Robinson: Likened to namesake Jason

Gatland has never been afraid to give youth its head and the 18-year-old's surprise selection in his Six Nations training squad has echoes of Gatland's decision to select another teenager, then 17-year-old Ospreys youngster Tom Prydie, in his squad for the 2010 tournament.

Given the left-field nature of the selection there will be plenty of keen followers of Welsh rugby who may never have heard of the Wales Sevens international, whose form in the abbreviated version of the game and on his rare first-team appearances for the Blues caught Gatland's eye as the Kiwi looks to build strength in depth among his back-three options.

While Robinson's diminutive build - he is 5ft 10in and weighs a little under 13 stones - will be a reminder to Wales fans of record try scorer-Shane Williams, who retired from the international game in December, Gatland says the three-quarter reminds him of another great of the British game and that he holds plenty of promise for the future.

Gatland said: "He reminds me of Jason Robinson in the way he darts around. He has been very impressive in Sevens, which has been an avenue for a few of our players, and he has come on for the Blues and looked sharp.

"He plays with confidence, he is young and we need to be thinking in terms of the back three, which has been an area where we have not had a huge amount of strength over the last couple of seasons.

"We are looking not just to the immediate future, but at seeing how he will be over next two or three seasons."

Williams' decision to retire from the Test arena has left Wales short of experienced wing options.

Robinson, 18, George North, 19, and Alex Cuthbert, 21, who won his first cap against the Wallabies, are the specialist wide men in the squad.

That lack of cover in the back three has seen full-back Lee Byrne recalled after being unavailable to face Australia, giving Gatland the option of moving Leigh Halfpenny from the number 15 jersey to a place on the flank.

Byrne's form nose-dived alarmingly in the build-up to the World Cup, but Gatland says the former Osprey's improved performances for new club Clermont Auvergne merit a place in his party.

"Lee has gone to France and played week in, week out for Clermont," said Gatland.

"They are doing well, they are a quality side and their coach Vern Cotter would not pick Lee if he was not playing well.

"Lee gives us some security and stability, and with Shane retiring it gives us a bit of back-up."