It's the greatest honour any rugby player can receive, but not everyone gets to represent their country.
Most fail to meet the standard required, of course, but there are those who can perhaps count themselves unlucky.
Many are heroes at their clubs, men who seemingly had the ability to play at the highest level but never received the call for one reason or another.
Nevertheless, their names will forever be remembered by those that watched and admired them.
35. Andrew Thomas (Neath)
The hooker epitomised Neath in the early 90s with his rampaging style typical of the way the Welsh All Blacks played. Abrasive with a steely-edge, Thomas was capped at Wales A, Wales B and played for a Welsh Development XV but missed out on the big one.
34. Mike Ruddock (Swansea)
Played in the back-row for Blaina and Tredegar before making it big at Swansea making 119 appearances for the All Whites scoring 43 tries. Played for Wales Under-16s and Wales B before his playing days were ended prematurely by an accident at work in 1985.
33. Howard Stone (Cardiff)
A true Cardiff clubman who came through the youth ranks. Played 284 games for the Blues & Blacks in the back-row from 1980 through to 1998 and was capped at Wales A and Wales B levels.
32. Mike Budd (Cardiff, Bridgend and Newport)
An openside flanker with skills perfectly suited to the modern game. Budd started his career at St Joseph’s before moving on to Bridgend, Cardiff and briefly Newport and Neath. He captained Bridgend against Wales in 1989 and spent 10 years with the club before moving to Cardiff. He also played for Wales Youth, Wales B, and East Wales.
31. Colin Laity (Neath and Cardiff)
Tailor-made for the cut and thrust of Test rugby nowadays under Warren Gatland as the Cornish-bred centre was your archetypal go forward man in midfield. Captained Welsh Colleges and South Glamorgan Institute. Made debut for Wales B against France in 1988 and represented the Barbarians against Australia in the same year.
30. Ian Davies (Swansea)
The All Whites back-rower had nine seasons at St Helen’s playing 195 games and being on the winning side 133 times after joining in 1986. Had a whole host of representative honours with Wales B, Wales Schools, Wales Under-19s and Wales Youth.
29. Paul Rees (Cardiff and Pontypool)
A dependable full-back who rarely dropped a high ball, ‘Pablo’ played 157 games for Cardiff between 1975-85. Also a shining light in the David Bishop-Mark Ring era at Pontypool. Played for Wales B and a Welsh Youth cap.
28. Keith Poole (Newport)
Joined from Blaenavon and in his second game for Newport played against the All Blacks in 1963. Played an incredible 15 years and broke the Black & Ambers appearance record with 486 games before Wales lock David Waters usurped him. Yet his only representative honours came with Crawshays and Monmouthshire.
27. Nigel Bezani (Pontypridd)
The general of the Valley Commandoes in their glory years, prop Bezani was an awkward customer in the Ponty front-row after moving to Sardis Road from Tylorstown in 1988. Led Ponty to cup glory in 1995 and 96 but representative honours eluded him.
26. Matthew Lewis (Bridgend)
The cultured fly-half played for much of the 90s at the Brewery Field and had a spell with Wasps. A graceful runner and tactical nous in the No.10 shirt saw caps arrive at Wales A, Schools and Student levels but never the highest honour of the lot for the Cardiff Institute star.
25. Robert Lakin (Cardiff)
One of the great back-row forwards who played for Cardiff and had the knack to wind up the opposition fans with his ability to stretch the offside laws to the very limit. Skippered Cardiff Youth and then Welsh Youth before making his Arms Park bow in 1978 against Penarth. At international level he played for Wales B and represented the Barbarians.
24. Chris Webber (Newport and Cardiff)
The strong-running full-back played for Newport before joining Cardiff in 1979. A Welsh squad member in 1977 and 78 and toured in 1980 to Canada and the USA. His appearance for a Welsh XV on that trip to North America was recognised recently with a President’s cap.
23. Owen Golding (Cardiff)
A polished flanker who played 178 games for the Blue & Blacks between 1979-91. Won caps at nearly all levels while at St Cyres School, Penarth from under-15 right up to the under-19s where he was Welsh skipper. Went on the skipper the Welsh & British Colleges, he was also a Welsh squad member but never capped at senior level.
22. Dai Joseph (Neath, Cardiff, Swansea and Bridgend)
The prop was smelted from Corus steel having started out his rugby life in hometown Port Talbot and his Welsh odyssey took in spells with Aberavon, Neath, Swansea, Cardiff and Bridgend. Won caps at Wales B and Youth levels and also played for West Wales but never had senior representation.
21. Alun Lewis (London Welsh)
Had the distinction of playing for the 1977 British Lions against Fiji but never Wales. The Blackwood-born scrum-half represented Cambridge University in the Varsity Match in 1975 and 1976 and played club rugby for London Welsh.
20. Robin Williams (Pontypool and Newport)
One of the great kickers. He scored 517 points in one season (1974-75) for Pontypool and that record still stands today. He appeared twice for Wales B against France B. His 1971 Welsh XV outing against Canada has been recognised with a President’s cap.
19. Lennie Woodard (Pontypridd, Pontypool, Bridgend, Ebbw Vale, Aberavon)
Prolific try-scorer in both Union and League. In one season at Pontypool he managed 44 touchdowns including seven in one game as Pooler thumped Treorchy 90-3 in 2003. Toured with Wales in 1998 to South Africa and Zimbabwe but was never capped.
