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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Matthew Southcombe

Wales call up uncapped 21-year-old Harri O'Connor for South Africa tour in shock announcement

Wales have called up 21-year-old Scarlets tight-head prop Harri O'Connor ahead of their summer tour of South Africa.

No player has left the squad - and the WRU say 34 players will now travel instead of the intended 33 - but O'Connor's arrival in camp suggests that head coach Wayne Pivac is contending with injury concerns in the position, with Tomas Francis, Dillon Lewis and uncapped Sam Wainwright the three currently in camp.

The Wales boss has already had to deal with the loss of Leon Brown due to injury, which led to Saracen Wainwright's call-up to the side, despite the 24-year-old's relative inexperience in professional rugby.

LIVE UPDATES: Wales hold press conference as Pivac gives update and assistant set to leave

And new call-up O'Connor is still in the formative years of his career, having made just nine competitive appearances for the Scarlets, including just the one start.

Though he is highly regarded in Llanelli, having been capped by Wales at under-18s and under-20s level. Born in Yorkshire, O'Connor qualifies to play for Wales through his father, who is from Bonymaen.

He was part of Bath's academy system as a youngster before being identified by the Welsh Exiles programme. He went on to study at Llandovery College alongside representing Scarlets age grade sides before going out on loan to Nottingham in the English championship last year.

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