Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Leigh Halfpenny are among the experienced names to announce their international retirement this year.
Warren Gatland has underlined the importance of patience as he nurtures a new generation of Wales international players.
But fresh faces have already emerged – players like captain Jac Morgan, Sam Costelow, Dewi Lake, Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza, who all have a World Cup in the locker. “I have long been an advocate of foreign players. I think they are good for the game, especially here in Wales. “We know the financial situation. We all go through some pain as a national set-up, but now is the right time to do that and then think, what could the picture look like in a couple of years?”
North, who has played in four World Cups, will be 35 if he makes the squad for Down Under, but he has already indicated that he has no current plans to follow some of his former team-mates into Test retirement.Gatland added: “He and I have had a good chat and he wants to continue being available at the moment.
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