Horrible injury luck hits Wales star Taulupe Faletau yet again

Fresh after returning from another spell on the sidelines, Taulupe Faletau has been ruled out for the remainder of the season in a cruel new blow to one of Welsh rugby’s unluckiest servants.

Cardiff have confirmed the Wales No.8 has suffered a significant shoulder injury, sustained during last weekend’s defeat to the Sharks in Durban.

The 35-year-old was making his first start since New Year’s Day but was forced off after 45 minutes, landing awkwardly and leaving the field using his jersey as a makeshift sling.

Faletau had been expected to face Benetton in Cardiff’s Challenge Cup fixture this Saturday, but hopes of seeing him feature again this campaign have now been extinguished.

Wales Online report head coach Corniel van Zyl has confirmed the veteran back-rower will not return before the conclusion of the season.

The latest setback only deepens the sense of frustration around a player whose career has repeatedly been interrupted just as momentum appears to build.

Faletau’s longevity at the elite level is remarkable given the volume and variety of injuries he has endured.

Indeed, his career has been pockmarked by a brutal litany of physical insults.

He first suffered a significant injury setback in 2014, sustaining an ankle injury while playing for Newport Gwent Dragons, an issue that briefly threatened his Six Nations availability.

Knee problems followed in 2016, when Faletau damaged medial ligaments on his Bath Premiership debut, ruling him out for several weeks and disrupting both club and Wales campaigns.

In 2019, he endured a prolonged absence after breaking his forearm on the eve of the Six Nations, the second fracture to the same arm inside three months, which sidelined him for much of the season.

Calf injuries became a recurring issue from 2020 onwards, affecting availability for Bath, Cardiff and Wales across multiple seasons.

More recently, Faletau suffered a broken arm aginst Georiga at the 2023 World Cup before fracturing his shoulder on his Cardiff return in April 2024, another blow that curtailed his season.

Despite his apparent curse, the British & Irish Lion still managed to amass 109 Wales caps.