Captains

Captain Pat Cummins and spinner Nathan Lyon have been left out of the Australia squad for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

Lyon is set to have surgery on a torn right hamstring which will sideline him for an extended period, while Cummins is rested as he continues to manage a long-standing back issue.

Cummins missed the first two Tests of the series but returned for the third in Adelaide as Australia retained the Ashes after just 11 days of play.

Batter Steve Smith, meanwhile, returns from an illness which kept him out of the third Test and will captain the side.

Seam bowler Jhye Richardson and spinner Todd Murphy have been recalled to the squad while Michael Neser, Beau Webster and Brendan Doggett retain their places despite not making the starting XI in Adelaide.

The fourth Test at the MCG in Melbourne begins at 23:30 GMT on 25 December.

Flanker Morgan, 25, came through the academy at Scarlets and made his senior debut in 2019, before joining rivals Ospreys two years later. He made his senior Wales bow in a victory over Scotland.

Hooker Lake, 26, has 26 caps and made his debut in the 2022 Six Nations opener against Ireland.

“The Ospreys is a club that means a lot to me on so many different levels so making the decision to move was something that I spent a lot of time thinking over,” he said.

“My whole career to this point has been with this team and there have been so many special moments on the way.

“Coming through the pathway, making my debut, the first time I captained the side and the friendships I’ve forged with players and staff, will all live long in my memory for the rest of my life.”

The moves come at an uncertain time for Welsh rugby, with the number of professional clubs in the country set to be reduced from four to three by 2027.

There will be one in Cardiff, one in the east of the country and one in the west – which is expected to result in a straight survival fight between Swansea-based Ospreys and Scarlets in Llanelli.

Another option that has now emerged is Ospreys owners, Y11 Sport & Media, taking over WRU-owned Cardiff, which could produce the desired number of three professional sides.

There are currently more than 80 Wales-based players out of contract at the end of the season.