McBryde: Owens is first choice

Wales forwards coach Robin McBryde has declared Ken Owens the first-choice hooker for the three-Test series against Australia. Owens was one of 17 players sent in an advance party that arrived in Australia in the early hours of Saturday morning to get ready for the battle between the teams, which kicks off in Brisbane next Saturday. "It would be a fair assumption to say Ken Owens is our first-choice hooker," said McBryde, himself a former Wales and Lions hooker. "There isn't a pecking order as such - a lot of things have had an influence on selection in regards to travel and availability. "But Ken has shown up well throughout the season and was perhaps unlucky not to start more games during the Six Nations. We're hoping for that form to continue. "It's a very competitive area and things change very quickly in rugby. Competitiveness brings out the edge in people and there's no resting place for anybody in this squad. "We have three hookers going on the tour and it's going to be hugely competitive. We want to have the same thing in each and every position." Matthew Rees, the British and Irish Lions hooker in South Africa in 2009, was named captain for Wales's match against the Barbarians at the Millennium Stadium, but knows he will be in for a battle to retain the number two jersey against the Wallabies next weekend. As well as the two Scarlets team-mates, McBryde also has the powerful Ospreys' RaboDirect PRO12 final-winning hooker Richard Hibbard to call on Down Under.