Wales boss Wayne Pivac insists Dragons prop star Leon Brown fully ‘deserves an opportunity’ to shine on the international stage.
Brown is named among the replacements and could make his Six Nations debut in the clash with Italy at Principality Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 2.15pm).
The 23-year-old, who has made 14 appearances for Dragons this campaign, is joined by regional team-mates Aaron Wainwright, Cory Hill and Ross Moriarty in the match day squad.
Brown could now make his first appearance for Wales since tackling Ireland in August last year and later missing out on Rugby World Cup selection.
And new Wales boss Pivac has been impressed by the impact of Newport-born Brown in training ahead of the big Six Nations opener.
"Leon is a young prop who is nowhere near the finishing product," said Pivac.
"He has been doing a lot of good work, as all the props are, with Jonathan Humphreys.
"He is learning a lot and is getting better and better each training session. He has come a long way in a very, very short space of time.
"Leon is an exciting prospect because he fits the profile that we are looking for – he is a big man and is very quick in training with fast feet.
"It's just about getting him into good habits and making sure he can repeat performances week in, week out. He deserves an opportunity and has trained well."
He is learning a lot and is getting better and better... He has come a long way in a very, very short space of time....
