DRAGONS speedster Ashton Hewitt has had his Wales hopes dashed by an injury blow for the second time, writes Chris Kirwan.

The 23-year-old from Newport has withdrawn from the squad to face South Africa in Washington on Saturday then Argentina in Santa Fe and San Juan because of a blow to the shoulder in training on Thursday.

It is the second time that uncapped Hewitt has been forced to pull out of a Wales squad; in 2017 he was ruled out of the Six Nations because of a concussion suffered on Dragons duty.

The speedster had been set to win his first cap after being a late replacement for Worcester wing Josh Adams and last week spoke of his excitement about being involved in training.

“That was the most frustrating time of my career, being in camp for the first time in a new environment and I couldn’t contribute.

“It was really hard on sessions to be on the side and not able to gain the respect from the other boys. Already I’ve done a lot more than I did last time.

"I have to take this opportunity with both hands, the competition on the wings is high at the moment and a lot of players are playing well. I want to get my hands on the ball and show what I can do."

However, Hewitt has now been denied the chance to impress Warren Gatland & Co on the field.

No replacement has been named for him but Cardiff Blues’ Josh Turnbull has joined the squad after Scarlets flanker Aaron Shingler suffered a knee injury in the Guinness PRO14 final.