'Long-term injury' throws Wales lock's Six Nations in doubt

Wales lock Ben Carter is unlikely to feature in next year’s Guinness Six Nations after his Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan confirmed he is out for “three or four months” with a hamstring tear.

The 22-year-old was forced from the field in the opening quarter of the Dragons’ 2o-5 win over the Ospreys at Rodney Parade on Saturday after injuring himself at a ruck, and his coach has now revealed that he is set to see a specialist in London.

“It’s a severe hamstring tear and we are probably looking at three or four months,” said Flanagan ahead of URC fixtures against the Sharks and Lions in South Africa over the coming two weeks.

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Mike McCarthy travels to the depths of Georgia to take part in the ancient contact folk sport known as Lelo Burti. Georgian rugby players have always been known for their unflinching physicality and Lelo Burti might just be the explanation.

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“He is meeting a specialist in London to see exactly what we need to do but it is a long-term injury. It’s a shame for Ben. He has got the work rate of two men and it’s important that whoever replaces him brings the same work rate in attack and defence.

“A Ben Carter is needed in every team, that second row who just keeps working and working so that other people can flourish. He was jackaling and it’s a horrible mechanism for a tall man like Ben over the ball. The stretch of his hamstring was not nice to watch.

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“The difference to a back doing it is that they are fast-twitch, but Ben is a young man and we just need to get this right for the longevity of his career.”

Despite this setback, Flanagan is hoping Carter can use this time out to develop his game. “Look at how we managed Ryan Woodman with an extended three-month break after the World Rugby U20 Championship, Ben has never had that in his career,” he said.

“This is an opportunity for Ben to have a rest, recover, learn a bit more about the game and physically develop.”

The 11-cap lock was part of Wales’ Rugby World Cup training camp, featuring in the warm-ups against England and South Africa before missing out on the squad that travelled to France. He made a return for the clash against the Barbarians earlier this month.

Although a three-month absence could see him return midway through the Six Nations, four months would rule him out of the tournament entirely.