18. Benny Jones (Pontypool)
The gifted outside-half led Pooler to a fourth Welsh Club Championship in 1959 and played into the 1960s. Saw more trials than the Old Bailey but never got to wear the red jersey of Wales, with many in the Eastern Valley dubbing it a scandal.
17. Andy Hill (Llanelli)
A prodigious points scorer (but here he is failing to stop the Aussies). In an era when a try was worth three points he amassed 2,597 for the club, a phenomenal record only surpassed in 2010 by Stephen Jones though his 312 tries for the club will probably never be beaten.
16. Brett Davey (Pontypridd and Caerphilly)
Davey was a points machine for Ponty, but never represented Wales despite being called up to the squad in 2002. Voted the ‘Most Overlooked Player’ in the national press awards of 1998.
15. Roger Powell (Newport)
Think of Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric and in Rodney Parade favourite Powell you have both players rolled into one. Never shirked his shift in the back-row, the Welsh Youth cap made 341 appearances between 1976 and 1990 scoring 44 tries.
14. Gareth Jenkins: (Llanelli)
One of the most courageous flankers ever to play at Stradey Park, Jenkins went down in club folklore with his display in the 9-3 win over New Zealand. He figured for Wales against Japan in Tokyo in 1975, but no caps were awarded. Last year given a President’s cap to mark the occasion.
13. Alan Tovey (Ebbw Vale)
Lauded by many as the greatest centre in the history of the Steelmen, but his path to the Welsh team was blocked by the form of John Dawes. Earned Welsh B caps and was recently handed a President’s cap for turning out in 1971 for a Wales XV against the Canadians at Cardiff Arms Park.
12. Sam Lewis (Worcester)
Rarely talked about in international terms, Lewis has been one of the outstanding back rowers in the English Premiership for years now.
The former Ospreys flanker is a candidate for man of the match every time he plays and there's a certain level of bemusement on the part of team-mates and coaches over his continued Wales snubs.
He was named in Will Greenwood's Premiership team of the season last year but, with his 30th birthday approaching, that elusive Wales call-up seems unlikely.
11. Dai Fox (Llanelli)
A class act of a hooker in the 1990s. The West Wales club never doubted his talent to the extent that when Andrew Lamerton was selected to be the youngest hooker in Test rugby against France in 1993, he wasn’t first choice down at the Scarlets with Fox, when fit, keeping him out of the team.
10. Steele Lewis (Pontypridd)
It was a case of Steele by name and steel by nature with the roofer from Gilfach Goch. Provided tungsten-like strength in the centre for Ponty during their glory days of the 1990s. “Stella” became a regular in the Wales A team and toured Australia with the senior national squad in 1991.
9. Steve ‘Junna’ Jones (Pontypool and Newport)
The late hooker was recently awarded a President’s cap for his appearance for a Welsh XV against Canada in 1980. Was part of the 1983 Schweppes Cup winning team packing down in the front-row with Graham Price and Staff Jones and a granite hard competitor who went on to coach both Pooler and Newport.
8. Dai Manley (Newbridge and Pontypridd)
Manley made his name with Newbridge, gaining representative honours with Wales A. Upon moving to Pontypridd in 1993, he made an immediate impact notching up a total of 80 tries for the club. Went on the 1994 Welsh tour to the South Sea Islands but was never capped.
7. Colin Donovan (Maesteg RFC)
Scored a remarkable 71 tries in two seasons at the end of the seventies as Maesteg finished in the top three of the Welsh Championship.
Quick, small and deadly, the winger is regarded by many as the best uncapped player to come out of the club.
6: Bob Pemberthy (Pontypridd)
The lock (left) has written his name into Welsh rugby folklore making an incredible 877 appearances for Ponty between 1961-85. “I have always maintained that if he had been playing for one of the so-called ‘fashionable clubs’ he would have been part of the Wales team,” said Tommy David, of the man whose only representative honours came with the Barbarians.
5: Brian Gregory (Pontypool)
Tough as teak blindside flanker ‘Gregger’ earned cult figure status in the Gwent valleys in the 1970s despite being among a Pooler pack full of Welsh international aces. It still remains a mystery north of Newport how he was overlooked by the selectors.
4: Phil John (Pontypridd)
A great favourite with the Sardis Road faithful. Joined Ponty in 1985 where he had 12 seasons. Capped by Wales B, with whom he toured Canada in 1989, but a full Welsh cap eluded this dynamic burrowing hooker.
3: Chris Huish (Pontypool)
‘Madman’ qualified for Wales and England but was scandalously ignored by both. The fearless flanker led the all-conquering ‘Pooler pack from the front during the late 1980s. Not the biggest, but had a huge heart and consistently punched above his weight.
2: Andy Booth (Neath, Cardiff and Swansea)
In the late 80s and early 90s warming the Welsh replacements bench was no guarantee of winning that elusive first cap. In all the scrum-half, who played for Wales at under-15, under-16 and under-21 levels, sat on the bench an amazing nine times and never got to win that elusive senior cap.
1: Roy ‘Shunto’ Thomas (Llanelli)
The popular front-rower sat on the bench so often for Wales the BBC featured him in an A to Z of Welsh rugby, classing him as Shunto the Sanguine Sub. His misfortune was to have featured in an era when Bobby Windsor ruled supreme, and before him Jeff Young. Received a President’s cap in 2014 after featuring for Wales against Tonga in 1974.
