LIAM Williams and Cory Hill have been given surprise recalls by Wales for their summer Tests against world champions South Africa and Australia.

Both have been playing in Japan with Hill benefitting from Wales' second-row crisis, three years since his last cap.

He joins 11-times capped Monmouthshire second row Ben Carter in returning to the squad, while Warren Gatland has also selected Gloucester wing or full-back Josh Hathaway among four uncapped players to face the Boks and the Wallabies.

Ospreys wing Keelan Giles and Cardiff pair Jacob Beetham and Ellis Bevan are the other uncapped players in a 36-strong training squad.

Gatland's side face the Springboks at Twickenham on June 22, when players based outside Wales are unavailable for a match outside the official Test window, and URC quarter-final victory by the Ospreys over Munster on Friday could see up to six more missing.

The squad then heads on a two-Test tour of Australia in July.

Will Rowlands, Josh Adams, Alex Mann and Ryan Elias are all being rested for the summer.

But fly-half Ioan Lloyd and flankers Taine Basham and James Botham are notable absentees from the Six Nations squad.

And there is still no place for the likes of Morgan Morris, Eddie James, Nicky Smith or Johnny Williams, who have all shown good club form.

Sam Costelow is the only specialist 10 included, with returning Cardiff centre Ben Thomas providing cover, while Dragons lock Matthew Screech is also recalled.

World Cup co-captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake return having missed the Six Nations through injury, with Gatland yet to name his summer skipper.

Taine Plumtree and Christ Tshiunza also return for Wales having missed the Guinness Six Nations due to injury.

There are also recalls for hooker Sam Parry, tighthead prop Henry Thomas, and second row Matthew Screech in a Wales squad that has an average age of 25.

Gatland said: “We’ve selected a bigger squad because we don’t have the English club-based players available for the South Africa match. So we will be reducing the squad from 36 to 34 players for Australia.

“I think everyone appreciates and realises we’re building towards 2027. There were moments during the Six Nations where we played some really good rugby and put the opposition teams under some pressure, but we probably weren’t accurate enough.

“It’s about playing for longer periods, putting halves together and putting an 80-minute performance together which ultimately gives you confidence and gives you that opportunity to win games.

“We need to build on that. We need to keep working hard. We’ve got some experience to come back into the squad and some exciting players which is good.

“The big focus for us is about our game management and to get better with that. But we also want to improve our collision dominance whether that’s attack or defence and create some more depth and competition within the squad.”

Regarding the captaincy, Gatland added: “When the squad comes in we will look at a leadership group that is going to be important for us going forward.

“Then we’ll probably be looking to name a captain for the South Africa game and then name a captain for the tour.”