To adapt a line from an old American football coach, much more bad luck on the injury front and Wales' squad photo for autumn series could end up being an X-ray.
Or something like that.
What is it with bumps at this time of year?
The situation was grim for Wales last term, with Wayne Pivac having to contend with an injury list of Casualty-meets-Holby City proportions. And it's much the same this autumn, as well, with pretty much every regional game seeming to have brought new headaches for the head coach to contend with.
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The squad were gathering on Monday for the coming Tests, which kick off with a game against New Zealand on November 5.
One of the first jobs was to count the walking wounded and assess the severity of their injuries.
The expectation was the process might take some time.
Given those circumstances, we take a look at the line-up Pivac might have to field against the All Blacks if the worst did come to the worst and the current list of unavailable players endured over the next couple of weeks. It's an unlikely situation, admittedly, but not an impossible one.
15. Johnny McNicholl
Who's causing concern? Leigh Halfpenny pulled out of the Scarlets side to face Connacht last Friday because of a tight hamstring. The move has been described as a precautionary measure, while Liam Williams is sidelined for the series.
Who could feature instead? Depending on the severity of Halfpenny’s injury, Pivac might be tempted to go outside his squad and draft in his Scarlets team-mate McNicholl, who has played for Wales at full-back before. Alternatives include playing Louis Rees-Zammit or Josh Adams at the back, but with injury problems on the wing as well, the selectors would risk strengthening one area of their team while weakening another.
14. Louis Rees-Zammit
Who’s causing concern? Alex Cuthbert injured a shoulder on duty for Wales against South Africa in the summer and hasn’t been seen on a pitch since.
Who could replace him? Doesn’t really apply here as Rees-Zammit would likely be one of the first names on the team-sheet, anyway. There have been reports of the Gloucester player himself experiencing difficulties with an ankle of late, but he finished his club's game with London Irish last Friday and there has been no official indication anything is wrong. The selectors will hope one of Wales’ most lethal weapons is fully fit and firing when training starts.
13. Owen Watkin
Who’s causing concern? George North left the field on 55 minutes against the Dragons on Sunday with a knee injury. He had been performing strongly at the time, invariably beating the first line of defence with power and pace. At the time of writing, it's not clear how much of a concern his injury is causing, but Ospreys head coach Toby Booth struck a positive note after the match at Rodney Parade.
Who could replace him? That would be Watkin, with the alternative being the uncapped Joe Hawkins. Watkin is a strong defender and has experience. Wales will have far from given up hope on North, though.
12. Nick Tompkins
He’s established as a key figure in Saracens’ midfield and he’s started eight out of Wales’ last 10 Tests. Pivac enjoys his work ethic and willingness to go the extra mile for the team. There’s no-one injured, here: he’ll start.
11. Rio Dyer
Who’s injured : Josh Adams has a thumb injury, sustained while playing for Cardiff against the Dragons on October 15. Arms Park coach Dai Young said: “Josh has a chipped bone on his thumb, which is anything between two and four weeks. It’s about pain management after two weeks.” Touch and go, then.
Who could replace him?
Rio Dyer would be well-placed for the job. What an afternoon the 22-year-old had at Rodney Parade on Sunday. Two tries, pace to terrorise any defence and the confidence to run from anywhere. Adding to the mix, he even threw an f-bomb into a live TV interview. We’ll put that one down to the exuberance of youth.
Maybe Wayne Pivac would prefer to ease the uncapped flyer into the Test mix, but depending on the fitness of Messrs Adams and Cuthbert, there’s a possibility he could be hurried onto the scene sooner than he might have expected.
10. Rhys Priestland
Who’s causing concern? Dan Biggar is out and Gareth Anscombe has started just two games all season, with the Ospreys not being seen on a pitch since sustaining a painful rib injury playing Glasgow Warriors on October 1. He has been training with his region but hasn’t been deemed ready to resume playing.
The 31-year-old is a quality operator who isn't short of practice when it comes to returning from knocks, but the assumption is he may need a game before facing New Zealand.
It’s a statement of the obvious to suggest they are not opposition for anyone to be undercooked against.
Who could start instead?
That would be Priestland, fresh from a No. 10 masterclass for Cardiff against the Stormers on Saturday evening. On the evidence on offer at the Arms Park, Pivac should lose no sleep at the prospect of the west Walian starting, because it was the finest performance by a Welsh No. 10 all season. Indeed, maybe it was the best display by a Welsh fly-half on the regional scene for several seasons.
9. Tomos Williams
Who’s injured: All three three nines Pivac chose in his squad are fit.
The coach started with Kieran Hardy in South Africa in all three Tests in the summer but Williams has banged in several big performances of late, looking inventive and sharp, with a fine performance alongside Priestland against the Stormers. Playing in a winning side at regional level could also help his case.
FORWARDS
The pack Pivac would probably want to start is not too badly hit, save for a question over Taulupe Faletau, who missed Cardiff’s game against the Stormers with a calf injury. If the worst does come to the worst in his case, and it seems reasonable to assume it won’t if the latest soundings from Cardiff are taken into account, then Ross Moriarty would likely be called up given that there are no specialist No. 8 options in the squad named last week other than Faletau.
Wyn Jones is also sidelined but hasn’t begun a Test since February, while Ospreys hooker Dewi Lake looked to have picked up a potentially serious shoulder knock against the Dragons. Again, though, it wasn’t altogether clear that he would have been assigned a place in the run-on side.
Pivac faces big calls at No. 6 and 7. Does he stick with Dan Lydiate and Tommy Reffell, who performed so well for him in the summer, or does he consider the likes of Christ Tshiunza, Jac Morgan and Justin Tipuric for starts?
So much could depend on how much he values experience as well as how match-fit Tipuric is felt likely to be after his recent injury. Much the same will apply at hooker with Ken Owens in the mix alongside the incumbent Ryan Elias.
And at loosehead prop, Nicky Smith has been playing exceptionally well.
Will Pivac stay loyal to his picks in South Africa? There's a reasonable chance he will. That might leave an initial seven made up of Gareth Thomas, Ryan Elias, Tomas Francis, Adam Beard, Will Rowlands, Dan Lydiate and Tommy Reffell. If Faletau fails to make it, it would be a surprise if Moriarty didn't receive a phone call.
But it's behind the scrum where most of the problems rest.
There, worries lurk at almost every turn and little is straightforward.
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