ROBIN McBryde has declared that places in the Wales side for next week’s Test against Tonga are still up for grabs and urged his players to make every training session count.

McBryde is calling the shots while Warren Gatland and Rob Howley are on Lions duty and is also without 11 players who are currently preparing to face the All Blacks.

Wales fly out to join them in New Zealand tomorrow (THURS) ahead of their clash against Tonga at Eden Park a week on Friday, a game that is the first part of a double-header in Auckland with the world champions then hosting Samoa.

There appear to be a handful of shoo-ins for the opening international – captain Jamie Roberts, centre Scott Williams, scrum-half Gareth Davies, lock Cory Hill, tighthead Tomas Francis – but the caretaker boss says the management still have plenty to ponder despite time being against them.

“We won’t really do any work together until the Monday leading up to the Test on Friday,” said the former hooker.

“We’re aware of the lack of time, but we couldn’t have wished for things to go better than they did in North Wales last week.

“Places are up for grabs, we made that clear to the players. Every training session counts. They have to put their hands up in training.

“Considering how few sessions we have together, that has to be somewhere where we measure people.

“Because that message has been conveyed to the players they’ve been able to bring a level of intensity to training, as they want to stake claims for the shirts. It’s been good.”

Wales, who romped to an 88-19 win in the conditioning match against Principality Premiership side RGC 1404 in Colwyn Bay, face Tonga and seven days later face Samoa in Apia.

“It’s going to be a step up at Eden Park against a Tongan team that will be fired up and then we have Samoa on their home patch,” said McBryde.

“Samoa are playing the All Blacks a week before they face us, so that’s going to be a great measuring stick for themselves.

“When you play a game at that intensity, the following week tends to take care of itself, with players having a wake-up call. They are going to be coming into a game having played in a Test match at the highest level, so we have to be ready for that.

“You want to measure these players who are going to be given an opportunity in an uncomfortable environment, and I don’t think it will come much more uncomfortable than Tonga at Eden Park, and then Samoa in Samoa.”

Dragons lock Cory Hill is likely to start the Tests in the absence of Lion Alun Wyn Jones, the injured Jake Ball and Luke Charteris and the unavailable Bradley Davies.

His regional teammates Ollie Griffiths and Tyler Morgan will hope to join him in the matchday squad, the former aiming to win his first cap in the back row and the latter trying to appear on the international stage for the first time since the 2015 World Cup quarter-final loss to South Africa.

Morgan, who scored a hat-trick in Colwyn Bay, is looking to put the heat on the midfield duo of Roberts and Scott Williams and can also cover on the wing.

l Wales Women host Japan at Newport Gwent Dragons’ training base in Ystrad Mynach on Sunday as part of their preparations for the World Cup.

They take to the field at the Caerphilly County Borough Centre for Sporting Excellent (kick-off 2.30pm) to tune up for the tournament in Ireland in August.

“The game in Ystrad Mynach comes at a good time for us,” said head coach Rowland Phillips, whose squad have been in camp for a month.

“We will have focused on details around certain areas of our game. The Japan match gives us a good chance to see how much we have improved.”

Tickets for Sunday’s game cost £5 on the gate with under-16s getting in free.

Wales kick off their World Cup against New Zealand on Wednesday, August 9 then take on Canada and Hong Kong.