DRAGONS lock Ben Carter will get the chance to strengthen his bid for a starting spot in Wales’ summer clash with South Africa by impressing at Judgement Day.
The 23-year-old from Caldicot will be in the thick of the action against the Scarlets in the United Rugby Championship finale at Cardiff City Stadium next Saturday.
Two days later, barring injury, Carter is likely to be handed a recall to the international squad for the summer tour.
Wales face the Springboks at Twickenham on June 22 before heading to Australia for two July Tests against the Wallabies and a friendly with Queensland Reds.
Warren Gatland names his squad on Monday, June 3 and the Dragons will be hoping to increase their six-strong contingent from the Six Nations of hooker Elliot Dee, tighthead Leon Brown, back row forwards Aaron Wainwright and Taine Basham, wing Rio Dyer and full-back/fly-half Cai Evans.
Carter should be included after missing the final cut for last year’s World Cup and then the Six Nations because of a hamstring injury.
Not only should the second rower get a call-up but he is front-runner for a starting spot against the world champions due to a lock crisis.
Wales are without the Ospreys pair of Adam Beard (ankle) and Rhys Davies (knee) plus Cardiff’s Teddy Williams (shoulder).
Exeter’s Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza won’t be available as the game is outside World Rugby’s Test window, so Premiership players will not be released.
In addition to that, Will Rowlands plays for Racing 92 and the fixture clashes with the Top 14 semi-finals, with the Paris club currently in the final play-off berth with two rounds to play.
A recall has been touted for ex-Dragons captain Cory Hill, who won the last of his 32 caps against France in the 2021 Six Nations.
He has been playing in Japan and that initially made him ineligible but not any more after the 60-cap rule was cut to 25.
Hill was included in the first World Cup training squad but pulled out after a move to Wales or France didn’t materialise and he signed to play in the Japanese lower leagues with Secom Ruggets.
With promising Ospreys prospect James Fender yet to return from an arm injury, other options are his clubmate James Ratti, who has been filling in at lock despite being a back rower by trade, or Cardiff’s Seb Davies.
Dragons stalwart Matthew Screech, who won his solitary Wales cap against Argentina in 2021, could also give Gatland a nudge with a strong display against the Scarlets.
Wales might also consider a recall for Dragons-bound Shane Lewis-Hughes, who won the last of his three caps against England in the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup.
The 26-year-old is a blindside by trade but has made seven starts as a second row forward for Cardiff this season.
"He has been fantastic for Cardiff this year when playing at 4 and 6," said Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan.
"I watched him when they played up in Glasgow just after we had sorted a deal and he dismantled their maul, and they have one of the best in the league."
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