SMITH SURPRISED HIS TIGERS TEAM-MATES MISSED SELECTION

WALES prop Nicky Smith says he is surprised that two of his Leicester Tigers teammates were not included in the squad for the upcoming autumn internationals.

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New head coach Steve Tandy named his 39-strong squad on Tuesday afternoon and there were some notable exclusions.

Smith says he was surprised that Tommy Reffell and Olly Cracknell were not included in the collective. Tandy also left out the likes of Tom Bowen, Ross Moriarty and Cameron Winnett, with Reffell arguably being the most shocking omission.

The Welsh star has been a constant in the international setup for three years and is a consistent performer in the Test arena.

Cracknell, on the other hand, is not capped for Wales but has aspirations to pull on the red jersey.

He has represented them at under-20 level and was called up to the senior squad in 2017 without making an appearance.

He has further ties to Wales having played for Ospreys for six years, making 177 appearances.