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Adam Beard piles more misery on Warren Gatland

Warren Gatland, Head Coach of Wales, looks on prior to the Autumn Nations Series 2024 match between Wales and South Africa at the Principality Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Wales and Ospreys second-row Adam Beard is in a race to take part in the Six Nations next year.

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The 28-year-old missed Wales’ loss to South Africa at the weekend with a knee injury that he sustained against Australia the week before. His Ospreys head coach Toby Booth has now revealed that he will be out for “at least three months” with the injury.

Beard will therefore miss the start of the Six Nations, with his participation in any part of the tournament in doubt.

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This is yet more damaging news to Wales head coach Warren Gatland ahead of next year’s Championship, should he remain in the job.

Wales extended their losing run to 12 matches against the Springboks in a match where they looked seriously underpowered up front. Though Beard would not have been the deciding factor in the result, his 2.03m frame would have helped Wales’ cause. In light of a disastrous 2024, Gatland will find out whether he will keep hold of his job in the near future.

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United Rugby Championship
Zebre
22 - 17
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Ospreys
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The Ospreys face fellow United Rugby Championship strugglers Zebre this weekend in Parma before facing the Lions and Montpellier – who Beard is expected to join – in the Challenge Cup.

“The big downer is Adam Beard’s injury which is going to be a long-term one,” said Booth ahead of the weekend, as reported by WalesOnline. “There’s a few months to go on that.

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“That’s the biggest kick in the teeth really because he’s such a big part of what we do. It’ll be at least three months.”

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Nickers 54 minutes ago
'Razor's conservatism is in danger of halting New Zealand's progress'

Razor seems totally at sea to me.


He squandered his first year when he could have been bringing in loads of new players at the expense of results. Instead he chased the win from week to week, ironically using the same players that have been underperforming and NOT winning for years to put in mediocre performances.


The new generation of players is here right now but Razor is clearly not ready for them. Lakai, Love, Proctor, Plummer etc... could all have 5 or so games under their belt. Instead they get 2 minutes at the end of the game to win a "cap" like this is still the 80s.


He had a license to be bold this year - an obligation after 4 years of conservatism under Fozzie. But in reality it wasn't until inuries forced his hand that any progress was made this season.


Worryingly, much like Fozzie, he seems unable to diagnose and fix what is not working on attack. He desperately needs some better assistants around him.


The comparison to SA is not really a fair one. Rassie is probably under the least pressure of anyone in all of World Rugby this year coming off back to back World Cups win. It's like the ABs in 2016 - everyone thought they would have a post world cup slump but it was the exact opposite. With no pressure and no fear they payed some of the most incredible rugby that has ever been played by the All Blacks, every new player was an instant super star and it seemed like nothing could go wrong. Much the same way 2017 hit the ABs like a ton of bricks I'm sure SA will endure something similar in 2025.

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