"4 Cardiff Young Guns" - The 5 Uncapped Players in Warren Gatland's Wales Squad for 2024 Six Nations

Gatland named Jenkins as captain in Tuesday's squad announcement, as he takes over the reigns for the new generation of Wales players. However, Wales will be without their formidable speedster Louis Rees-Zammit, as the 22-year-old shockingly quit rugby union an hour before Gatland named his squad, to pursue an American football career in the NFL.

There has been a real changing of the Welsh guard in 2024, with multiple legends parting ways with the national side both before and after the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Rhys Webb ended their international careers ahead of the tournament, whilst the likes of Liam Williams, Cory Hill and Dan Biggar all ended their time in the red jersey after their quarter-final exit to Argentina.

Gatland's newest Wales squad sees five uncapped players join the fray, and a further eight talents look to gain their first tastes of Guinness Six Nations competition. The eight newcomers to Rugby's Greatest Championship are; props Keiron Assiratti, Kemsley Mathias and Corey Domachowski, full-back Cai Evans, centre Joe Roberts and lock Teddy Williams and Scarlets fly half duo Sam Costelow and Ioan Lloyd.

The five uncapped players? Well, here is a run-down of all you need to know about those fresh Welsh faces.

Versatile back-row Alex Mann is the first of four Cardiff players on this list, and boasts an adaptable skillset across both flanks and number eight. Predominately running out at blindside flanker at the Arms Park, Mann has started all 10 matches he's been involved in this season in the number six jersey. The 22-year-old has previously gained international recognition in a 'secondary position', as he played number eight for Wales U20s throughout the 2022 U20 Six Nations.

Mann is an unbelievable engine around the pitch, and currently tops the United Rugby Championship's tackle count with 114, and 'back in the game' statistic. This unorthodox stat measures the speed and efficiency of players, that get back into position after taking contact or making a tackle. Mann made his Cardiff senior debut against Harlequins in the 2020 Champions Cup, and has steadily progressed into one of Alex Sherratt's most dependable defenders.

2. Mackenzie Martin - Cardiff Rugby (Back Row)

A second back-rower to explode out of the Welsh capital, Mackenzie Martin is a promising young talent that excels in the number eight jersey. The 20-year-old has featured for Cardiff seven times, with four consecutive starts coming at the back of the scrum. Martin is a dangerous ball-carrier and had been consistently battering his way through the URC defences this season. Martin also grabbed a try on his Champions Cup debut in this past campaign, as he crossed over against Top 14 giants Toulouse back in December.

“It’s amazing. It’s a dream come true. I’ve made two starts on the bounce, three appearances and it’s all come pretty quickly. Playing Toulouse was a great experience individually and as a team. We didn’t come away with a result but it was still a good experience. Martin has previously made 12 caps for the Wales U20s, with his upwards trajectory well tracked by Warren Gatland, following his call-up into the Six Nations squad.

3. Evan Lloyd - Cardiff Rugby (Hooker)

"You only had to look at him a couple of times in pre-season to see he has got all the attributes of an international rugby player." Evan Llyod received the highest of praise from his Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt, after the hooker was named in the Six Nations squad by Warren Gatland. Despite his prowess in the front-row, Llyod is actually a lately-converted hooker, having spent the majority of his playing days in the back-row.

Lloyd has been learning his new position at a rate of knots, and he reminds Sherratt of a young Stuart McInally, after the Scottish international swapped spots in the scrum. Llyod has made six replacement appearances for Cardiff this season, and prior to this the 22-year-old made three run-outs in the U20s Six Nations. Now progressing with his fellow pathway graduates into the senior squad, Lloyd could well be set for his first of many caps in the Welsh front row.

Like his fellow uncapped call-up Mackenzie Carson, fullback Cameron Winnett made his Cardiff debut in the Champions Cup against Harlequins, albeit a year prior to the back-rower's debut. His 2021 season then saw him excel across fullback and right wing for the Wales U20s set-up, with a sole senior Cardiff cap coming in the 2021/22 URC against Benetton. He made two further caps for the Blues in last season's league campaign, with his real break-through coming this season.

Winnett has scored twice in eleven first team appearances so far, with his tries coming against Welsh rivals Scarlets and Dragons. A talented game-reader, Winnett's awareness on how to find space and darting pace to break through gaps, has quickly made him a fan favourite amongst the Arms Park faithful. The future looks bright for the 21-year-old, and with Liam Williams out of the Wales fray following his move to Japan, the 2024 Six Nations has set the stage for Winnett's international announcement.

5. Archie Griffin - Bath Rugby (Tight-Head Prop)

Despite still completing his studies at the University of Bath, tight-head Archie Griffin has been named in Warren Gatland's squad, with a test match senior cap on the horizon. The 22-year-old is in his third year of his Sports Performance course, and has been gaining on-field opportunities with Bath Rugby. Griffin made his debut in blue, black and white, in the 2022 Premiership Rugby Cup against Exeter, and has been gaining valuable tutelage from tight-head prop Will Stuart.

Griffin followed this up with his Premiership debut, which also came against the Chiefs, as he enjoyed back-to-back appearances at Sandy Park. Griffin's home debut at the Rec would not come until December of last year, which once again, was against Exeter Chiefs. Griffin has represented Wales at U18s and U20s level, and had a stunning season for his University's 1st XV, which saw him named in the 2022/23 BUCS Super Rugby Team of the Year.