Josh Macleod's joy and despair: Back row stretchered off at training 30 minutes after being told he would debut for Wales
Wayne Pivac has revealed the incredible roller coaster of emotions experienced on Wednesday by Josh Macleod, the uncapped 24-year-old Scarlets back row who went from being told he would make a debut Test start this Saturday for Wales versus Scotland to suffering a serious injury just 30 minutes later that will now sideline him for at least six months.
The agonising setback for Macleod was the latest serious injury to affect Wales. With Dan Lydiate, who started last Sunday’s win over Ireland, having torn his ACL and his replacement Josh Navidi having hurt his neck, Macleod was all set to start at Murrayfield as the next blindside up.
However, Macleod went from hero to zero in the space of a midweek half-hour and his place as the Wales No6 versus the Scots has now gone to Aaron Wainwright, who had originally been told he would start from the bench in Edinburgh. Wainwright’s spot in the replacements has now gone to James Botham.
“It has been a couple of days trying to put it together,” said Pivac about finalising an XV that contains five injury-enforced changes from last Sunday. “Injuries of any description are not pleasant for players. No one wants injuries but it is part and parcel of the game.
“The most disappointing is probably young Josh McLeod, who missed the last squad through being injured in a club game the day before coming in. Then yesterday [Wednesday] to be named in front of his peers and have them celebrate and give him a pat on the back, for him to go training half an hour later to be stretchered off was not great for him, not great for any of us.
George North's 100th Test cap appearance will have to wait #SixNations #SCOvWALhttps://t.co/PWSP2VmSsG
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 11, 2021
“Really saddened for Josh. A debut against Scotland would have been something he had dreamt of. It’s a serious injury, an achilles, but there was no contact involved in that. It was just one of those things in a training session. I’m guessing it’s going to be about six months.”
George North, Johnny Williams, Hallam Amos and Tomos Williams were the other quartet from last week’s starters to miss out on round two through injury, Owen Watkin, Nick Tompkins, Liam Williams and Gareth Davies all making the step-up.
North’s absence wasn’t even due to the eye injury suffered against the Irish – he had recovered from that and was instead ruled out with a foot injury which Pivac is hopeful won’t keep him from being available for the round three meeting versus England.
“I think we have got about 21 players unavailable from the first Six Nations,” reckoned Pivac, reflecting on the lengthy Wales casualty list. “It is a high number. I haven’t gone through the list to look at any patterns or anything like that. The medical boys will always do that in due course but it is a high number. I don’t know how that compares with other countries, though.
“It happens from time to time and just got to box on, you can’t dwell on it. One man’s misfortune is an opportunity for somebody else.”
Those opportunities won’t extend to either Rhys Webb or Jamie Roberts this weekend. Webb had told Pivac he didn’t want to be third choice scrum-half, which is why Lloyd Williams is on the bench at Murrayfield after Davies was promoted to start in place of the injured Tomos Williams.
Pivac added that he had been in contact with veteran Jamie Roberts, who has been in good form at Dragons, to let him know where he stands but the coach felt the uncapped Willis Halaholo was the best option for Wales to include on this weekend’s bench.
You can bring all three but can you start all three?
Highly unlikely. https://t.co/TQdHa9DMxX
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 11, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
We had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
60 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
60 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
60 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
60 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
60 Go to comments