SCOTT Baldwin only has one rival for a starting spot but the Wales hooker is desperate to lay first claim to the number 2 jersey, writes Chris Kirwan.

The Osprey will battle with Scarlets rival Ken Owens for the right to be in the middle of the front row at the World Cup.

The pair will be called upon in every game after Warren Gatland opted to go into the tournament with just two specialist hookers and, with bigger tests to come against England, Australia and Fiji, Baldwin wants first crack against Uruguay on Sunday.

"I am desperate to start," said the 27-year-old, whose only pre-World Cup action came as a replacement against Ireland in Dublin.

"I just want to get out there on Sunday to stake a claim because I want to be first choice throughout this World Cup.

"There's good competition with Ken but if you are the one playing the best rugby then you deserve the start while if you are the one that's not selected then you have to get behind the person who has been.

"It's pointless being selfish, that's not going to get you anywhere. We are a 31-man squad and we are all here with the same goal, which is to win the World Cup."

Baldwin admitted he didn't expect to see the gang of four hookers halved with Kristian Dacey and Richard Hibbard cut from the training squad.

"It's something that both me and Ken were surprised with but it shows the confidence that they the coaches have in us," he said.

"Now we've got to go out and show we can do the job and show the world that they made the right decision.

"I read an article when I saw that Australia had done it and Mario Ledesma said that Argentina went to World Cups with just two and nothing was said about it.

"It's been blown up (out of all proportion) and if you took two scrum-halves nothing would be said.

Go through our Six Nations campaign and there were no injuries despite having two hookers, although Ken came in for the Italy game.

"We are in a home World Cup and if the worst was to happen they could bring in another hooker while (prop) Aaron Jarvis can step up if he has to. Hopefully both of us will be fit and we can have a long run of seven games."