3:14pm, 12 July 2019

Fresh from winning a Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam earlier this year, Wales’ Rugby World Cup depth chart looks to be in ominously competitive shape.

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Without too many injuries affecting the camp at time of writing, Warren Gatland’s side look to be in a strong position to mount a significant bid for World Cup glory in Japan later this year.

Sitting in a pool with Australia and Fiji, however, qualification is far from secure for the men from west of the Severn, no matter how strong Wales’ depth chart looks from top to bottom.

If they can navigate the challenges that those two dangerous sides pose, as well as the threats of Georgia and Uruguay, picking up momentum in the process, then Wales will be a side that no one in the final eight will want to face.

Tomas Francis disrupts what could be an all-Scarlets front row for Wales, with the Exeter Chief having pushed his way ahead of Samson Lee over the last couple of seasons.

Ken Owens’ consistency and durability at two hides a talented group of hookers in Elliot Dee and Ryan Elias, while promising youngsters Rhys Carre and Leon Brown will need to impress in the World Cup warm-up games to be on the plane.

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Adam Beard has the edge on Cory Hill to partner Alun Wyn Jones in the engine room, with both having turned in very impressive 2018/19 seasons at regional and international levels.

The back row, as it so often is, is an area of real strength for Wales, where Justin Tipuric pips Aaron Wainwright and James Davies to the role of Sam Warburton’s successor, while starting blindside Josh Navidi also offers an option at openside should it be needed.

A fit-again Taulupe Faletau will be a scary proposition for opposition teams, with Ross Moriarty offering significant impact from the bench and/or an ability to also play at six, should Wales opt to go for a bigger and more powerful back row unit.

Tomos Williams handled himself well during the Six Nations, although it is not enough to see him leapfrog Gareth Davies as the starting nine, with Aled Davies rounding out the group as the third scrum-half.

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The battle between Gareth Anscombe and Dan Biggar continues for the 10 jersey, with Rhys Patchell an enviable third option. Jarrod Evans will have his work cut out trying to make the final 31-man squad, but injuries at fly-half or full-back could pave the way for him receiving a ticket to Japan.

Hadleigh Parkes and Jonathan Davies continue in the midfield, bringing their chemistry from the Scarlets to the mix, just as their backups, Owen Watkins and Scott Williams, do from the Ospreys.

There is no lack of options in the Welsh back three, where Liam Williams gets the nod at full-back over the reliable Leigh Halfpenny, creating space for George North and Josh Adams on the wings.

Halfpenny will have his mind set on winning back the 15 jersey and pushing Williams over to the wing, and Owen Lane will be hoping that his excellent season for Cardiff Blues helps propel him into the mix with Jonah Holmes, Hallam Amos and Steff Evans for one of the remaining squad spots in the back three.

WATCH: Part one of Operation Jaypan, the two-part RugbyPass documentary series on what the fans can expect at this year’s World Cup finals in Japan