten (Ospreys), Rory Thornton (Ospreys), Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets), Thomas Young (Wasps), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Tomos Williams (Cardiff Blues), Owen Williams (Leicester Tigers), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), Steffan Evans (Scarlets), Rhys Patchell (Scarlets)