WALES head coach Warren Gatland has named six Dragons in his squad for next month’s Rugby World Cup in France.

Taine Basham, Elliot Dee, Dan Lydiate, Will Rowlands, Aaron Wainwright and Rio Dyer have all been selected in the 33-man squad.

Former Rodney Parade favourite Taulupe Faletau is also included, despite injury concerns, but Dragons youngsters Ben Carter and Cai Evans, who featured in Saturday’s final warm-up match against defending champions South Africa, failed to make the cut.

Gatland has selected 19 forwards and 14 backs with an average age of 27 and with 17 players having previous Rugby World Cup experience.

Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan have been selected to co-captain Wales at their first Rugby World Cup.

Centre George North, Wales’ most-capped senior men’s back with 114 appearances, will compete in his fourth Rugby World Cup.

Gareth Davies, tighthead prop Tomas Francis, blindside flanker Lydiate and full-backs Leigh Halfpenny and Liam Williams will all compete in their third Rugby World Cup.

Loosehead prop Corey Domachowski (Cardiff Rugby) and tighthead prop Henry Thomas (Montpellier) are included having won their first senior caps for Wales this month.

Second row Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter Chiefs) is the youngest member of the squad at 24.

“The toughest part of the job is always selection, and this is particularly the case when it comes to picking a Rugby World Cup squad,” said Gatland.

“Over the past three months the whole group of 48 players in the wider training squad has been outstanding in terms of attitude and effort, so having to reduce the squad down to the final 33 has been really hard and there have been some close final decisions in the last 36 hours.

“But we can only take 33 players and those we have selected we think offer a good combination in terms of talent and experience.

“We have a few more training sessions here in Wales before we depart for France on September 3 and we cannot wait to get out there and get started in this tournament. We look forward to what lies ahead for this group.

“This will be a very proud moment for these players, their families and friends and I’d like to congratulate them all on the achievement.”

Drawn in Pool C, Wales’ World Cup campaign begins against Fiji in Bordeaux on September 10. The squad then travels to Nice to play Portugal on September 16 before facing Australia in Lyon on September 24 and meeting Georgia in Nantes on October 7.

Wales squad: Forwards – Taine Basham (Dragons), Adam Beard (Ospreys), Elliot Dee (Dragons), Corey Domachowski (Cardiff Rugby), Ryan Elias (Scarlets), Taulupe Faletau (Cardiff Rugby), Tomas Francis (Provence), Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter Chiefs), Dewi Lake (Ospreys), Dillon Lewis (Harlequins), Dan Lydiate (Dragons), Jac Morgan (Ospreys), Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers), Will Rowlands (Dragons), Nicky Smith (Ospreys), Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), Henry Thomas (Montpellier), Christ Tshiunza (Exeter Chiefs), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons); Backs – Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby), Gareth Anscombe (Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath), Dan Biggar (Toulon), Sam Costelow (Scarlets), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Rio Dyer (Dragons), Mason Grady (Cardiff Rugby), Leigh Halfpenny (unattached), George North (Ospreys), Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester Rugby), Nick Tompkins (Saracens), Johnny Williams (Scarlets), Liam Williams (Kubota Spears), Tomos Williams (Cardiff Rugby)