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The latest injury update on Wales’ Aaron Wainwright, Liam Williams and more

Wales' full back Liam Williams (L) and Wales' flanker Aaron Wainwright take part in a training session at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo on October 22, 2019, ahead of their Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-final against South Africa. (Photo by Odd Andersen / AFP) (Photo by ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)

Technical coach Rob Howley has been unable to confirm whether Aaron Wainwright, Liam Williams and four others will be available to take on the Wallabies in Wales’ second Test in Australia.

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With just a handful of days between now and Wales’ final Test match of the year, the visitors Down Under could still be dealt a major blow if the experienced duo of Wainwright and Williams are ruled out.

Wainwright, 26, played in his 50th Test last weekend as the Welsh went down swinging in a fierce battle with Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies in Sydney. But to make the fallout of defeat even tougher, the backrower limped off the field with 80 minutes and 37 seconds on the clock.

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Joe Schmidt and Liam Wright after Wallabies win over Wales

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    Joe Schmidt and Liam Wright after Wallabies win over Wales

    Coach Joe Schmidt and captain Liam Wright spoke to media following their 25-16 win over Wales in Sydney. Wright became the 89th captain of Australia when he led the side out for the first time in front of more than 35,00

    The Welsh enforcer was by far the most experienced forward in last week’s starting side, with Ospreys prop Gareth Thomas second with 18 fewer caps. It’s a similar narrative in the backs if you consider the influence and potential loss of outside back Liam Williams.

    Williams, who played a handful of matches for the British and Irish Lions across two tours in 2017 & 2021, is a 91-Test veteran who lined up at fullback in a backline that included uncapped winger Josh Hathaway and two-Test flyhalf Ben Thomas.

    To put this all into context, Wainwright and Williams have 141 caps between them, while the other 13 players in last weekend’s starting side share 180 appearances.

    “Aaron Wainwright, we’re waiting for further assessment. Liam Williams, hopefully, he will be available for selection,” Howley told reporters in Melbourne.

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    “Gareth Thomas, a bit of a dead leg, back in training today. Josh Hathaway is being monitored. Obviously, it’s a bump on his arm. Then Dillon Lewis and Ben Carter, obviously they trained this morning with us.

    “Fingers crossed they will be available for selection.

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    “We’re just waiting (for) an assessment on him,” he added when prompted about Wainwright in particular.

    “I think he was outstanding in the game. His carries, his footwork, he got us on the front foot on many occasions.

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    “So, hopefully, but we’re waiting for that assessment to come back from the medial team.”

    Whether Wainwright and Williams line up for Wales remains to be seen, but those who do take the field will be supremely focused on the job at hand. Centre Owen Watkins made that very clear following Howley’s press conference on a cold and rainy Tuesday.

    Warren Gatland’s men haven’t won a Test since beating Georgia 43-19 in last year’s Rugby World Cup pool stages. They’ve since lost to Argentina in their quarter-final, later gone winless in the Six Nations, and have been recently beaten by South Africa and Australia.

    Match Summary

    2
    Penalty Goals
    3
    3
    Tries
    1
    2
    Conversions
    0
    0
    Drop Goals
    0
    130
    Carries
    104
    3
    Line Breaks
    2
    9
    Turnovers Lost
    19
    7
    Turnovers Won
    3

    For those doing the maths and keeping track, that’s a run of eight losses which will extend to nine if they’re unable to avoid another defeat at AAMI Park. So, if Wainwright, Williams or any of the others are fit then rest assured they’ll be “available for selection.”

    “At the end of the day it’s an important game. (There’s) huge disappointment and frustration within the camp,” Howley explained.

    “It’s a second Test and we want to give the best version of ourselves.

    “The game (in Sydney) on 68 minutes, it was a huge probably 90 seconds, two minutes which we unfortunately couldn’t stay in that arm wrestle.

    “For us, it was huge disappointment in terms of the number of errors – unforced and forced – and particularly for the first half. The second half, the amount of possession we had towards the end of the game, the impact off the bench, it was excellent.

    “We’ve just come up short.”

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    Comments

    1 Comment
    T
    Thomas 269 days ago

    Wales can ill afford to lose Wainwright, who’s been their best player by a country mile.
    This is just compounded misery, hard to watch.

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    Comments on RugbyPass

    I
    IkeaBoy 4 hours ago
    Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

    “Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.”

    Good lad, just checking. So you’re not a bot! Chelsea bombed the 2008 final more than United won it. John Terry… couldn’t happen to a nicer fella.


    “The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”

    Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made.”

    So the difference between 2021 and 2023 would of course be TWO YEARS. 24 months would account for 3 different seasons. They contested ECL finals twice in two years. The first in 2021 - which they lost - was still the first elite European final in the clubs then 141 year history. Explain clearly how that’s not an achievement? Guess what age he was then…


    “I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright.”

    I thought you don’t care what certain managers did 10 years ago…

    Why would I address Eddie Jones? Why would he be deserving of a single sentence?


    “I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.”

    So you haven’t watched even a minute of Super Rugby this year?


    “lol u really need to chill out”

    Simply frightful! If you’re not a bot you’re at least Gen-Z?

    171 Go to comments
    f
    fl 4 hours ago
    Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

    “Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca”

    Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.


    “The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”

    Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made. With Barcelona, Pep made the semi final four consecutive times - with City he’s managed only 3 in 8 years. This year they didn’t even make the round of 16.


    To re-cap, you wrote that Pep “has gotten better with age. By every measure.” There are some measures that support what you’re saying, but the vast majority of the measures that you have highlighted actually show the opposite.


    I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.


    I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright. You’ve also not addressed Eddie Jones.


    I agree wrt Schmidt. He would ideally be retained, but it wouldn’t work to have a remote head coach. He should definitely be hired as a consultant/analyst/selector though.


    “Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.”

    lol u really need to chill out lad. Kiss and Schmidt would both be great members of the coaching set up in 2025, but it would be ridiculous to bank on either to retain the head coach role until 2031.

    171 Go to comments
    I
    IkeaBoy 5 hours ago
    Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

    Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca. The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.


    His time with City - a lower win ratio compared to Bayern Munich as you say - includes a 100 PT season. A feat that will likely never be surpassed. I appreciate you don’t follow soccer too closely but even casual fans refer to the sport in ‘pre and post Pep’ terms and all because of what he has achieved and is continuing to achieve, late career. There is a reason that even U10’s play out from the back now at every level of the game. That’s also a fairly recent development.


    How refreshing to return to rugby on a rugby forum.


    Ireland won a long over due slam in 2009. The last embers of a golden generation was kicked on by a handful of young new players and a new senior coach. Kiss was brought in as defence coach and was the reason they won it. They’d the best defence in the game at the time. He all but invented the choke tackle. Fittingly they backed it up in the next world cup in their 2011 pool match against… Australia. The instantly iconic image of Will Genia getting rag-dolled by Stephen Ferris.


    His career since has even included director of rugby positions. He would have an extremely good idea of where the game is at and where it is going in addition to governance experience and dealings. Not least in Oz were many of the players will have come via or across Rugby League pathways.


    Gatland isn’t a valid coach to compare too. He only ever over-achieved and was barely schools level without Shaun Edwards at club or test level. His return to Wales simply exposed his limitations and a chaotic union. It wasn’t age.


    Schmidt is open to staying involved in a remote capacity which I think deserves more attention. It would be a brain drain to lose him. He stepped in to coach the ABs in the first 2022 test against Ireland when Foster was laid out with Covid. They mullered Ireland 42-19. He was still heavily involved in the RWC 2023 quarter final. Same story.


    Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.

    171 Go to comments
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