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Wales lose another player for Nations Championship on eve of BaaBaas

Tomos Williams of Wales speaks with teammate Liam Belcher of Wales following the Quilter Nations Series 2025 rugby international match between Wales and Japan at Principality Stadium on November 15, 2025 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Huw Fairclough/Getty Images)
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Wales hooker Liam Belcher has become the latest player to withdraw from their squad for the Nations Championship campaign due to a neck injury sustained in Cardiff’s United Rugby Championship defeat to the Stormers.

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The 30-year-old picked up the injury in the second half of the 44-21 loss in Cape Town and has failed to recover in time to feature for his country against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa in July.

The fallout from Cardiff’s loss to the Stormers continues for Wales, as Keiron Assiratti was also forced to withdraw from the squad with a calf injury.

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Wales take on the Barbarians on Saturday at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium, meaning head coach Steve Tandy may be forced into a rejig of his squad.

No replacement has been called up yet by Wales, although they will actually line up against 55-cap Welshman Elliot Dee on Saturday, who will don the No.2 jersey in black and white.

Fixture
Rugby Union Hybrid Friendlies
Barbarians
31 - 33
Full-time
Wales
All Stats and Data

Updated Wales squad
Fowards:
Rhys Barratt (Cardiff Rugby – uncapped)
Adam Beard (Montpellier – 65 caps)
James Botham (Cardiff Rugby – 21 caps)
Rhys Carre (Saracens – 28 caps)
Ben Carter (Dragons – 19 caps)
Olly Cracknell (Leicester Tigers – 5 caps)
Ryan Elias (Scarlets – 48 caps)
Kane James (Exeter Chiefs – uncapped)
Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter Chiefs – 31 caps)
Harrison Keddie (Dragons – uncapped)
Dewi Lake (Ospreys – 31 caps)
Dillon Lewis (Dragons – 57 caps)
Evan Lloyd (Cardiff Rugby – 8 caps)
Alex Mann (Cardiff Rugby – 16 caps)
Jac Morgan (Ospreys – 24 caps)
Taine Plumtree (Scarlets – 14 caps)
Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers – 29 caps)
Nicky Smith (Leicester Tigers – 63 caps)
Gareth Thomas (Ospreys – 44 caps)
Freddie Thomas (Gloucester Rugby – 8 caps)
Aaron Wainwright (Dragons – 67 caps)
Sam Wainwright (Cardiff Rugby – 4 caps)
Ben Warren (Ospreys – uncapped)
Teddy Williams (Cardiff Rugby – 8 caps)
Ryan Woodman (Dragons – uncapped)

Backs:
Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby – 70 caps)
Ellis Bevan (Cardiff Rugby – 6 caps)
Bryn Bradley (Harlequins – uncapped)
Sam Costelow (Scarlets – 20 caps)
Dan Edwards (Ospreys – 11 caps)
Jarrod Evans (Harlequins – 17 caps)
Mason Grady (Cardiff Rugby – 17 caps)
Kieran Hardy (Ospreys – 31 caps)
Gabriel Hamer-Webb (Leicester Tigers – 1 cap)
Joe Hawkins (Scarlets – 11 caps)
Eddie James (Scarlets – 9 caps)
Max Llewellyn (Gloucester Rugby – 11 caps)
Ellis Mee (Scarlets – 8 caps)
Reuben Morgan-Williams (Ospreys – 2 caps)
Blair Murray (Scarlets – 16 caps)
Louis Rees-Zammit (Bristol Bears – 40 caps)
Joe Roberts (Scarlets – 7 caps)
Tom Rogers (Scarlets – 13 caps)
Ben Thomas (Cardiff Rugby – 18 caps)
Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby – 72 caps)

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N
NH 3 hours ago
Regarding Henry: Why Australian rugby has a new centre of attention

Nice one Nick. I have always been someone who believes in players needing to do their role, and that teams should be better than the sum of their parts. Suaalii may be a lab-born, drago like specimen and win every NFL-combine like test on the training pitch, but the fact is he hasn’t been doing his core role and the team does better at the moment without him. He doesn’t link with his team well in defense and often leave gaps even if people say ‘he is a physical league player’. In attack, he often hesitates and picks the wrong line on running, and wrong option when passing. This is why I have called for flook in the past and now henry. Not because they are a better athlete, but because they do their core job and make the team look better.

If you go back to the 1st game vs japan the WBs played the same backline moves with suaalii and I think the comparisons are instructive with henry. Comparison 1: the short ball. When suaalii ran the short line, he ended up running at the same hole as hunter (who drew 2 defenders) and crowded the space rather than running into the hole one man wider. Hunter luckily hit the right option out the back and Wright ended up scoring in the far corner. Herny on the other hand hit the right gap and would’ve setup a great try if not for the forward pass. Comparison 2: bouncing out and hitting the wing. Compare henry in your 3rd clip hitting jorgo when on the outs line and needing to link with his winger - on the chest perfect pass. Suaalii last week got caught between taking contact and offloading, hitting potter on the wing, and canham who switched back and the ball ended up going to absolutely no one. Luckily potter picked it up and sliced through a gap to score but suaalii definitely didn’t execute.



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